Why Doesn't God Grow Back Limbs?

One form of recreation I have is listening to debates between atheists and Christians.

During such a debate, the atheist brought up miracles - rather, lack thereof - as disproof of God.  His main contention?  God must have something against people who lose their limbs.  After all, if God can heal a diseased person, why couldn't he just grow back a limb?  Especially one lost to war or other tragedy?

At first thought, it does seem to be a valid question...and a tough one to counter at that.  What is a limb compared to a disease?  Certainly he can do it, right?  After all he is all powerful!

Not to mention all the publicity God would get if someone actually DID have their arm grown back!  Think about it, an Iraq war vet who lost his/her leg via IED and glory of glories their leg grew back, thanks be to God!!!

So, why not then?

Seems reasonable doesn't it?  It did to the atheist.

Perhaps that's the problem though.  It "seems" reasonable.

Clearly we aren't the plum bob for reason, as humans.  Many bad things have been done in the name of "seemed reasonable at the time."

Do we truly think we are more reasoned than God?  Do we honestly think that if it were truly reasonable to do such a thing, God wouldn't?  Sure, at times we think we are more reasonable than God - we try to outsmart him with our reason.  Yet at the end of the day, if we are honest, we know better - reason isn't our strong suit.

So why might God not grow back a limb?  Especially one of a veteran. They would deserve it, right?

Let's get the deserve out of the way.  We deserve NOTHING.  None of us.  And no, not the vet.  Though while they may have served our country - are they any better than any of us who didn't?  Why would a vet be anymore important that a child who lost their leg?  And is that child any more important or special that the pastor who, too, lost their arm?

See where this is going?  We can all make a case for who would "deserve" this special healing.  However, none of us are truly deserving of anything, including the Grace that is given to us.  So what do we value more?  A leg, or Grace?

And that's the crux of the issue.

It doesn't come down to what God can/can't, will/won't do - it's our VALUE.

We VALUE the human BODY more than we should.  Take a look at the newsstand, or watch TV for five minutes, or checkout all the diet/fitness books at the store, or the porn industry - we are obsessed with our bodies.  To the point that we evidently see that someone without a leg, arm, all four limbs as such a less person we want God to "fix" them.

And that's the truth.  We honestly don't value human BEINGS as much as we do human BODIES.

We feel bad because someone doesn't have a leg...yet couldn't care less if they have something to eat, a good home to go to, a loving family, or just a friend...

The truth is: we want God to "fix" them so we don't have to be reminded about how obsessed we are with our BODIES.

Yet we are asking God help us in our obsession?

And a loving God would do as such?

If WE truly loved, honored, cherished, treasured the person - it won't matter what part/s of their body is missing or not working correctly.

Rather than seeing them as someone God could fix.

Is that how YOU would like to be looked at?

On Anger

If we are to be truly honest with ourselves about our feelings, we must admit how selfish they are.

Especially anger.

While we might believe anger can serve a cause for good, most times it's not; it's for us.

Oddly, anger is one of those selfish feelings that does more harm to us than others - depending on the severity of our anger and our subsequent actions.

But for the moment let's keep anger within the confines of ourselves.

It serves no purpose.

Anger is not a feeling hope for, search out - in some cases we do - or wake up in the morning wishing to be angry at some point during our day.

Rather, anger comes upon us.  It "happens" or someone "makes" us angry.  And more and more these days, there are more and more ways we "become" angry.

"Don't make me angry," pre-Hulk would say.  "You won't like me when I'm angry."

Take a quick look around at the bookstore - there are rows and rows of books on how to "beat" stress and "anger."  Why is that?  With all these books shouldn't we be making progress?  Shouldn't there be less books?

Why haven't we figured out how NOT to be angry?

Perhaps because we aren't looking at the right cause of our anger: ourselves.

Of course, a book that blames US for OUR problems might not be a best seller - even if we know it's true, we don't want to hear it.

But it IS true.  Whether we like it our not, we are the cause of most of our problems in life and the anger that follows.

Think of the last time you were angry at someone - most likely they didn't something (big or small) that YOU didn't want/like them to do.

Have you ever gotten angry at someone for ALL WAYS doing what you want them to?  Though I could see how that might be annoying - however that just proves my point as well.

Anger, for us, all ways involves OUR expectations of someone or a situation.  When it doesn't go the way WE want, we chose to get angry.

That's right, we CHOSE to be angry.

Think back to that last time you were angry at someone.  You chose to be angry at them, because you could have NOT been angry at them.  But that's not how you wanted to feel.  You wanted TO BE angry - as if your anger was some form of punishment.  You wanted them to know you were angry.  Why?

Is our anger at someone THAT MUCH of a punishment?


Clearly not as evident by people who know us still "make" us angry...Our wrath is not so fearful.

But why else do we, should we, get angry?  For what purpose might anger serve?  Be useful for? Can it be the "gift" Rage Against the Machine says it is?

What things are good to be angry at?  Is there people that DO deserve our anger?

Injustice?

Sure, I suppose.  But are we angry at the perpetrators of "injustice" or the act itself?  For if we are angry AT the perpetrators, are we not just being selfish again - they aren't measuring up to our expectations of them.

Can we be angry at "something" like injustice?  How do we know when we see it?  When it makes us angry?

Are people ever helped by anger?

Have you ever been thanked for your anger?

Do we fill books with quotes of anger because they are so valuable?

Should we honor anger?

What good can anger bring to the world?

Or maybe anger is not what it seems. There's a feeling, for sure, that things in the world AREN'T the way they are SUPPOSED to be.  We all feel it.  But we can't put our finger on it.  We can't even fully express it.  Anger then becomes a substitute.

I believe that while we say anger pushes us to action - it doesn't.

Does it push us to protest or to protect?

To screaming or soothing?

To hurting back or helping more?

Sparking riots or building communities?

What purpose does anger serve?

I'm not sure I know anymore...if I ever did.

Guest Post!

It's been some time since my last post.  For good reason...which we might get to later on.

However...I will be guest posting over at The Schires Five which (full disclosure) is my sister's blog - which if you take a look around is full of interesting little tid bits from cooking, being frugal, to faith and family!  Check it out and check out my guest post this Thursday!

Take Care.