It has been around forever like that thing you glimpse out of the corner of your eye.
Notice in a thread like this those of us who do not believe are given names like atheists?
And told we hate Christians?
Or the followers of any God?
Or can even be sued if we talk about one of the newest recently invented Gods?
Why the control? why try to throw dirt at us?
Again tell me of one God that did not make all men?
Why has he failed to keep us one?
There is no God just mans inventiveness and maybe greatness too in wanting to invent a better comforting blanket.

Last night I attended a Church community service meeting in Blacktown NSW.
A young man of 24, whom my wife and I have known for about 7 years, told of his miraculous healing. At seven months he had a stroke that left the left side of his body with palsy till last thursday night.

The Surgeons at that time had taken an artery and placed it under his skin on the side of his head behind his ear and drilled a hole in his skull to get blood to the part of the brain that had been damaged. That artery was always very sensitive as any presure cut off oxygen to his brain. He always had a limp and twisted wrist and a hoppy short leg so was never able to join in in any sport or hand games.

On Thursday night last week two people concerned about his handicap decided to have prayer for his healing. After talking with him for about 20 minutes they prayed for healing of his condition. As he lay there his parents watched his leg grow to the same length as the right one and his hand gain strength and straighten, he could feel all this happening and beside - the hole in his skull closed up, and the artery was no longer sensitive. He demonstrated his healing by running up and down the aisles doing hi-five's with those in the aisle seats.

You ask him if he believes in God and if God answers prayers. He has had difficulty gaining employment because of his handicap. He is a trained computer programmer. He believes God has now given him an opportunity to work and ministry and a full opportunity of life experience. I tested his strength in his hand with an arm wrestle. He put me down. Is there a God? Sure is!

Wow! Friends Thanks for your interesting comments...

Can you go deeper into yourself and think.
When you're in danger and want help don't you ask for guidance and help for a superior force (it doesn't matter how you call it: God, Jesus, Buddha, Alla, stones, crystals, drugs...)
Russel said that he doesn't believe in God, but he's afraid of him?
I think he tricks himself, he wants a God for free!

Nice story, Philo, but the fact that prayer sometimes seems to work is because prayer, for believers, can be an autogenic placebo.
If the subconscious of the person being prayed for totally 'believes' that the body is being healed by a supernatural being (or a pill, or a fire dance under the moon, or a magical stone), the subconscious does the actual healing and the result seems like a miracle.

In no way does a 'miracle' prove the existence of a supernatural being.

I once came across someone who questioned:
If God is so great that he can perform miracles and heal people, then why won't he heal amputees?

I don't suppose anybody thought to record Philo's claimed 'miracle'? And I don't suppose there's be any verifiable independent evidence of this miraculous event - you know, like of the supposed surgery?

Believe what you like, Philo - but until I see evidence I'll maintain that it's only real in your head.

Late 1970,s small country village a man on his way to the head of his church no small one knelt and called on God.
The task was to heal the broken arm of a young boy, three days of praying.
God was not watching it appears.
That same man in a growing church filled many meeting rooms and went on to fill very big venues but the day his mother in law hobbled up to be healed got to me.
She walked away just great,as well in fact as she usually did before that night on crutches.
I do not know if she lied or was just trying to help her God but I know it was wrong.
That man still talks of his God but in another church now I wounder if he still has those crutch's?