Miracles

Bob: If God exists, then prove it.

Sam: What sort of thing were you thinking of?

Bob: I dunno. How about a miracle?

Sam: Miracles aren't very convincing.

Bob: What do you mean?

Sam: God's done all kinds of miracles - floods, plagues, parting the sea, making the sun stand still in the sky, bringing people back to life, the works. Hasn't convinced you yet, has it?

Bob: They don't sound very likely.

Sam: That's kind of the point. Miracles tend to be out of the ordinary.

Bob: But it makes them hard to believe if you weren't there.

Sam: So you'd be more likely to believe a miracle you hadn't seen if it was a bit less, well... miraculous.


Bob: Yes.

Sam: My headache went away last week when I prayed about it. If I tell you about that, will it help convince you of the existence of God.

Bob: Er... Probably not.

Sam: What will?

Bob: I think I'd need to see a miracle for myself.

Sam: How often?

Bob: Pardon?

Sam: Would one really big miracle do you a lifetime? Or would you need something less spectacular once a decade? How about a minor miracle every other Thursday?

Bob: How minor?

Sam: A vision perhaps. Or an improbable escape from a pack of hungry lions?

Bob: What? Every fortnight?

Sam: You might chalk it up as luck or coincidence the first few times.

Bob: Actually, I'm busy on Thursdays.

Sam: How about a paralysed man suddenly being able to walk?

Bob: Oh, seen that already.

Sam: What?

Bob: He was sitting there and then he started dancing around excitedly. Wasn't that much to see.

Sam: And you didn't find that convincing?

Bob: It's not like I actually knew the guy...

Sam (shakes head): What would convince you then?

Bob: Er... Now you come to mention it, I'm not entirely sure...

Sam (sighs): This really is going to take a miracle, isn't it?