How do you prove anything to a scoffer? We could show you testimony after testimony of people who got healed at Lourdes, for instance. You would dismiss them all.
SD
A whole Christian congregation watched some years ago as a man's glass eye popped out of socket and a brand new eye formed in it's place. It happened in Africa where my Father was a missionary for a number of years. It happened, and God did it. Why is it that the Catholic church has to count hocum as miracles - Statues drooling water and bits of light being mistaken for some saint are not miracles. I've seen people cured of cancer on the spot. I've seen people who wore glasses all their lives healed to where they had to remove their glasses immediately because they couldn't see with them on anymore. I've seen people with scoliosis straighten up and lose the curve in their spines. I've seen people who grew up with a short leg, walk straight with a newly lengthened leg. These are people I know - not some joe nobody that is pretending at it. I've seen countless REAL miracles performed by God through men who knew how to take authority and agree with people for healing. Where is this in the Catholic church apart from hocum about some stick or bone that supposedly did this or that six hundred years ago? The majority of the stories of Catholic saints are so full of mysticism it sounds more like something out of the necronomicon than out of christianity. Who was the woman that was supposedly beheaded whom after she died her head was 'miraculously' appended back to her body - as though God could put her back together; but, just couldn't raise her from the dead... The story gets really fanciful from there; but, it's right out of the so called stories of the saints. I'd dare say aesop's fables contain more reality.. And I'm being kind. Where are the real fruits of the spirit?
Mark 16 says that one of those fruits is that if a spirit filled christian drinks any deadly thing it shall not harm them - won't even phase them. This would be something like, oh, drinking poinson unawares. How many of the Popes died of poisoning? I can answer it for you.
Mark 16: "In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpants; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
When's the last time the pope layed hands on a cancer patient and instantly saw that cancer disappear by commanding it gone in Jesus name? When's the last time a dead man stood up and walked because the shadown of the pope crossed over them? I can go on.
Everywhere the Apostles went, miracles followed. They Baptised people in the Holy spirit who then spoke in toungues, recieved the gift of prophecy, etc. God performed great works through them. Why is it that Catholicism can only say, "well, we built some churches and a couple homeless shelters." Heathens do that too, Where are the spiritual fruits?
Paul goes beyond and lists the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:
2:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. [2] Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. [3] Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. [4] Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. [6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. [8] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom ; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; [9] To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; [10] To another the working of miracles ; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: [11] But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. [12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. [13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Now, he does go on to say that not everyone will have the same gifts. But all who are baptised in the Spirit will have at least one of the Gifts. Where are they in Catholicism. Where are the fruits?