What a Belief in God Will Do For You
It is absolutely amazing to me that people don't seem to have any clue what is in the Bible that they carry around with them. The Bible isn't some kind of talisman; instead, it is a book full of words and information. I realize it can be a challenge to read, but come on: this is the instruction manual for the Christian religion.
And according to this instruction manual, here are just a few of the things that believers should be able to do.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
And here is that same passage from a different translation.
Mark 16:16-20 The Common English Bible:
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever doesn’t believe will be condemned.17 These signs will be associated with those who believe: they will throw out demons in my name. They will speak in new languages.18 They will pick up snakes with their hands. If they drink anything poisonous, it will not hurt them. They will place their hands on the sick, and they will get well.”
19 After the Lord Jesus spoke to them, he was lifted up into heaven and sat down on the right side of God.20 But they went out and proclaimed the message everywhere. The Lord worked with them, confirming the word by the signs associated with them.
These are pretty clear passage from the gospels of Jesus in the New Testament. These signs are so that the people will believe what they are shown.
I, for one, will begin to believe what religious people teach me when they can do the things that are spoken of in these passages. At that point -- even if I can't perform experiments and tests directly -- I will be able to create a statistical understanding of who can perform miracles.
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