In answer to your question, the answer is "No." Such a partial god is deeply unappealing to me.

Very interesting mymoss . Yes I believe God is healing all the time , even from the most extreme circumstances and not only at evangelical gatherings. I mean look at the terrible , terrible things that are done in war-time and yet folks forgive , wounds are healed.

Good question Kailex. He was without sin and not subject to a sinless world. So maybe not.

Honestly, I don't know why Helen was brought back from the dead. It is kind of problematic to me. I suspect she is also having some existential issues herself, wondering why she was spared when most people are not. I don't know why any miracles occur. It does not seem fair to me.

But, I know that I have seen these things happen. I know that they occur. I don't know why. I wish I did. But, maybe that's why it's miraculous.

I don't believe Jesus would've ever experienced prolonged illness. It's only human to catch a cold, maybe even some sort of allergy, but there's no need to hold onto any of it. I'm sure He healed quickly.

Illness is the result of mind, body, and/or spirit neglect. Jesus had it all down by the time we get to hear about Him anyway. He might have been ill before people decide to take notes on Him, but I would think not. It's not really 'human' to get a cold, suffer illness, or even get depressed. We might think it's human nature, because it seems like the norm, everyone gets sick, right? But when you really dive into why we get sick, it really is not human to be so.

I should've been more clear sorry. I was referring to prolonged illness. Catching one may be just a circumstance of environment, but keeping the illness is a whole separate matter.

Young children still fall under the same category, the illness could be extended due to neglect on the part of the parent/guardian not taking the necessary steps to procure whatever treatment is available.

As for physical/brain trauma, the neglect aspect still applies. It's not all black and white though, as I wish it were, there are issues with the whole thing, but I think it's all based on cause and effect.

If someone were involved in a physical trauma, it happened partly because of neglect on their part. That'll get a few backs up, yea, but serious prolonged trials are all the result of some sort of disharmony in one of the 3 areas.

I also thought of another example, which doesn't fit your theory (or it might, but you'll have to explain how). When I was a child, I was neglected, but I didn't have any serious illnesses. But I knew kids at school who were loved and nurtured by their parents and they did get serious illnesses. One girl got meningitis and died, for instance. It wasn't from neglect. Her parents loved her and took care of her. But she got it suddenly and died. Another girl was born with a paralysed soft palate, and that made her really susceptible to illnesses, and she was always far sicker than other people and viruses lasted longer for her. She wasn't neglectful and nor were her parents. She was a happy girl who was cared for and loved by her parents. But she just got ill easily and badly because of the fact that her soft palate couldn't close off her nasal cavity and thus protect her. So how would these examples fit the neglect theory?

Yota

I think people listen to you Yota.

Perhaps they don't say much because they don't know how to take you or don't understand.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, Jame. Human beings are vulnerable. That is how we are. Our bodies are vulnerable to physical pain and trauma - both of which take time to heal. Similarly, we are vulnerable to emotional pain and trauma. And, again, these take time to heal. Personally, I am quite certain that Jesus experienced all of this. That's why I believe he came to earth. To experience what we experience. To live as we live. To involve himself in our world and experience its pain and ugliness. That's what the cross was about. And as such it was the climax of all that he came to be and to do. In just the same way as he did not climb down off the cross, I don't believe he surrounded himself in an immunity bubble that prevented him from experiencing pain, trauma, illness, grief and sadness.

"Keeping the illness" - that's an interesting choice of words. I've heard it used to mean quite a few different things:

1. The possibility that some people get a kick out of feeling sorry for themselves so exaggerate their symptoms in order to gain sympathy.

2. The possibility that some people get a kick out of feeling sorry for themselves, don't want to get better and so don't.

3. The possibility that some people bring illness upon themselves in the first place by their attitude towards the world and life in general.

I'm not sure that any of these are anywhere near as common as some people make out - not when it comes to prolonged illness, anyway. I have yet to meet a seriously ill or depressed person who enjoys being the way they are and would want to prolong it if they felt they had a realistic alternative. Most just want to feel better.

Certainly, I don't think Jesus would ever have "held on to an illness" if any of those three examples is what you mean by this.

But I don't think that means he won't ever have got ill. Neither do I think that being ill necessarily stops someone from acting as a healer! Why would it?!

Right now, I am wondering what happened to Joseph? How long had Jesus been without his father when he began his ministry and what was it that took Joseph away? Did Jesus also lose any brothers or sisters? And what kind of effect would that have had on his ministry?

We can't ever know the answers to those questions, but I would guess that the loss of Joseph had a profound effect on Jesus and was probably one of the many things that helped to shape his ministry.