As part of my Theodicy class, I was differentiating for them that the idea of God from God himself. One of the students stated that a blind man could be wayward all his life and then at a certain point undergo a change of heart and after a period of fervent prayer be blessed with eyesight. His point was to challenge my earlier statement that most often it is not God who changes (no guarantees of anything here), but our idea of God that undergoes transformation. So he wanted to know if God changed his own plan for that blind person, because of his 'conversion'.
I replied him with another question, "Would that guarantee, that if another blind man just like the one in your example, gain his eyesight after a period of loose living, conversion and prayer?" His answer: No. Then what is the difference? Why this partiality on God's part?
Another wanted to clarify and say that it is because of his change of heart and life of prayer that he was blessed with the eyesight. I asked him, if he truly believed that God did the 'miracle' only after his change of heart? Would not have God granted him his eyesight even otherwise, without that change of heart? Did his God become so stingy and calculative so as to not be generous and selfless, irrespective of human response or even lack of it?
I replied him with another question, "Would that guarantee, that if another blind man just like the one in your example, gain his eyesight after a period of loose living, conversion and prayer?" His answer: No. Then what is the difference? Why this partiality on God's part?
Another wanted to clarify and say that it is because of his change of heart and life of prayer that he was blessed with the eyesight. I asked him, if he truly believed that God did the 'miracle' only after his change of heart? Would not have God granted him his eyesight even otherwise, without that change of heart? Did his God become so stingy and calculative so as to not be generous and selfless, irrespective of human response or even lack of it?
It is also probable that the "loose-living" person had a lifestyle that took him to places where he could access medical aid. And God got tired of giving the other chap chances and had to perform some extraordinary feat because the other chap refused to budge from his situation. Whatever. It's like chasing the wind.
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