Board index ‹ Miracles

[Sloth]

Religious and miraculous experiences from contradictory religions.

Firstly, if you have had any kind of religious experience that you believe confirms your religion, please describe. It could be a fulfilled prayer, a dream, a sudden change in your life, or really just any anecdote that you think helps your case.

Secondly, it is inevitable that there will be people who describe their experiences from religions which contradict each other. For example, Christianity and Islam. Christianity claims that Jesus is the son of God and died on the cross, while Islam denies that he was ever killed on the cross. So, if you believe your religion is exclusively true, how do you explain these experiences that supposedly confirm contradictory beliefs?

[jimwalton]

I'm quite convinced that miraculous experiences don't confirm the truth of a religion. The New Testament admits that others besides Jesus are able to do miracles (Mt. 7.21-23; Rev. 13.13-14). Jesus also admitted that his miracles didn't always work to convince people of his deity (John 10.25-27; Luke 16.31). The miracles were signs, not proofs. Other people and spiritual forces (beings) can do miracles, but Jesus combined miracles with what he was teaching and what else he was doing so they would be signs of the truth of who he is. So just because anyone has had a religious experience doesn't confirm the truth of what they believe. The Bible's pretty firm on that.