Mark:

You stated:


"But you know what else? I really believe in a God who wrote the laws of physics, and can do with them - or break them - as He sees fit. I believe every one of those stories in the Bible that shows God's awesome power. And that's what I think might be compelling. I mean, if you walked right up to Stephen Hawking, in all his atheistic glory, and were somehow able to deliver him from the ravages of ALS by simply invoking the name of your God, you'd have my interest - and probably Stephen Hawking's as well. "


Just so I'm understanding your perspective: So are you suggesting that whichever "healer" or "prophet" that comes along and produces the best miracles and best displays is actually the "real god"? So if someone came along and claimed to be from the god of Mars or Venus (and I'm being serious here!) and could actually heal either yourself or someone else of a disease you knew to be real and chronic, that would convince you to turn from your faith to that god?

That's what you're asking us to accept. Only in this case the unspoken axiom is that you believe that it could only be two options---a result of jeesus or the devil. You didn't come out and say that, to be sure, but that can be extracted from your statements. In essence you're reducing the supposed miracles of adherents of other religions as "nonauthentic" but you want us to believe that xians who experience miracles and such are somehow valid. I can't stress enough that the G-d of the Torah is not the same god of the NT. The NT places Jeesus as the centrepiece and that is anathema and antithetical to Judaism and yes to the very G-d detailed in the Tanakh.

And here's the flip side of the Passages quoted from Deuteronomy. It says EVEN IF the miracles/signs/wonders were to occur (and this WOULD include "healings" as well) if that prophet/healer/dreamer/charmer induces one to worship another god other than the G-d of Israel, he is to be executed (after a proper trial, of course). I'm sensing that you may be overlooking this rather crucial point. Regardless if the experience is "private" or public, it's still considered idolatry for a Jew. Did you see this? It's considered idolatry for a Jew to be induced and seduced by claims of miracles, mystical visions of "god's presence", et al. and not in keeping with the G-d of our Covenant. This is NOT a slam against you, but against the mentality and the "mystique" most people (religious or non-religious) have concerning super-natrual experiences. They are not the litmus test of a relationship with G-d, nor do they validate or invalidate any particular group claiming to be of G-d.

Xians may claim that they worship the G-d of Israel, but truthfully, Jeesus is a god our fathers "knew not" (despite xians claims to the contrary) and is another foreign, strange "god" (assuming for a moment that jeesus even existed). Even if we were to be healed of an illness or whatnot, the bottom line is that G-d allows this to test us. And if G-d allowed the healing, the G-d of Israel allowed it and permitted it, not the name of jeesus, buddah, the Mars Triune or the Venus Consortium. To then follow another strange god is nothing short of an affront to the Covenant G-d forged with the Jewish people and the relationship we have with Him. It's not about getting "better goods".

So I'm sorry, this claim of "convincing" isn't so convincing after all.