Thanks to my enthusiastic reaction to my column on how to adapt miracles to faith that does not need to be ignorant of science.
Q: As you suggested “Crossing the Red Sea,” I certainly sympathize with those who are trying to explain the obvious biblical miracles in naturally occurring cosmic events. Unfortunately, this can only be obtained until its own weight collapses. For example, in the explanation of Exodus 17 of Moses, Joshua’s army can beat Amarekite by lifting his arm with support to prevent the sun from setting (I think). Can you imagine the turmoil of the planet’s universe that would have happened? Even more problematic is the unreasonable NT miracle (for us Christians). For example, the fact that Lazaro was put into a grave a few days later and stood up from the dead even notes that he began to smell (John’s Gospel and this Gospel only).
If there were so many witnesses to this rather spectacular event, where was Josephus, the Hebrew recorder of the event at the time? I like to think of all these stories of faith, myths (?), That’s exactly what-the stories of faith that prove the depth of conviction in God’s reality. Indeed, this concept is easily applied by the Hebrew Bible because it is thousands of years old, perhaps from 500 to 600 B.C.E., and depends on reviews of these events.
I would like to believe that some imaginary explanations have been applied to the false attempt to convince others of God’s existence in these events. Probably a little easier for the Hebrew Bible than the Gospels of NT, but still a satisfying explanation for me.
Many of today’s contemporaries explain unreasonable events and don’t want to be overwhelmingly discounted just because I attended school in medicine and most of them but didn’t happen to me. It is related to a spectacular healing event that is carefully explained in the number of. It’s just my idea. I look forward to reading your column every week. -(From O)
A: Dear Oh, I agree that the issue of miracles is more difficult for Christianity. It is based on the historical truth of the miraculous Gospels surrounding Jesus’ ministry and death and resurrection. The other two Abraham faiths, Judaism and Islam, do not require believers in the faith to affirm the miraculous truths of the Bible. The underlying affirmation of faith is that God is genuine and works in the world to save us from sin and ignorance. How God works must remain a mystery.
MG: Errata (or oops!)
Q: I am an old man and a relatively new Christian. Because of common sense and great inclusiveness, I always love your “Squad of God” column, as shown by my long-standing relationship with Father Thom Hartmann. But I think you made a mistake in your discussion of “how miracles fit into our lives”. I agree with your message, but you received the explanation of gravity in reverse. The rotation of the earth does not produce gravity. It is made of a dense iron core in the center of the earth. The rotation of the earth reduces the effects of gravity. If it spins fast enough, we will “fly” its surface. Imagine a bucket of water that you hold at arm length and rotate over your head. Centrifugal force (rotation) prevents the water from falling when it is overhead. Without spin, gravity would cause water to fall on your head. Keep up the good work, but watch out for the merry-go-round. -(From Dr. K, Okara, Florida)
MG: Well, this proves that most people read my column for theology lessons, not physics lessons. What I meant was that if gravity actually stopped on the shores of the Red Sea, all sorts of really creepy and basically impossible things would happen. Those eerie and impossible things do not fit well into the world of certain ordered laws of nature. That’s my point, and that’s the truth.
However, there was one anonymous reader who blamed me quite hard. Have you ever studied physics at school? Your writing that the Earth is “rotating on its axis … causing gravity” and your writing that it is more exorbitant “it explodes when you stop spinning” made your inferior student. -And tend to be less than the value of anything else you write. Try a simple Google visit to “gravity”. Here we see that gravity is not something that Father Tom celebrated, but is caused by mass. The moon does not rotate or explode.
Hey, now you know. I’m a very good rabbi, but a very bad physicist.
Email all questions and comments to godsquadquestion@aol.com to God’s Squad. Rabbi Gellman is the author of several books, including “Religion for Dummies,” co-authored with Fr. Thom Hartmann. Also, a new GodSquad podcast is available.