Knocked To The Ground
By The Power Of God
Clay Boyd
From: "Clay Boyd"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Sent: December 10, 2001 4:43 PM
Subject: A Thinker
I've been knocked on the ground by the power of God at least a couple of hundred times. I was not in any particularly frantic emotional state during those times. No human knocked me down at all. As a matter of fact, quite a few of the times I was not even touched by human hands. The phenomena were accomplished in the Name of Jesus, with a minister simply praying over me. There was a time that I would have never imagined experiencing such things. I've experienced many other things (many healings, etc.), and I guess it's all because I had the audacity of becoming a Pentecostal (Assembly of God, etc.) back in 1987. Not all Pentecostals are the same. Not all "Christians" are the same. Yet there is one true God that I have found will reveal Himself to a Christian who is longsuffering and patient and that seeks God with all his heart. Moreover, I personally glean a little bit of wisdom from other religions also at times. We Christians are not all so bad sometimes!
Sincerely,
A Thinker
From: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
To: "Clay Boyd"
Subject: Re: A Thinker
Date: December 12, 2001 1:00 PM
1. Can you eliminate all other explanations (both known and unknown) for what has happened to you, thus forcing us to conclude both (a) that it was Jesus and (b) that it could not have been any other phenomenon that humans either currently know about or have yet to discover?
2. If your experience is proof that Jesus is who you say he is, then what does my experience prove? My grandfather lived the final one-third of his life in excruciating pain, and he wasted away much of the family estate seeking a cure for his illness and well-deserved relief from the pain (which only ever came while he slept). While I was a Christian, I prayed for him constantly. I would have given up anything and everything if that was what it took to get his pain to go away. What do my futile prayers, plus those of numerous faith healers mean -- men of God, all, I am sure -- who let me witness the power in them, all of whom prayed that God would visit my grandfather and heal his illness and relieve his pain? All this, of course, was done in Jesus name. This is my experience: what does it all mean?
3. Can you explain the power of Sai Baba and thousands of others in India who perform such fantastically wonderful feats day in and day out that Christian missionaries who go to India to tell people about the miracle-filled life of Jesus and the other wonders in the Bible seem tame and almost boring by comparison? If miracles demonstrate the power of Jesus, then what do the miracles of the Indian swamis demonstrate?
4. If you had supernatural powers and wished to demonstrate to others that you have those powers, would you do so by pulling rabbits out of a hat?
If you could shed some light on these questions, I might better appreciate your story about Jesus.
Cliff Walker
Positive Atheism Magazine
Six years of service to
people with no reason to believe
From: "Clay Boyd"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Sent: January 12, 2002 4:15 AM
Subject: Re: A Thinker
I appreciate the reply. However, I have experienced many other things that strongly affirm my belief in a Creator. I have had colds, pains, etc. instantaneously leave my body hundreds or possibly thousands of times. That affirms the work of a creator (i.e. a "creative miracle worker" creating something new that was not there before). I have walked in a place of constant experience with God for weeks and months and years at a time. I constantly sought Him with my whole heart and so I eventually found a constant experience with Him. I have nothing to gain in telling you this except that I believe God will reward my efforts at some time. Yet my motive is not even a reward. I simply WANT to write these simple testimonies to you. I hope this doesn't sound too uncivilized or unmodern or unscientific for you, for I really want you to gain some kind of insight from what I'm writing.
Clay Boyd
From: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
To: "Clay Boyd"
Subject: Re: A Thinker
Date: January 11, 2002 11:58 AM
Please answer my questions if you wish to have any credibility with us or our readers:
1. Can you eliminate all other possible explanations (both known and unknown) for what has happened to you?
2. If your experience is proof that Jesus is who you say he is, then what does my experience prove?
3. Can you explain the power of Sai Baba and others in India who perform fantastically wonderful miracles?
4. If you had supernatural powers and wished to demonstrate to others that you have those powers, would you do so by pulling rabbits out of a hat?
We have heard people make claims along these lines thousands of times, but nobody is willing to provide us with strong reasons for believing that those claims are true. If you do not address these questions, then your communication is not a message at all, but merely letters of the Roman alphabet strung together in a meaningless sequence.
Cliff Walker
Positive Atheism Magazine
Six years of service to
people with no reason to believe
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