Miracles in Religion

B Premanand

No religion would be accepted by people unless the gods of these religions are shown to have supernatural powers. Their faith in god is not because they love god, but because they have been made to believe that god is ail-powerful. Though it is argued that faith in god turns people from materialism to spiritual­ity, it is obvious that the faith is for material gains - here and in the hereafter. Everything one does in the guise of spirituality, even sacrifices, is for a better tomorrow. The highest aspiration of the people is Moksha, or for the Atma (Soul) to become one with the Paramatma (Universal soul), i.e. to become one with god - to become god, or the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent god.

Religion has not been able to help humanity achieve this object. But it knows how to exploit them. Science and scientific temper alone can help fulfill the aspirations of humanity for a better, finer life on earth.

Let us now look at the miracles of each surviving religion and find out whether they are miracles.

Judaism

In the Old Testament, Moses is said to have performed several miracles.  One was transforming his rod into a snake and then back again to a rod.

Experiment - 34

Effect: Transforming a rod into a snake and then back to a rod.

Props: One snake.

Method: This trick was performed long before Moses performed it. The two ends of a snake, the tail and mouth-end, are held in two hands and the reptile pulled straight. Strong pressure in the centre of the head with the thumb and the pointing finger held on both sides makes the snake stiff. It cannot move even after lowering the tail-end to the floor. It looks like a rod. To make it crawl again let free the hand gripping the tail part and shake the snake and throw it on the ground; within a few minutes it will regain its moving power and crawl away.

  

Christianity

New Testament:

In a radio interview in the United States, I was confronted by a Catholic woman on the phone. In the United States, radio interviews are very different from here. Here one interviewer asks questions, but there people interested in the subject can turn up at the radio station to ask any question pertaining to the subject. Even other people hearing the interviews in their homes, can ask any questions over a phone which has to be answered by the person being inter­viewed. If he is unable to answer, he is greeted with loud jeering and hooting.

During my interview the woman phoned up and asked "Mr. Premanand, what you tell about the miracles of the Indian godmen are true. They are real frauds. Now tell us your opinion of the miracles of Jesus Christ."

I tried to evade the question by answering that "I was not living two thousand years ago when Jesus was said to be alive, please ask me questions of what is happening today."

She again asked me if I had read the Bible to which I answered in the affirmative. I even told her that I can talk and debate on the Bible.

Then her question was as to what I thought of the miracles said to have been performed by Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

I asked her whether she wanted an evasive answer or a truthful opinion, and whether my answer would upset her.

She answered me that Christians show the other cheek when they are slapped on one, and they never get emotionally upset.

B Premanand

Having been assured that my answer was not going to upset her, I gave her my truthful opinion that the miracles of Jesus Christ as narrated in the Bible are false.

Instantly she burst out on the phone, "who brought this bastard to the United States?" I was shocked by her anger.

I had to keep my emotion under control. I told her that the word "bastard" is a divine word found only in holy scriptures and not in the dictionary of the rationalists as they know that they are born to parents, and even if they may not know, or have proof as to who those parents are, they are born out of union between a male and a female with the fusion of sperm and ova. So nobody can be a bastard. The only person who is said to have been without a parent is god. So she must not use this divine word on me.

This answer infuriated her further and she spat out in anger. "Hang this bastard!"

I replied to her coolly that I didn't mind being hanged. But I would like to ask her a question before being hanged. "Do you really believe in god, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost?"

Her answer was "Yes, fully."

I asked her whether she had read chapter ten of the Holy Bible St. Mathew wherein Jesus Christ sends his twelve apostles to the people to perform all the miracles said to have been done by Christ.

But they failed in their attempts and questioned Christ why they failed and his answer was "because of your unbelief. If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (St. Mathew Chapter 17, No.19).

As she had said that she had full faith in the trinity, I would be happy, if she hangs me to death and resurrects me like the resurrection of Lazarus when the first thing I would do would be to become a Christian and believe in Christ. "Before you kill me, let us go to a hospital where we can find a dead body and you resurrect it and prove that you really believe in god, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost." She was silenced and I got the applause.

Now let us take some miracles said to have been performed by Jesus Christ.

  

Experiment: 35

Effect: Transformation of water to wine.

This incident is narrated in St. John Chapter 2, I to II. Jesus Christ is said to have attended a marriage in Cana of Galilee. There was not enough wine for all. Christ asked people to bring water. It was brought and he asked them to pour the water in six stone jars kept there. The water in the six stone jars was transformed into wine. If I was there at the time I would surely have asked why the water had to be poured into the six stone jars. If he really could transform water into wine, it could as well be transformed in the vessel used for bringing water.

Props:

1. One long tumbler, one short tumbler which goes into the first tumbler with its rim a little projected outside.
2. Another aluminium tumbler which if reversed over the two tumblers the short tumbler would get stuck in it and would not be visible.
3. Water and wine.

Method: Fill the long tumbler with wine and place the short tumbler in it. Take the long tumbler in the left hand, pour water and then reverse the alu­minium tumbler over it and press. Move your hands over the closed tumbler, remove the aluminium tumbler lid and keep it slowly on the table hiding the bottom from the audience. Distribute the wine.

When the aluminium tumbler is placed on the long tumbler and pressed, the short tumbler with water gets stuck in it while in the long tumbler there is already wine.

Declaring that he is the incarnation of all gods including Jesus Christ, Satya Sai Baba claims to have transformed water into nectar and even petrol and diesel. If he really had powers why does he do this transformation in his own vessel? If I was there two thousand years ago I would have certainly requested Jesus to transform water in a well into wine so that any time people could go to the well and draw the wine. Then only would I concede that Christ had real powers. This is what I ask the present day god men like Satya Sai Baba. Instead of transforming water into nectar or petrol in his own pots or tins, let him transform a well or tank into nectar or petrol. Then we will have to accept his powers. Even in nature crude oil can only be tapped from an oil well. But if a water well can produce petrol, our country would not need to put up petro-chemical plants. It is a pity that no god man has yet done so in the history of miracles.

[Here is another method to "transform water to wine". Here the "transformed" water looks like wine] 

Posted in: Christian Miracles,Christianity,Judaism,Premanand,Science versus Miracles