Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
www.suscopts.org
   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

How does one answer and convince those who require tangible evidence in order to believe supernatural facts? For example people who do not believe that the Holy Bread and Wine is really transformed into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Some people believe that "seeing is believing". However, with supernatural facts, the opposite is true; and "believing is seeing". Therefore it is Faith which sees first and not the human eyes. St. Augustine puts it perfectly well by saying, "To have faith is to believe what you can't see and the reward of faith is to see what you believe." People of western culture, having grown up in a cynical materialistic world, are being taught early in life to disregard anything they cannot see or touch. That is why they tend to dismiss the unseen and unexplained. Seeing is not believing at all. Some things you see are not worth believing in because they are meaningless and false. In reverse, there are many things you will only get to see if you believe in them first. Believing comes first; seeing is a likely consequence. To a significant degree, our belief in the possibility of something determines its likelihood of happening. They say; if you believe you can or you believe you can't-–either way you are right! For if you believe something is impossible, it almost becomes impossible. Conversely, if you firmly believe something is possible, you stand every chance of succeeding. So, if God said "this is my Body" then it is His Body as simple as that. We should believe in it and then through the experience we will see it with our internal eyes. The Holy Bible defines faith saying "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). It is not a matter of evidence that something is true or not true. Orthodox Christians never claimed that the bread and body are materialistically changed into flesh and blood; but that by the power of the Holy Spirit, they become the Body and Blood of our Lord. What is the evidence that this is not true?
Home | Ask A Question | Search Q&A