Miracles

Pros of Mormonism from the perspective of the
Believer	Ex-believer
God is a God of miracles. He is active in our lives, intervening on our behalf, perhaps with guardian angels protecting us more than we know. “As we trust in the Savior, promised miracles will occur”. Signs and miracles follow believers.  Sometimes, good things happen that defy all explanation, and we choose to believe that it is not merely coincidence. God knows us, loves us, and watches out for us. If we keep the commandments we will prosper in the land. Miracles provide hope. When all seems lost and there does not seem to be a way out, the faithful can take heart and remain hopeful and optimistic.	The ex-believer might not believe in miracles, but even still some (not all) might long for the days when they did. Miracles provide hope. When all seems lost and there does not seem to be a way out, the faithful can take heart and remain hopeful and optimistic. The ex-believer might admit that having hope is not necessarily a bad way to live.

 

Cons of Mormonism from the perspective of the
Believer	Ex-believer
For believers, there can be a lot of painful cognitive dissonance when one believes that God is a God of miracles. If he is, why is he so selective? Why did he help one person find their keys or do well on a history exam or not die in a car crash, but he doesn’t answer many mothers’ plea for their starving children or the abused who cry for help?	The ex-believer is often angered by the idea that God is a God of miracles. If he is, why is he so selective? Why did he help one person find their keys or do well on a history exam or not die in a car crash, but he doesn’t answer many mothers’ plea for their starving children or the abused who cry for help? The arrogance in assuming God is handing out special favors to you and not other people angers many ex-believers. When one tallies out the score of when it appears God interacts and provides a miracle and when he doesn’t provide a miracle, many ex-believers come to feel that God, in reality, is not having much of an effect on this world. Many ex-believers are grateful to no longer have to look to an unreliable and unpredictable God for a miracle.   Many of the modern miracles we see today encourage us to ignore and forget our fellow man. How often do religious people give credit to God instead of to the doctor, the pilot, the engineer, or the scientist?   The ex-believer might also argue that looking for a miracle is naïve and can prevent you from being practical, realistic, and doing all you can to seek out real solutions. Some people pray for a miracle when trouble comes, but the ex-believer might argue that this is distracting and wasting time from what really matters: actually doing something and making plans.