Recently I saw an article on CND (China News Digest) website, the author of that article taunted Christianity and called it CND (Can Not Duplicate). He stated that Christian belief is built upon many miracles by Jesus that cannot be duplicated, for example, no pastor of any church can turn water into wine, but Jesus claimed just that.
As a Chinese and as a scientist, I can understand his doubts. A Chinese proverbs says, “Seeing with your own eyes but once, beats hearing with your both ears a thousand times”. In doing science, a valid experiment is the one that can be reproduced, regardless of who’s doing it.
As a Christian, I want to respond that his reasoning is not entirely off the target, because the very purpose of Jesus’ mission to Earth is not simply a show-and-tell, but to call sinners out of sin so that they can imitate Christ (John 14:12).
What then, show we practice walking on the water this Sunday? In fact, you can find some Christians hold on to doctrines not far from that. Jesus did and taught many things, what exactly does he want us to copy? Remember even Jesus turned water into wine just once, and somewhat reluctantly (John 2:4), and never performed it on demand (Matthew 12:38,39). Later when he washes his disciples’ feet with water, the water remains to be water, not wine. As for walking on the water, his disciple Peter did copy it once (Matthew 14:29), but after Jesus resurrected, and called out Peter again, this time Peter jumped into the water, not walking but swimming to Jesus, and Jesus didn’t seem to bother that Peter forgot how to walk on water (John 21:7). On the other hand, Jesus did do things on demand, regardless of his being humiliated on the cross or exalted on the throne, and he wants us to follow suit (Matthew 11:29). So what is the solution?
If you want to know for sure what acts of Jesus we should copy diligently now, and what acts of Jesus we will reproduce miraculously in the future. (Or when we should stay on board and when jump overboard). The key is all in the Bible. Reading the Bible like eating a fish, some people eat it for its meat and trash the bones, but others collect bones and trash the meat. How do you eat your fish?
PS. Even in doing science, keep in mind that we cannot reproduce every experiment in nature, because of limitation of our lab space and time (and funding of course). If an experiment requires a space larger than certain scale, say planet Earth (i.e. planetary scale), scientists cannot manipulate but observe what’s going on naturally. If an experiment requires a few hundred years or longer to complete, we are out of luck. Fully knowing this limitation, God kept His lab notes for us. Read it carefully in the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis, keep in mind that if something there bothers us, it’s more likely caused by our own ignorance.
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John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
John 2:4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
Matthew 12:38,39 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
John 14:29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
John 21:7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
