Lack of miracles puzzles theologians

[alarimer]

Theologians are baffled today at the complete failure of divine intervention to prevent a recent global wave of starvation, war, and social strife.

“We’re really at a loss,” remarked renowned Christian theologian Alister McGrath. “Yesterday, thousands of people lived, and even died, in a state of extreme undernourishment, which totally defies expectations.” Mr. McGrath explained that “ormally, the case has been that massive, starving populations are fed by manna from heaven, but yesterday everything was totally different.”

Regarding new numbers from this evening projecting an ongoing famine throughout sub-Saharan Africa, McGrath said that “hopefully, everything will be back to normal soon” and recommended increased levels of piety for at least the next 72 hours.....

http://theedger.org/2008/10/26/lack-of-miracles-puzzles-theologians/


More at link

My favorite quote from this piece
“We’d probably have to revise the textbooks over this one,” he continued, “if the textbooks weren’t infallible.”

[LoveIsNow]

1. Well, golly gee

I guess God must be on vacation or something. Maybe he'll come back when we stop having abortions and gay marriage and build some more Alaska pipelines.

[MountainLaurel]

2. This has got to be satire

Please, please tell me it's satire (my computer is balking at opening the link).

:scared:

[alarimer]

7. Of course is.

Later in the piece it refers to Chick Tract as a "Protestant theologian."

[DesertFlower]

3. maybe because god only

exists in their minds.

[aquart]

4. Obviously not a Protestant theologian.

"Miracles are ceased" is a tenet of Protestant theology. Catholics are the ones who still think that water is going to become wine.

[FLyellowdog]

6. Do we know why?

I mean, is god tired? got laid off? now an atheist? What? We deserve an answer. And we deserve it now.

[aquart]

9. Probably predestination.

That's just a guess, though. If it's all predetermined (a great comfort to the wealthy who no longer have to feel guilty about the poor as that was God's intention) then miracles wouldn't be miracles so what's the point of having them?

[FLyellowdog]

10. Well, there ya go. It figures.

[struggle4progress]

11. Your theology is weak -- perhaps because you don't recognize miracles when you see them

[aquart]

12. MY theology is fine.

But "miracles are ceased" (Henry V) is one of the distinctions between Protestant and Catholic.

[struggle4progress]

13. "Miracles are ceased" is a lovely Elizabethan slogan, not only at the pen

of Francis Bacon writing to King James but in the mouth Shakespeare's Canterbury (Henry V: Act I, Scene I) or in Walton writing Life of Dr Donne (par 43: "most of our world are at present possessed with an opinion that visions and miracles are ceased") -- and it is of course widely quoted since

And it may have been important at one time as a slogan in the political fights disguised as Catholic-Protestant theological controversies, but whether "miracles are ceased" has never been an important point of controversy between Catholics and Protestants in my lifetime

Much blather about "miracles" is tiresome nonsense, of course, but perhaps a case can be made that people regularly overlook and devalue miracles:

http://i.pbase.com.nyud.net:8090/o6/74/784774/1/82395048.CayIhUJs.canyon086.jpg

[RainDog]

17. Assemblies of God are protestant and they still believe in miracles

and they believe in modern-day prophecy, and they are the church of Sarah Palin. (and John Ashcroft)

[Booster]

5. I had this conversation with someone just yesterday. I said

doesn't anyone find it strange that God has never, ever felt the need to alter not one single word in the Bible? No update of any kind, no miracles to show us, nothing, nada, zilch. You'd think after all these years there would something he would want us to know.

[alarimer]

8. Well the Pope is conducting research even as we speak.

“According to all of our best current models, now should be the time that the Virgin Mary appears in a blinding flash of light and shocks all humanity into productive introspection on our inherently sinful nature,” remarked Catholic theologian Joseph “Pope Benedict XVI” Ratzinger. His laboratory in Italy, the well-funded global headquarters for theological inquiry in the field of Catholicism, is still puzzling over data suggesting that the Virgin Mary may have failed to prevent as many as 12 violent deaths in Iraq yesterday.

Ratzinger later said that his crack team of theologians is now combing pictures of windows, unusual cloud formations, and geological simulacra for some evidence of recent Marian activity that “might not have been as blinding as we would like.”

[Seldona]

21. I thought she was on some old cheese sandwich in a casino?

nt

[Demeter]

14. Is This From the Onion?

[alarimer]

15. No, it's from Edger. n/t

[KoKo]

20. lol's ...I misread your post to say "ENDER" thinking it was from folks waiting for RAPTURE....

:rofl:

[noel711]

16. If I were an 'old-school-boys-club theologian' I'd agree, but...

I'm a feminist, liberation theologian,
and I laugh at them.

My theology says miracles unfold in front of us daily...
the miracle of people sharing, loving, and reaching out.

And the greatest of modern miracles will occur on Nov. 4
when Barack Obama wins in a landslide.

My miracles trump there pitiful stupidity any day.

[baldguy]

18. You forgot the :sarcasm: tag.

:sarcasm:

[KoKo]

19. Maybe they should read Dickens...or did their Hedge Funds go sour and

they figured "GOD" would protect their "Endowment" and that's why they are suddenly questioning?

:eyes: