Why doesn’t God heal amputees?
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You believe that God heals, right? When you or a loved one is sick, you pray in such a way that evidences a belief that God, the “Great Physician,” might come to your aid and provide a miracle. Right?
I want to ask a few questions here and I want you to feel free to answer in this blog:
1. Do you believe that God still heals people today?
2. Is a miraculous cure from cancer any more difficult for God than healing someone who has lost a leg?
3. Have you ever seen either type of miracle?
4. Why, assuming that you have never seen nor heard of an amputee being healed, doesn’t God heal amputees?
I want to make something clear. I am not presupposing the legitimacy of this question. Nor am I saying that the question itself is not without faulty presuppositions. I just want to put this forth for discussion. It is a primary question that skeptics, doubters, and atheists are using today as an apologetic, personal and public, for their worldview.
I leave these four questions with you. Have fun!
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Vance on 31 May 2007 at 5:27 pm #
This is a difficult question (which is why you asked it!), and what immediately springs to mind is, oddly, a bit from Douglas Adams’ Hitchiker’s Guide to the Universe. In the book, the “guide” was discussing philosophy and religion and proposed the idea that anything SO miraculous that would prove the existence of God would undermine the requirement of faith, so God would never do this. And, despite the fact that Adams was an atheist, I think there may be a glimmer there somewhere.
At a time when people generally believed in the miraculous, and such an occurance would not, necessarily, prove the existence of one god over another, then ironically God may have been more willing to allow dramatic miracles to happen. During Jesus’ time, there were many “miracle workers” and the supernatural was an accepted fact by most in society. It would, thus, still require faith that it was THE God, Jehovah, who was performing the particular miracle.
Today, the performance of an absolute, slam-dunk, “now you CAN’T deny God exists” miracle, something that could be scientifically and factually confirmed to fulfill the most Modern mindset, would establish beyond reasonable doubt that God exists. No faith in ‘things not seen” required.
Anyway, that is just what comes to mind.
C Michael Patton on 31 May 2007 at 5:38 pm #
This is good. I think the “hiddenness of God” arguement is valid. Thanks for sharing.
Chad Winters on 31 May 2007 at 5:55 pm #
1. Do you believe that God still heals people today?
I believe God can, and probably does, but it is rare and usually done for special signs. This is tough to say but true healing seems very rare. Everyone can point to someone who got better, but most diseases a have a certain percentage who get better, with or without prayer. There have been some articles that showed that people of faith have better outcomes but it did not depend on what or who they had faith in and probably represented the mind-body connection and inner peace thing and not healing by God.
It is important to remember that we live in a fallen world full of death and disease. Everyone dies, even Christians. If God began answering most of our prayers for healing we would basically be living in the New Heaven and the New Earth where there is no death or disease and our new bodies do not decay. Unfortunately, God does not feel that it is time for that yet.
Imagine how easy evangelism would be if you could just show statistics that Christians get healed of diseases/amputations on a regular basis!!
This can be dangerous as many “Christians” faith is shaken when God does not heal their loved ones. Suddenly he either does not exist or they are very angry at him.
Part of it is lack of eternal perspective. If you are a Christian God will heal you, and give you a new body that never gets sick or dies, but you have to be patient. “In this life you will have troubles”
2. Is a miraculous cure from cancer any more difficult for God than healing someone who has lost a leg?
Certainly not
3. Have you ever seen either type of miracle?
I have seen people cured of cancer, but was it God or natural actions of their immune system? I am NOT a diest and I do believe God can do it, but widespread healings are not in his current plan
4. Why, assuming that you have never seen nor heard of an amputee being healed, doesn’t God heal amputees?
Because we are basically asking God to restore the World, to prevent disease and injury. Which if done on a widescale would require destroying this Earth and creating the New One. If he did that no one else could come to Christ who was not already saved and this Era of History would close.
Threepwood on 31 May 2007 at 11:56 pm #
1. Do you believe that God still heals people today?
-Absolutely
2. Is a miraculous cure from cancer any more difficult for God than healing someone who has lost a leg?
-pffft, that’s nothing. I hear he raised somebody from the dead!!!
3. Have you ever seen either type of miracle?
-Not yet, but it is a miracle in itself that God has given us brains that can develop medicines that can cure things that use to kill people. Also that in his plans for us he designed a pig’s heart to be so much like ours that we could use it as a transplant when we had the means to do so. My mom did survive cancer, and I’d bet God had a hand in that!
4. Why, assuming that you have never seen nor heard of an amputee being healed, doesn’t God heal amputees?
-Correct me immediately if I am incorrect in my notion, but this is a theory based off of Scripture that could certainly be tainted by my sinful mind but…
I have always thought that the major miracles stopped with the apostles after the great comission. It is like the story of the rich man and the beggar, (Lk 16:19-31), where Abraham declares that there have already been the prophets, and if the rich man’s family does not believe them already, they will not believe even someone who has risen from the dead.
Likewise we have the prophets, the Bible, and if we do not already believe and have faith in all of the miracles performed then, we certainly won’t blieve now. A miracle such as replacing a whole limb would certainly negate the whole “faith” thing and believing without seeing. Even I have trouble believing in the casting out of demons nowadays, and I’m a believer.
I think that the subtle blessings are there to remind us while the Holy Spirit does the rest.
Grace and Peace
Douglasah on 10 Jun 2007 at 1:58 am #
1. Do I believe that God still heals people today?
Yes, I do. Healing has many dimemsions, and I believe that God’s healing
touches all of them.
2. Is a miraculous cure from cancer any more difficult for God than healing
someone who has lost a leg?
I have a problem with the word “Miraculous” and “difficult”. “Miraculous”
may merely mean that we don not understand how it can occur. It can
also mean “natural to God” – but not to us. So, I’ll stay with the idea of
“something we don’t understand”. It’s easier. Being something we don’t
understand presuposes our ability to determine degrees of difficulty,
doesn’t it? So, being unknown, we don’t know how easy or difficult it may
be.
3. Have you ever seen either type of miracle?
This is two sided. First, is the issue of credibility – who is a credible
witness – and who isn’t? I know, and know of people with cancer who
have been given six months to live – that was a year and some months
ago for one, and sixteen years ago for the other. But am I a credible
witness? Do I have the credentials necessary (for some readers to believe)
to mount a convincing argument? What proof is necessary? As one of the
posters above points out the Parable in Luke,we have what we need now,
what more do we need to understand and believe? As for other miracles,
of other people, this touches on the credibility issue as well. For example,
I could suggest that those who read this to go to a Christian Science
Reading Room and ask the volunteer there to lead them to the
publications they have that include testimonials of healings. I could also
suggest that the reader of this read about the Duke University study done some
years ago on “Directed Conciousness” (relating to sucess rates and
recovery rates of heart surgery patients). One of the problems with
documenting certain types of miracles is that it is difficult for the medical
community to admit that they happen. It is easier to say there was a
mis-diagnosis than to admit someone was healed through no action on
their part.
4. Why, assuming that you have never seen nor heard of an amputee being
healed, doesn’t God heal amputees?
This touches on the dimensions of healing. Do we mean healed, or do we
mean re-grown? I suppose it would be reasonable to ask why aren’t ALL
Cancer patients healed? For that matter, the question might more
fairly be stated “Why is the answer to our prayers seem so often to be
“No”? Now, there’s a question! What’s the answer? I think it can be
responded to, but never completely answered. I think the response has
to be arrived on a personal level in a way that is most meaningful to the
one asking the question – and their response is likely to change
throughout their lives. Is this fair? Is this a dodge? Answer this, then.
What is an orange? Can you tell me what it tastes like? You can say “It’s
orange and sweet, but my individual neural synapses are likely different
than yours, I CAN’T SEE WHAT YOU SEE. I may be color-blind. I can see
things my way for myself, and match that to what people tell me it is – but
I can’t see or taste or smell what you see, taste, or smell. I have to take
it on faith that the witnesses who have eaten oranges and lived (or even
enjoyed them) are credible. I must rely on experences of a community of
orange-eaters to lead me to a truth. Faith and healing are a lot like that.
brent vermillion on 09 Jul 2007 at 7:26 am #
The better question is why do we not pray for amputees to have limbs grow out? I think I know why. Because we are belivers but often we don’t believe. Jesus Christ healed every single person who came to him in faith in the Gospel accounts. WOuld he not still heal all who truly come to him in faith? Has He cahnged? Or is he the same yesterday, today and forever? God can heal anything including leprosy, aids, cancer, amputees and the common cold. One man came to Christ and asked him to heal him if he can. Christ turned the situation around and told him all things are possible to he who believes. It amazes me that the fastest growing segment of christianity on the planet is in the third world in pentecostal churches that emphasize physical healing and deleiverance from demonic influence. Most pastors in these churches are not great theologians but they do believe. How about this question. Why doesn’t God usually use theologians with many degrees to do the miraculous? They seem to have all the right answers but yet they don’t tend to have much faith for the miraculous. Theology is indeed important but so is simple faith for the present day miracles of Christ.
Krista on 01 Aug 2008 at 4:57 pm #
This is a question i have seen before and the response is simple. Some ask why does God not heal amputees, i ask how would they know that. To post such a question would state that they have never believed enough or had Faith in God to do the impossible. I beleive that before one should ask, they should get their facts straight. Thousands of documented miracles have been happening all around the world for decades. The thing is that in our own human thought we find it to challenging to just have faith and belive in God, but instead find a logical reasoning for things. Miracles are happening and still happen today. We just have to open our eyes, People being raised from the dead, people seeing through glass eyes. People have been healed time after time and still doubt what God can do. If that is not God then explain to me what is. Jesus Christ walked this earth and spoke words of faith and through his father people were healed, those who belived were healed. I have prayed and seen God do the unthinkable, i myself was not suppose to live but God saved me. So by posting such a question some are putting limitation on the amazing things that God can and will do. It says in his word that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed that we can move a mountain. Be that said, every man is given a mesure of faith, but we choose whether or not to use it. Things in the bible are not only true, but have been historically proven. Those who have undergone horrible things in their life such as loosing a limb, God did not do it. It is so strong in our human nature that when things dont go right that we blaim God. God does not bring distruction to life, It is promised in John 10:10 That he will give us an abundant life. He does not cause bad things, but he will fix them, we just have to ask.
TJ on 11 Sep 2008 at 2:48 pm #
I see that this post and the discussion following is pretty old. However, I have recently posted a few thoughts Return to Biblicism. So, if anyone is still watching this discussion, your welcome to stop by and take a look.
Sheila on 12 Oct 2008 at 6:54 pm #
Hello, I think I may have the answer regarding why God does not heal amputees. In the OT, we see prophecies regarding the healing of blind eyes, deaf ears. Isaiah 29 and 35 if memory serves me. When Jesus healed the lepers the blind and the deaf etc He was fulfilling prophecy. No where in the OT is a promise made to heal an amputee.
When John the baptist sent his disciples to inquire if Jesus was the one upon who he had awaited, “Jesus replied Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. ” John would understand that reply.
I believe the physical healings Christ performed had a deep spiritual implicatation.
In mans ungenerated condition, we are blind, deaf , leperous and dead. I believe the fullfillment of these prophecies has led to mans redemption at the cross.
Tom on 24 Nov 2008 at 8:14 pm #
Cancer is also healed randomly without the help of God… http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/health/25breast.html?_r=1&hp
I’ve been told that God could heal an amputee, but the humans involved would have to have enough faith for that great of miracle and only a few have ever had that kind of faith. I have no idea if that is Biblical …someone just told me that. I think the first explanation (it would hurt free will) would be more likely, but then again he called down fire and made trees spontaneously burst into flame (old testament) …so why not regenerate limbs? I’m not a Christian, but if a close friend or a relative went to Church and had a limb regenerated, I’d be a convert.
sheila on 24 Nov 2008 at 10:07 pm #
Outside of the fullfillment of the OT prophecies, my only explanation is “God will have mercy upon whom he will.” The messiah was never promised to restore limbs . It was basically only to restore what was considered unclean to approach the tabernacle.
Jason C on 24 Nov 2008 at 11:38 pm #
Jesus also healed the maimed.
Can God heal amputees?
Yes.
Have I seen Him do it?
No.
Does that mean He never would?
No.
If I met someone who had lost a limb and wanted regeneration I’d pray for them. I might not have much confidence in their regeneration. I’d probably faint if they suddenly budded a new hand. I’d still pray for them though. After all scripture only demands that we pray, we don’t have to provide the results.
Oh and Tom, faith is trust/loyalty to God. Faith isn’t something magical that makes things happen. Jesus said that faith the size of a mustard seed would move mountains and (hyperbole aside) I think most people have that much.
Indeed believing that the universe and themselves appeared out of nothing with no guiding hand means your average atheist has far more faith than I could ever have.
sheila on 24 Nov 2008 at 11:48 pm #
I believe Christs healings had a spiritual implication. Flesh has been condemned to die, as we all are. I, in my 20 plus years have never seen a a miracle healing.
sheila on 25 Nov 2008 at 9:56 pm #
Oh btw, google pyxi dust. New research has increased the possibity of limb/tissue regeneration. Could it be a merciful God allows one to see potentials. Penicillin has always been available, it just took one man the eyes to see it.
Bill Kitchen on 25 Nov 2008 at 10:31 pm #
God isn’t obligated to any person. He saves who He chooses and heals who He chooses. God is God. Who tells God what to do? He created us for His pleasure and purposes.
Fred on 08 Feb 2009 at 1:49 pm #
“Why doesn’t God heal amputees?”
This is a tough question to any skeptic. It it obvious to me first of all that Christians nowadays do not possess the ability to wield any power by God via prayer, laying on of hands, or whatever. I just think that we have good reasons to think that “miracles” as recorded in scripture are no longer required. “Faith” by which we are saved would be negated. I have faith that allows me to believe the miracles recorded in scripture. Including the miracle performed by Christ in the garden of Gesthemane, at His arrest. Peter misunderstood completely the intentions of Christ, and pulled out a sword. He then proceeded to hack off an ear, that belonged to one of the Roman soldiers. Jesus picked it up, and put it back on him. So to say that God has NEVER healed an amputee….well I guess that depends on your definition of an amputee.