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So what do you make of it?
IT sounds almost beyond belief to me. A very controversial evangelist claims miracles happen after the Holy Spirit turns up at his meetings.
Then a woman prays for a sign from the Holy Spirit and next thing you know she has a gold tooth in her mouth. She shows it to her friend who, behold, suddenly has a gold tooth, too.
What forces you to think twice, however, is that the ladies concerned are obviously not teenage pranksters but respectable women in their 60s. And evidently sincere about receiving a "gift from God".
What's more, if traditional churchgoers (including me) can happily swallow a claim such as the Resurrection and the promise of eternal life then a miracle involving a couple of gold teeth seems small beer by comparison, doesn't it? (And, yes, I do know what atheists will say to that.)
My problem is that it seems a daft thing for God to do. If one of my choppers turned to gold I'd be pretty darned miffed about it. I'd rather a proper molar than a gold one.
And doesn't gold sound, well, a bit rich?
If the Holy Spirit were to give a miraculous sign, I would hope it would be something that would do some good in the world. Like feeding the hungry.
But what do I know? I can't explain it.
I may be a sceptic who finds gold tooth miracles hard to swallow but I can admire the women for standing up and bearing witness to what they say has happened, knowing they are likely to face mockery.
And next time I am in church I will listen with extra care when the priest quotes from St John's Gospel, saying, "I am the way, the truth and the life".
Just in case he's saying "tooth" instead of "truth".
7:00am Wednesday 16th July 2008
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CommentPosted by: Sarah, Bournemouth on 8:47pm Wed 16 Jul 08
Pleazse may we have photographic evidence to support this story? Then the sceptical amongst us will probably believe the story.
Pleazse may we have photographic evidence to support this story? Then the sceptical amongst us will probably believe the story.
Posted by: Charlie on 10:51am Fri 18 Jul 08
If you look at information about Todd Bently, you'll see that several people claim to have received gold teeth this way - one got [bold]FIVE[/bold]
Codswallop!
If you look at information about Todd Bently, you'll see that several people claim to have received gold teeth this way - one got
FIVE
Codswallop!
Posted by: Dorsetman1986, Wimborne on 7:22pm Mon 21 Jul 08
The words 'confidence trickster' come to mind. Oh, plus 'exploit' and 'other peoples religions and beliefs'.
If there is an almighty god and he or she wants to give us a sign they'd do something much more significant than give a couple of people (probably in on the act with Todd Bently) some gold molars.
I mean if you actually read the Bible, it was somewhat frowned upon that people were getting so into ther gold and their currency, so much so that jesus went and kicked a load of those types out of the temple.
So it would seem a bit hypocritical to use the lure of gold to make people believe again. Sending angels to smite a city of sinners, using fire and brimstone, flooding the planet, sending ten plagues out across egypt, causing the Red sea to part.... etc - giving a couple of people gold teeth would be scraping the barrel in comparison really, don't you think?
The words 'confidence trickster' come to mind. Oh, plus 'exploit' and 'other peoples religions and beliefs'.
If there is an almighty god and he or she wants to give us a sign they'd do something much more significant than give a couple of people (probably in on the act with Todd Bently) some gold molars.
I mean if you actually read the Bible, it was somewhat frowned upon that people were getting so into ther gold and their currency, so much so that jesus went and kicked a load of those types out of the temple.
So it would seem a bit hypocritical to use the lure of gold to make people believe again. Sending angels to smite a city of sinners, using fire and brimstone, flooding the planet, sending ten plagues out across egypt, causing the Red sea to part.... etc - giving a couple of people gold teeth would be scraping the barrel in comparison really, don't you think?
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