Stigmata!

by FiveShadows 34 Replies latest jw friends

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  Yerusalyim

  Ven,

  I guess unless one is willing to accept certain mystical principles, this will never make sense. But Paul told us he wished he could be cut off from Christ if it meant that the Jews were brought to Christ. This would have been suffering for him. Paul also had the "thorn in his flesh" that Christ told him to live with, that Christ's power was made possible through Paul only in his weakness. Something to think about I suppose. But, if you knew that your suffering would save people, would you suffer?
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  VeniceIT

  Yes I would, but I don't see how the Stigmata is saving people, I don't feel it's a 'good' thing. I belive it happens but I wouldn't atribute that to God, at least not one I would want to worship or belive in.

  Ven
• 

  Yerusalyim

  The Catholic Church acknowledges that certain phenomenon are not all "from God". That Satan is a great imitator. It has dismissed more cases of stigmata than it has declared them worthy of belief. My suggestion would be to read the point of view of those who the Catholic Church has declared worthy of belief (vis a vis the Stigmata) Read what Padre Pio thought and said about his wounds.
• 

  MegaDude

  YERU,

  keep in mind less cynical people than myself have studied crucifixion and have deduced that Jesus was nailed through his wrists, not his hands. The weight of the condemned would tear a person's hands off a cross if they were nailed through the palms.

  Padre Pio's hand wounds were in the center of his hands.
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  Yerusalyim

  Megadude,

  This is true, which is why I accept that it's quite plausable that this is brought about by the persons desire to identify with the suffering of Christ. The mind is a powerful thing. I also have read the studies of crucifixion and believe that the nails were either through the wrist or the forearm (one Roman practice was to place the nails midway through the forearm). Other studies have been conducted that showed that it was possible to put the nails through the palms IF a "seat" was put on the cross. We'll never know the particulars of the crucifixion. It's quite possible too that the feet were nailed sideways through the ankle. Some stigmatists have indeed had wounds in the wrists.

  I don't expect you to accept the wounds of Pio and others as miracles. That they are unexplained medically at this time is clear from my reading. Do with it what you want. The Hospital in San Giovani shows me some good came from this.