New Biggest Miracle

David Sklansky · #1 10-25-2005, 10:55 PM

Not only was my previous post on this subject hijacked by tangents, somebody wrote an explanation for manna. So my new nominee for the "biggest miracle" is the slaying of the first born of all Egyptians (and the "passing over" of the Jewish first born), the tenth plague.

I say it is the biggest miracle because of its impact on religion, because of it magnitude, and because I see no possible non miraculous explantion if it is true. Can we stick to the subject this time?

Alex/Mugaaz · #2 10-25-2005, 11:15 PM

Wouldn't parting the Red Sea, turning water into wine, feeding thousands with a few fish and a couple loaves of bread, or bringing down the walls of a city with an instrument fall into the category of only possible via a miracle?

David Sklansky · #3 10-25-2005, 11:31 PM

Except for the feeding thousands, the others have conceivable explanations. And someone else already said that one is symbolic. Also it wouldn't shake a religions foundations if it wasn't true.

Actually I think that this Egyptian event should have been my number one from the beginning.

Alex/Mugaaz · #4 10-25-2005, 11:43 PM

Couldn't the slaying of Egyptian first borns be explainable to some degree if there was something the Egyptians did that severely increased the chances of SIDS?

Also I don't see any possible non miracle explanation for turning water into wine if it wasn't a magic trick, though I agree it isn't all that dramatic.

Does it matter if it divine intervention or something otherworldly vs a miracle? If the early Biblical humans lived to the age of 400-900 years old wouldn't that be nearly as good? What about any evidence of the half human/angel offspring, etc? These wouldn't be irrefutable, but they should be enough to change the odds quite a bit.

Mempho · #5 10-25-2005, 11:55 PM

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Couldn't the slaying of Egyptian first borns be explainable to some degree if there was something the Egyptians did that severely increased the chances of SIDS?

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That would include all children...not just the first-borns. If you can come up with a health-endangering ritual or procedure that Egyptians performed only on firstborns, I'll give it some merit.

Well, David, I think this is a good choice because it would have been nearly impossible to fake. It also makes it more difficult to test, however. I think that we only need to sample the largest population center in Egypt. If we could get some type of accurate documentation, this might lead somewhere. I would not look to any "divine documents" for the answer. I would look for some official government documentation. Surely, this would have been a huge policy issue in which there would be a lot of historical record.

KenProspero · #6 10-26-2005, 12:19 AM

I throw this out as a suggestion -- especially for those who believe that there aren't current miracles.

I remember, the days of the Soviet Union, when many of prayed regularly, in temple, for the release of the Soviet Jews.

In time, the Soviet Empire collapsed, almost bloodlessly, and the Jews, and other enslaved people got to go free.

If one is of a mind to look for miracles, one can attribute this answering of prayers to the hand of God.

Question -- is the bloodless overthrow of one of the largest empires known to man on a par with the killing of the first born in Exodus.

#7 10-26-2005, 12:37 AM

do you think there's no natural explanation for this?

Joey Legend · #8 10-26-2005, 12:49 AM

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Also I don't see any possible non miracle explanation for turning water into wine if it wasn't a magic trick, though I agree it isn't all that dramatic.

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While not dramtic, it is one of the first displays of power from the adult Jesus. Given that it was a true event, it seems like it would have done a great deal to influance peoples reception of Jesus, and his ministry.

hmkpoker · #9 10-26-2005, 01:30 AM

If God did do this "miracle," I think it is reasonable to conclude that he is an ass hole.

What kind of sick bastard slaughters innocent children to prove a point to the pharoah? Couldn't he have caused a hallucination without killing people who CLEARLY didn't deserve it? God, in this case, is incompetant at best and sadistic at worst.

Wes ManTooth · #10 10-26-2005, 01:44 AM

A$$hole is one word

... you obviously have a lot to learn to learn about biblical history.