# I Think I Know Why God Doesn't Heal Amputees **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 8, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193 "2012-02-08T15:22:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/341 "2012-02-09T20:24:07Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Provide cites proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that Odin, **Space-Ninjas** and Superman do not exist. Well duh :rolleyes:, if they left any trace of their existence they wouldn’t be good ninjas now, would they ? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/342 "2012-02-09T20:26:17Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Well duh :rolleyes:, if they left any trace of their existence they wouldn’t be good ninjas now, would they ? You’re applying non-ninja logic to the question of ninja existence. Ninja-Atheist!!!1111one ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/343 "2012-02-09T20:31:03Z")
> [@GEEPERS](#): > > You’re the one who set yourself up as judge and jury of God. He doesn’t match your idea of morality so therefore God must not exist! That’s a pretty big assumption. And you’re the one who set up god as the source of all morality, which according to Scripture he bequeathed to each and everyone of us, if somewhat unwittingly. If our (and by us I mean humans, not just atheists) ideas on morality aren’t good enough to assess whether the god portrayed in the Bible is evil or not, then what good are our ideas of morality at all ? Besides, **Trans Fat Og** made no argument one way or another re: the existence of god, certainly not one that was based on the perceived moral failings of the god of the Bible. You’re doing the conclusion hopping on your own dime. ---
**Author:** ![Scholar\_Beardpig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Scholar\_Beardpig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scholar_Beardpig)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/344 "2012-02-09T20:37:58Z")
This is the best thread in the history of the universe. It has taught me a lesson that I am going to carry with me forever and pass on to my children and my children’s children. “When you find yourself in a hole, **STOP DIGGING!** ” ---
**Author:** ![dorsk188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@dorsk188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorsk188)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/345 "2012-02-09T20:39:52Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Last chance: knock it off. This is obnoxious and it’s more of an attack on **GEEPERS** than an argument. Understood. My emotions got the better of me. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/346 "2012-02-09T20:51:38Z")
> [@GEEPERS](#): > > You’re the one who set yourself up as judge and jury of God. He doesn’t match your idea of morality so therefore God must not exist! That’s a pretty big assumption. Wow! Are you reading-challenged? I already told you that I am not an atheist. When did I say that therefore God must not exist? (This is another question you cannot possibly answer.) I said “Wow!” partly because your clever response is remarkably reminiscent of an in-person non-conversation I had late last year with an apologist. I used the Midianite story as an example and then posed a hypothetical question about a stray adult male survivor watching unobserved the otherwise-completed massacre and the little girls being carried off. I pointed out that if he knew that it was supposed to be a divine mandate, he would probably answer that “God” either was evil, did not exist, _ **or was grossly misrepresented.** _ Of course the apologist did not have anything to say back to the point, so he threw words back at me anyway. 😛 He seemed quietly miffed at me and complained that we didn’t have to conclude that God “didn’t exist” or else “was evil” because… (And then gave the standard Nixonian response, not that it matters. Actually it took two previous attempts to have a conversation with him to get him to stop claiming that the passages were only symbolic, not historical.) Did you notice what he did? No, I suppose you didn’t. He left off _ **“grossly misrepresented”** _ in his play-back to me. Accidentally? Or is this what apologists feel they half to do? That is, either not really listen to a question in the first place, or misrepresent, by omission or otherwise, what was said to them. The real point here is that it is only possible to make an attack on YOUR SICK, DISGUSTING VERSION of God if YOUR SICK, DISGUSTING VERSION exists. You haven’t established that, or anything else on this thread. Just try thinking about it. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/347 "2012-02-09T20:57:03Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Well, those are my go-to answers. I find many things about G-d passeth understanding and such. That’s why I would never start a thread claiming to know why He doesn’t heal amputees. I just say “hell if I know”. It’s so much easier. _God is good. Then why do bad things happen. I don’t know._ That’s much simpler and cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![GEEPERS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@GEEPERS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GEEPERS)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/348 "2012-02-09T21:27:47Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > So, I’d like to mention that several posters pointed out that the OP’s comment about, “BTW, if I’m the potter and I smash my pottery piece and start over, does that make me evil?” is in fact evil, if the pots can suffer and are sentient. > > The OP surely doesn’t have an answer for that, so what he or she is going to do is ignore it. There will be zero feedback, and she or he will simply change the subject. > > This does two things. First it allows the OP to pretend that the troubling question never happened. This allows the OP to create the mental illusion in his or her own mind that those pesky atheists can’t lay a glove on him or her. Second, it creates the impression that the OP has dealt with the issue, to someone who is skimming the thread. > > This doesn’t seem like something someone who is interested in a fair debate would do. It’s not troubling at all. If God created humans for his amusement to torture them then you might have a point. But the fact is every human is given the gift of life. You had nothing before so just being able to breathe is a gift. Free will is another gift. God isn’t going to force himself on you. But God gives us an even greater gift. We have the option of eternal life. Man screwed things up in the beginning and brought sin into a once perfect physical world. So the trade off is a very short life span of suffering in exchange for endless bliss. How again is God so evil? As for killing people in the OT, the response is that these people were extremely wicked and threatening to the Israelites. They burned their babies in fire sacrifices. They were human garbage. If God had let them live then you would be blaming God for not protecting his people. Deuteronomy 12:31 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/349 "2012-02-09T21:30:07Z")
> [@GEEPERS](#): > > As for killing people in the OT, the response is that these people were extremely wicked and threatening to the Israelites. They burned their babies in fire sacrifices. They were human garbage. If God had let them live then you would be blaming God for not protecting his people. There are plenty of exceptions to this. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/350 "2012-02-09T21:34:37Z")
> [@GEEPERS](#): > > Free will is another gift. God isn’t going to force himself on you. Tell that to Pharoah: > [@](#): > > **Exodus 9:12** > But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses. > > **Exodus 10:20** > But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go. > > **Exodus 10:27** > But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. > > **Exodus 11:10** > Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country. > > **Exodus 14:8** > The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. ---
**Author:** ![GEEPERS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@GEEPERS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GEEPERS)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/351 "2012-02-09T21:36:24Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > And you’re the one who set up god as the source of all morality, which according to Scripture he bequeathed to each and everyone of us, if somewhat unwittingly. If our (and by us I mean humans, not just atheists) ideas on morality aren’t good enough to assess whether the god portrayed in the Bible is evil or not, then what good are our ideas of morality at all ? > > Besides, **Trans Fat Og** made no argument one way or another re: the existence of god, certainly not one that was based on the perceived moral failings of the god of the Bible. You’re doing the conclusion hopping on your own dime. Where do you get that God bequethes morality to all humans? We inherit sin nature, not the knowledge of good and evil. Your morality is a makeup from your family and environment. Godly morality is bequethed to you when you are spiritually born again. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/352 "2012-02-09T21:48:41Z")
> [@GEEPERS](#): > > As for killing people in the OT, the response is that these people were extremely wicked and threatening to the Israelites. They burned their babies in fire sacrifices. They were human garbage. If God had let them live then you would be blaming God for not protecting his people. You know, I believe that even at the height of WW2, if the Allies had killed off every last adult German/Japanese, their babies and sons, then took the virgin Mädchen/Musume-chans home for some quality rapin’, that would have been considered a wee bit over the top by the general population. Would you have been OK with it ? Trickier question: would you be willing to do it yourself ? Then of course, you’ve got the issue of “human garbage” existing in the first place since, y’know, made in his image and everything. And of course, we only have the word of the Israelites that the Midianites were so wicked. Some of my best friends are Midianites man, they’re good people. ---
**Author:** ![GEEPERS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@GEEPERS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GEEPERS)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/353 "2012-02-09T21:49:20Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > An army looting things and burning down houses? Gee, that’s really a stunning prediction right there. No idea how a prophet could’ve come up with such a specific and rare event like that unless it was divine revelation. Umm no, it details exactly what happened to the building materials. It was laid down in the sea to make a land bridge. That’s not a generic vague post battle plundering. ---
**Author:** ![GEEPERS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@GEEPERS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GEEPERS)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/354 "2012-02-09T21:58:39Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > You know, I believe that even at the height of WW2, if the Allies had killed off every last adult German/Japanese, their babies and sons, then took the virgin Mädchen/Musume-chans home for some quality rapin’, that would have been considered a wee bit over the top by the general population. > Would you have been OK with it ? Trickier question: would you be willing to do it yourself ? > > Then of course, you’ve got the issue of “human garbage” existing in the first place since, y’know, made in his image and everything. And of course, we only have the word of the Israelites that the Midianites were so wicked. Some of my best friends are Midianites man, they’re good people. Now you are being sarcastic. You obviously have demonstrated that you won’t take any of my responses serious so why should I bother with you anymore? Your MO is to keep pressing on until I am totally stumped and have to admit some flaw in Christianity. Not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/355 "2012-02-09T22:06:42Z")
I don’t take much of anything seriously, and am frequently sarcastic or joke even about the rare things I do hold seriously. How does that make my points and arguments any less valid ? I’ll readily admit that I’ll keep on being a Socrates, ask questions and try to wedge doubt into your certainties as long as you keep holding them up, just like I would _any_ certainties. But if you’re so dead certain what you propose is true, why should that worry you ? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/356 "2012-02-09T22:07:07Z")
But the “Germans” were horrible to the Jews so why would it not be appropriate for God to allow the wholesale slaughter of the German population? I mean you’ve established that you’re ok with genocide. > [@GEEPERS](#): > > As for killing people in the OT, the response is that these people were extremely wicked and threatening to the Israelites. They burned their babies in fire sacrifices. They were human garbage. I mean on a spiritual level of course. Not on a simplistic materialist level, that would be unreasonable. ---
**Author:** ![GEEPERS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@GEEPERS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GEEPERS)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/357 "2012-02-09T22:20:58Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > But the “Germans” were horrible to the Jews so why would it not be appropriate for God to allow the wholesale slaughter of the German population? I mean you’ve established that you’re ok with genocide. > I mean on a spiritual level of course. Not on a simplistic materialist level, that would be unreasonable. How do you know that all Midianites were not wicked? How do you know that those innocent children would not have grown up to murder and kill God’s chosen people? Then again, if God allowed the Israelities to be wiped out, He would have essentially lied to Abraham. Funny sense of morality you atheists have. OTOH, we know that many Germans were not wicked and lived under fear of imprisonment or death if they dared not salute Nazis. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/358 "2012-02-09T22:24:37Z")
> [@GEEPERS](#): > > Now you are being sarcastic. You might recall that upthread, you responded to [my post about heart disease and infectious disease](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14753241#post14753241) by saying [“What’s next? Are you going to argue that eating bacon and animal fat is good for you?”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14753241#post14753241) You really shouldn’t be sarcastic like this if it bothers you when other people do it. Do you have any cites for your claims about vegetarianism, genetics, or the human immune system? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/359 "2012-02-09T22:37:48Z")
> [@GEEPERS](#): > > How do you know that all Midianites were not wicked? How do you know that those innocent children would not have grown up to murder and kill God’s chosen people? Then again, if God allowed the Israelities to be wiped out, He would have essentially lied to Abraham. Funny sense of morality you atheists have. Yep, I’m a monster. We can only imagine the hellscape if “genocide is wrong” ever caught on. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193/360 "2012-02-09T22:48:18Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > And you’re the one who set up god as the source of all morality, which according to Scripture he bequeathed to each and everyone of us, if somewhat unwittingly. If our (and by us I mean humans, not just atheists) ideas on morality aren’t good enough to assess whether the god portrayed in the Bible is evil or not, then what good are our ideas of morality at all ? > > Besides, **Trans Fat Og** made no argument one way or another re: the existence of god, certainly not one that was based on the perceived moral failings of the god of the Bible. You’re doing the conclusion hopping on your own dime. I missed this a while ago, before posting again.. Thank you. > [@Marley23](#): > > There are plenty of exceptions to this. Yes, Judges 18:27 refers to the very nice slaughter of a “peaceful and unsuspecting” people., one without any allies to defend them. * * * Oh, and BTW, GEEPERS, why are you so focused on excusing the murderous part of the Midianite genocide? You would prefer to avoid addressing the rapes? Do you even know what got “Him” started down this road? I’ll give you a hint. He wasn’t trying to fix the error/crime of SOMEONE ELSE. _ **READ THE BOOK!** _ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-know-why-god-doesnt-heal-amputees/612193.md?page=19)