I am not aware that one type of miracle is present in the bible: the generation/regeneration of missing limbs.

Is anyone aware of an example of the generation of a limb not present at birth or the regeneration of a lost limb?

This is interesting, because when people have asked me what kind of miracle it would take to believe, this is the example I use.

Hearing / seeing miracles have been faked at large revival tent meetings. I've also seen "lengthening the leg" miracles faked, in an excerpt by James Randi.

But a truly difficult miracle would be one where a thalidomide baby was born with no arms or legs, and then had all four limbs restored. With photo documentation and medical certification, of course.

Roddy Doyle had one in "A Star Called Henry."

Other than that, as Crossan points out, there is a mountain of discarded crutches at Lourdes.

But no prosthetic limbs.

Well, worms can regenerate, some fishes can regrow lost fins and salamanders can replace lost legs. To my knowledge, none of them had to go to Lourdes to do it, or even pray to Jesus.

I guess god thinks that they are more important than us.

norm

I once heard a faith healer on the radio claim that he had seen arms and eyes regenerated. Unfortunately, he was unable to show us any of these . . .

I'd love to just see a broken bone healed in a second after prayer (would have to have before and after x-rays) I just got off another board where a Chrisitian said her mom had a blockage in an artery and it was healed after group prayer and was no longer there.Of course the doctor was astounded! Of course when I asked for before and after x-rays a tirade of hatred was unleashed upon me for my unbelief and they would not even try to get them if it meant my salvation. I should just take her word for it! Another fraud exposed!

bigd

I once asked a similar question on the CompuServe Religion Forum, and was informed that Smith Wigglesworth in England had caused the regrowth of a double-amputees legs. No details were forthcoming.

As an adjunct to this, my Father's family, who were devout Pentacostals (I think), and later Plymouth Brethren, had actually met Smith Wigglesworth, and despite the depth of their religious beliefs, treated stories regarding his alleged miracles with extreme skepticism. My paternal grandmother's comment on the subject was "Well, they would say that, wouldn't they?"

On a purely informative aside, my paternal grandfather was ultimately a member of an offshoot of the Plymouth Brethren that at the end was composed of one man (himself) and three or four women. How they managed to maintain their Pauline beliefs in the role of women in the church is beyond me :-).

There are a couple of close ones, though.
Jesus heals a man with a hand crippled from
birth, and heals a man blind from birth in John(?). I think that would be close enough.

Of course, the Big Guy did raise Lazarus from the dead.

In any case, healing miracles are common and uninteresting. Just turn on your TV if you want to see some, or travel to India and listen to tales of Sai Baba. Sai Baba has healed many, including the son of two close friends, and raised a couple from the dead, including one healed at a distance. Pretty neat, eh?

Michael

Michael