by Chris H.

Created on: March 07, 2009

Why Doesn't God Heal Amputees?

Perhaps you have heard this question posed by those who desire to show that God does not exist.

The rationale is this:

Since God answers prayer, certainly there has been a believer who has had enough faith to pray for healing (really re-growing) of an amputeed limb. Since there are not any recorded or verified instances of a person having a limb grow back, this shows that God doesn't exist. No limbs grow back, because God does not exist to grow them back.

In answering this question, we should realize that this is not really a test of God's existence, but rather a test of His character. God could well exist, but for various reasons not heal any amputees. This argument is putting the cart before the horse. First one should find out if God exists, then see how He acts. It's also not wise to set up unbiblical tests for God to perform to see if He exists. This is both highly problematic and subjective.

It's true that we never see this type of healing in the Bible and this is very interesting. In the Bible we see Jesus healing all kinds of people- the lame walk, the blind see and even a couple of people are brought back from the dead. But there is no record of any amputees' limbs being restored.

Why do we not see this type of miracle?

3 possible responses:

1. You could technically say that an amputated arm or leg is healed. The damaged or diseased part can be removed and what is left can be healed. So, in that sense the amputee may be said to be healed.

2. Miracles are rare. They are not the norm. For example, how many people are referenced in the Bible who have gone to Heaven without dying? Two. How many times does the Bible state that God created from nothing? Once. So again, miracles are by their definition rare.

Also, according to the Bible, there is a huge difference between God answering prayer and God performing a miracle in answer to a prayer. Biblically it is not correct to say that God answering prayers and performing miracles as being on the same level. Countless prayers are answered daily while true miracles are rare.

3. Just because you haven't heard of an amputated limb being restored, doesn't mean that it hasn't happened. But, if there were evidence of such a healing, would that cause an atheist to change his or her mind about God?

Another problem with this line of reasoning is that it is illogical.

One logical fallacy that this question breaks is called the Excluded Middle (False Dichotomy, Faulty Dilemma, Bifurcation): assuming

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