Quote:
Originally Posted by awareness
Igzy,
Another great response -- left below. Thanks.
And that's the problem with believing in the virgin birth. First, of course, like zeek has pointed out, is the biological improbability of it, but second is: where are those kinds of extraordinary miracles happening today?
It seems in the Bible that God was very busy back 2 and 3 thousand yrs ago. But since Jesus has gone on vacation -- seems -- those extraordinary miracles have ceased to be. God isn't moving like that any more. (I did once believe, in the LC, that the LC was God moving on the earth -- I gave up that "childish thing" too.)
Now if my prayers had been answered, and the same power of God that I see in scripture had been given to me, I would, of course, have a different approach and reception to fantastical stories in the Bible.
It's kind of like all the claims of UFOs. Okay, there's lots of reports, and even pictures, but as the cynic I am I won't believe in them until those proctologist's from outer space come and probe MY orifices, or if I actually see one with my own eyes, maybe.
I guess we modern's today tend to have given up "childish things" and have metaphorically given up on believing in Santa Claus, so to speak.
And that makes the virgin birth of Jesus a very hard pill to swallow.
Harold
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Harold,
No, thank you. I always enjoy talking to you, even when I disagree with you.
I guess what you are saying is that you cannot imagine a God who would supersede nature. I have no problem believing in one. If God created nature then certainly he ought to be able to override it whenever he wants to. You haven't seen anything miraculous lately? The Jews were probably thinking that around 0 BC because no prophets or miracles had occurred for 400 years. Then Jesus came.
I can see why Jesus would want to be born of a virgin. At the same time, if he wasn't, and there was no mention of it, I probably wouldn't miss it. But as it is, the OT predicts it, and the Jesus I see in history confirmed the OT. 1 + 1 = 2. I'm not smart enough to discern which parts of the Bible are true and which are not, and I don't think anyone else is either. So I think we have to either believe all of it or none of it.
My faith is simple:
- Something had to cause the universe. That's God.
- I cannot dismiss Jesus. He was special. No other person I've observed compares to him.
- I cannot dismiss the Bible. It is special. No other book or collection of writings I've seen compares to it.
All my other, more specific beliefs, flow from those three basic beliefs. Through my believing I've come to know an invisible but quite real Person, who has changed me and my life. I can see his work in me, and it's more than just me learning a new philosophy. It's a power I have not seen or experienced from any other source. That power is God, and Jesus. That's my experience and testimony. You or zeek or others might scoff and laugh and say I'm logically unsound or whatever. I probably am. But I know what I know. That's my hope, and I'm glad I have it. And I'm not smart enough to imagine how it could be better.