I was reading another topic and there is a back and forth banter of a person who may or may not of survived in the belly of a whale. anyways I started wondering why would this be a miracle? (many are referring to this as a miracle) What denotes something being a miracle? What is a miracle and what makes it a miracle and why isn't something a miracle. Just curious Namaste sheri

To me a miracle would be something that there is no possible or logical explanation for, someone waking up from a coma after sixteen years. Someone who is paralyzed being able to walk again. Me making a logical statement....you know stuff like that

I would define a miracle as something good happening through gods intervention.
Generally a miracle happens when people are at a loss to explain exactly how or why this good thing happened. So it was God that did this wonderful act.



Something good happens, it's a miracle.
Something bad happens, well, he works in mysterious ways.

The story is of Jonah and the scripture doesn't say 'whale' it says 'big fish'.

I think it is miraculous if you think about it. The story of Jonah is that God told him to go to Ninevah and tell the people to repent. Jonah disobeyed and took a ship going somewhere else. A huge storm came and they were about to sink when Jonah said that it was he who had brought the storm by disobeying God...so they through him overboard and the storm subsided and they were saved. A big fish swallowed up Jonah and spat him out on the shores of Ninevah where Jonah felt a little obliged at that point to do as God had asked him.

I would say a miracle is something that cannot be explained by natural means.

Both B's I once read that" there is no order of difficulty in miracles ?" would that be implying there is no such thing as a miracle or everything is a miracle? namaste sheri

Joc, Why? would be my reply Namaste sheri

Why what?

I'm sure some, who believe that God watches us always, woudl say that every good act is a miracle regardless.

A miracle, in my opinion, can be either difficult to explain or supernatural (if not both).

I think that the amazing thing about life is that you turn around and look at the past and even when something bad did happen, you end up thanking God because it brought you to where you are in life now.

We all grow spiritually and sometimes the bad things happen to bring us to a better place.

Just my experience.

Well, I also think it's a miracle that I've met such lovely people in my life. This includes family, friends, coworkers. They've all helped me at some point or another to get into the right direction.

sounds like beer and popcorn to me. (you have to be following the canadian federal election to get that).

joc why is this particular story so miraculous? Is it even true? Namaste sheri

burnside, so your opinion is the miracle thing is a religious construct?? namaste sheri

Miracles are good things that happen- blind seeing, deaf begiin to hear, dumb begin to speak, my friend's son who will be cured of his disabilty- one day. It will happen. Miracles are healing in the physical body - mostly.

I have never seen a miracle- but heard of one of a girl at church. She became blind. And they said she would never see again. Then see began to see 3 days after prayer. Then she was very happy. Her faith was strong. But sometimes miracles do not happen because we are supposed to be the way we are.

By that logic, we are all part of God. Which I agree with. I know that some people think that we are apart from God, but we are actually a part of God.

Yes, a miracle is fully a religious construct in my opinion.
That is the definition of miracle though the dictionary. A supernatural event associated with god.

Miracles are less frequent these days because we can explain events relatively easily without enlisting the help of an onmipotent being.

You really have to ask what is miraculous about that story? I believe it is true...but then again I believe the Bible is true.

Burnside i'm with you I too think that miracles are religous constructs, has anyone ever known of someone to just see again after being blind or hearing again, ?? i do think medical advancements have been instrumental, but ....namaste sheri

yes Joc i do have to ask what is miraculous about that story, I hear no ring of truth to it IMO, I'm not convinced at all that this is an actual account, othere than someones imagination. Namaste sheri

I told you of a story. She goes to my church every Sunday and is 19 yrs old.

Well I also know of a story of a cat my Granddaddy said was blinded- had white covering it's eyes- like cataracts. He said he prayed for the cat and put his hands over it's eyes and then looked up at the cat and its eyes were clear.

All he said was God this cat needs it's eyes to see. Please heal it. In Jesus name.

He said it was a miracle.

Although i am in no way saying that 'miraculous' things do indeed happen. I just believe we should look for an answer in a different way rather than getting on our knees and whispering to ourselves.

I find it interesting these are generally tales that permeate religion. The cat may of not had cataracts, nor been close to blindness, your uncle is religious correct? It would be safe to assume he filters his experinces thru religon. My point is why isn't everything a miracle according to religion, why are there things that aren't? Namaste sheri

Yes my Granddaddy is religious. But the cat's eyes were clouded- either it was a infection and was cured in an instant. It is not hard to believe. He does not lie- nor Granny. I doubt it was a lie.

Miracles happen. It may be a religious thing. But people who are not treligious have miracles also.

Sherri,

Since you mentioned Jonah...why not first research the story? It is in the old testament of the Bible...the book of Jonah. Read it...then get back with me.

It's really short..only a few pages...shouldn't take you long at all.

That is one of my favorite stories. I kind of like how the Veggie Tales movie did it. Awww. So precious.

Somthing that can't be explained would be considered a miracle. Someone said that the world is not as mysterious as it was before, well yes and no. Remember most of science althouth we claim is fact is a lot of theory. E=mc2 is even being seriously questioned today. We really don't know exactly what's going on, just giving it our best guess.

Some people will hear a miracle, and blow it off as a coincidence and probably just a rumor. Why, because they think they know the full extent of reality, which of course is pure ignorance.

I will share one miracle that my aunt told me happened to her.

"My aunt, went to the same High school as I did. During one of the high school dances, her date took her outside to "talk". As they went around the building, he suddenly threw her on the ground and attemted to rip off her cloths and rape her. She started quietly praying to Jesus in her mind to stop what was happening. Suddenly as it started, her date stopped and ran away. The next day, since they were freinds, she asked him why he had stopped. He looked surprised and said didn't you see that man in white standing over you. Of couse she said no, and then he told her, and man glowing in white was standing over you so I ran away."

She told me this personaly. Some of the "free-thinkers" on this board will find some way to explain this even if they claim she made it up to get attention. That's a common one.

I have read many other miracles involving NDEs. Off the top of my head I remember a woman in the hospital who was blind and had a heart condition. A being (she claimed Jesus) healed her of her heart condition, and the doctors in the hospital had no explanation. I will try to find a link to the story. It's somewhere on this site:

http://www.near-death.com/

awesome story about your Aunt Scooby!

I believe that maybe God knew that the only way this fella would stop is if he were caught. This is why Jesus allowed that to happen.

Joc and the point is?? I know the story I fail to see the miraculous in it, it is clearly a story meant to remind the follower of his place and the reward as deemed by religions idea that god has preferences, So this would be your definition of a miracle? Namaste sheri

Anything that goes against the laws of physics. =) That was one definition I read somewhere.

I take a broader view on miracles. Why do new parents cry over their new child and say "It's a miracle - it's our miracle baby". There's absolutely nothing supernatural about the birth, nor the child, nor the parents. Yet it is a miracle.

Though miracles can of course be supernatural events too, I will not limit myself to the supernatural realm.

Regards, PA

todays miracles and unexplained myteries will be explained by science tomorrow
i agree with Burnside
and if people want to believe in miracles enough they will make them selves...
it just seems like when something weird happens people would rather say omg it's a miracle instead of trying to understand what really happened, and how many have been staged?

Could I add a theory here? My mother's dog was blind for over a year before we even noticed. It wasn't until we re-arranged the furniture one day that we realized the poor dog was completely blind. Animals are very adaptive. Could he have wanted the cat to see again so badly that he read more into the situation than was really there? I know I tend to read into things a little more when I want something to be there.

As for a blind person seeing again? No, I have not heard any stories that could be verified. But, I will say this, we really do not know how our brains work. Maybe someone suffering from an ailment can want to be healed so badly that our brain starts sending signals to our bodies to self -heal. I have heard of instances like this. I also believe the reverse can happen, I believe we can probably "will" ourselves into sickness.

Now, I would consider self-healing a miracle. I believe there are small miracles out there everyday. Think about it, us being here is a miracle. Think of everything that had to happen and to be just right, for us to be where we are.

Hit the nail right on the head...

Amy i think you have good points. namaste sheri

Scooby interesting story and for respect towards your grandmother i shall refrain from sharing my perspective (in such a situation I wouldn't be to concerned with the way I prevented a rape I think it was good thinking on her part I'm glad to hear it worked for her.

Is life itself not a miracle? The fact that we dont why we are here, where we came from, where we are going or how life exactly happened is miraculous enough to me. Anything beyond our comprehension despite trying to find answers is a miracle to me- some things truely are "unexplainable".

I also agree the concept of a miracle is associated with religion. I am not convinced that something unexplainable is a miracle. I also don't believe that when someone asked for something and they get it, that this is a miracle either. I.E. stories like Scooby's. (I have and heard many stories like this).

In fact when asked, I am not sure I believe in "Miracles". Just because we don't have an answer for something that happens, extraordinary or not, doesn't mean that it was not capable of happening. I believe there are a lot of elements in life we are not in tune with... at least fluently. I am one to believe that just because I may not be able to see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The power of will is not to be underestimated... and that in my opinion extends beyond the physical.

I challenge everyone to pick something their passionate about, truly to the core passionate about, and ask for it with all your heart and will. Put your spirit into it. Ask for it to happen as if it were your desire to live. I bet you'd be surprised what will happen. Now is that a miracle? Not in my opinion. It may be something else...

Too often "miracles" are about surving some horrible fate, out lasting something, beating or prolonging death, i think they are part of the victim construct which is perpetrated and kept going by religions. i personally don't ascribe to the victim construct, if something is in my life its there with my invitation whether i accept responsibility for it or not, This i can say for sure i can't deem this to be a miracle and that not to be with any certainty, thats religons definition and I think its incomplete namaste sheri

What denotes a miracle?
Oh.. let me count the ways

Intimate relations after marriage for starters.

Being allowed to go out with the "guys" without being in the doghouse for a month.

Finding a woman whom doesn't want to shoehorn you into being "her" idea of what a perfect mate should be.