God intervening?

 

John Bodycomb writes about a God who intervines in his book 'No fixed address' ::

'I do not believe that God is in any sense 'interventionist; that God changes weather, health or wealth in response to impassioned pleading, cajoling or harassment from the pious. I am not persuaded by accounts of so-called 'miracle healing'. I am not opposed to prayer for, by and with the sick - but I have yet to meet the paraplegic or amputee miraculously restored. And if I did, I would wonder why God meddled in that person's life and ignored all the other amputees and paraplegics'

Couple of thoughts::

• If he was praying what would it be for? Peace?
• One of the greatest gifts a person could ever have is hope. While I am against an exclusive miricles that only occur if you do and believe the right thing. I've seen many miracles where people are in all sorts of places in there life.
• Bodcombs last sentence is a 'Theodicy' For me the only way to get away from it is to become an atheist. Or live with the tension, a 'mystery'.
• A miracle is often a persons only hope. Hope is one of the most precious gifts. Tread carefully.

Compass Scott Stephens last week interviewed Dr Philip Nitschke one of Australias most prominent Euthanasia advocates. He was asked if he had ever had a 'Spiritual experience'. His reply nearly knocked me over. 

The most bizarre one was when I was in my undergraduate years in university in Adelaide and I woke up one morning and I had really swollen feet. Feet were incredibly swollen, I couldn’t stand on them. I was in a dreadful state. Couldn’t get to university. And for whatever reason, whatever I did that day as I was sitting there going “what the hell am I going to do?” I opened up a copy of the bible that was there in the boarding school and the first words I read were – this is what struck me – was “Asa was diseased in his feet.” And I thought come on. How many references to feet are there in the bible? And you open it up and you read it and nothing. So I sat there thinking what are the statistical probability of opening a bible and reading about feet when you’ve got a problem with your feet?

 For me this very much seems like the 'Creator' was knocking at his door. Who knows God may still have plans for Philip Nitschke, he came across as a very thoughtful person, who I warmed to as the interview went on.

I suspect that Bodycomb would agree with Nitschke that this was just a statistical fluke. Mind you I often think life is made up of statistical flukes. For us humans the difficulty lies in which ones to embrace and which ones to ignore.

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Related articles

• Australia may get euthanasia clinic (news.theage.com.au)

Lifes Big Questions

Watching 'lifes big questions' on ABC's ivew. So far it has been excellent. Some general observations::

• Scott Stephens is a awkward interviewer. He often asks the right questions, but there is a feeling of distance with those he is interviewing. 
• Stephen's pushes and eventually gets underneath and finds out what a person thinks about the 'big questions'. The meaning of life, theodicy, joy, peace, happiness
• Fascinating the range of responses so far from people

Some thoughts on the Lindy Chamberlain interviews. (Lindy was convicted of murder of her baby Azaria in Northern Territory and latter acquitted.)

• I've never really thought much about the Lindy case. I can remember most people did have an opinion in the 80's. After the interview I'm pretty convinced she didn't commit any murder.
• Lindy is full on with her religion. The most, so far in the series.
• It was interesting that I would have thought that the death of her child, and the subsequent divorce from her husband; A minister in the seventh day Adventist church would have been the biggest aspects of her life. Only the death of Azaria was mention. Yet I would have thought her divorce would have had a large influence on how she views 'The big questions'
• Lindy is the classical example of a religous person who has difficulties in life 'digging deeper' into what she knows. Instead of looking forward or outward.
• I was amazed at her knowledge of differences between other protestant churches and the seventh day Adventists. She has some serious doctrinal statements stored in her head.
• I'm sort of happy that she has found some happiness, comfort in what she knows. I wish it were that simple.