What exactly is God responsible for?
By Fleur
@Fleura (30404)
United Kingdom
July 16, 2019 2:56am CST
I know this is going to be a controversial post…
I was just reading this story about the separation of conjoined twins (I hope those overseas will be able to read this story ). The two girls were joined at the top of their heads (craniopagus twins) and they were successfully separated via three long surgeries over several months.
Apart from the amazing and mind-boggling medical, technological and engineering skills and advances involved in this process, the thing that surprised me the most was the snippet of video at the end, of the mother talking about the outcome.
She begins by saying ‘I remember the day when God showed me their heads were joined’. Now she is happy that she can hold them separately and ‘God has answered our prayers’.
Well I am all in favour of being thankful for life on this wonderful Earth and all the amazing things that each day brings, but as far as specifics are concerned, in this case I would say that it was the medical technicians who showed her their heads were joined, and the skill of the twenty members of the surgical team and all their support staff who enabled her to hold two separate little girls, as well as the generosity of an anonymous benefactor.
You could say that God brought those people together, that He enabled the chain of events that allowed each of those people to get to where they are today so that they could help…. but to say that God was solely responsible for the outcome seems, to me, to be ungrateful for the amazing work of all those fantastic people.
All rights reserved. © Text copyright Fleur 2019.
Safa and Marwa are conjoined twins - their skulls are fused together and their brains are intertwined. Will a team of surgeons be able to separate them successfully?
16 people like this
18 responses
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
16 Jul 19
Jumping in here, usually don't but here goes. Why does God allow so many bad things to happen in the world? I am always told God controls everything, he made everything. So why not prevent diseases and especially in children. Why allow them to suffer? I am told it is all in God's will. Used to believe that. But, why did he not intervene when my son took his life? And don't tell me, anyone, about free will. I get that. My son was 16, still a child, should not be allowed to make such a decision. Where was God?
2 people like this
@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
I think you probably know the answer to that. Why would God prevent diseases - because if he made everything, he must have made the bacteria and fungi and viruses also, right? If you ask these sort of questions, people will tell you that God is infallible, that He works in mysterious ways, that He is testing your faith, all that sort of thing.
The real answer is that God (and all other gods before) is a human invention, to try to explain those things which we find hard to understand, because life itself is so amazing that we feel there has to be some controller somewhere. This seems to be a natural human reaction and has repeated itself over and over in human history. And each time humans believe that 'their' God or gods are the real ones and the ones who came before were false.
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@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
@CarolDM It is a very difficult thing to accept that there is no-one in charge, and that life ultimately has no meaning other than the perpetuation of life itself. A person has to give their own life meaning through their own actions, whether it is through their career, their role in the family, as a good friend, a charity worker, a volunteer, an activist - whatever inspires them and will make them feel, at the end of the day, that they made a difference.
I am so sorry about your son. I can't imagine what a terrible loss that must be, and at such a young age. I've had a couple of friends who tried to kill themselves and of course you ask yourself 'Couldn't they have confided in me and asked for help?'. For a parent that must be so much worse.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16762)
• China
16 Jul 19
I totally agree with you ! It was doctors with remarkable medical skill and many other kind people who made this happen.
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@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
19 Jul 19
I believe that God uses people like surgeons to do his will and work. I believe that he knows and cares about all of his creation but stays out of things where our free will is involved. Just my beliefs.
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@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
19 Jul 19
@Fleura It's okay we won't fall out. He gave us free will, he lets us use it. He watches over us and helps when we ask. He could have but he doesn't interfere and by not letting them be born it would change the whole world so no, he let them be born because their parents conceived them. I don't question these things as deeply as you, I just know God loves me, I feel his presence, bad things happen just because they do (because man opted to disobey God) it was perfect before sin was introduced into the world. Some things are just way bigger than we are and I accept them as they are. God is so far beyond what we can conceive or understand that it is pointless to try to understand. St Augustin understood this and wrote about it. At the end, it is a matter of faith and we are all free to believe or not. You can be as cynical as you want, it is all good between us.
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@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
20 Jul 19
@BelleStarr Thank you : )
I am glad God is present in your life and helps you through the difficult times.
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@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
19 Jul 19
So why would He not use His 'staff' at the optimal time? Or is that just because the family were dependent on the free will of some other person who brought their story to the attention of a doctor who used his free will to meet a friend for dinner who, by free will, mentioned her contact who then, of his own free will, offered to donate the money for the sugery so that all the medical and bio-engineering team, exercising their own free will (and of course because that is their job) performed the surgery. It seems a very long-winded way to get stuff done, with far too many opportunities that could so easily be missed. And of course God, being omnipotent, could easily have avoided the whole issue by simply not creating these conjoined twins in the first place, because conceiving babies with medical problems is surely not a free will situation?
Sorry I don't want to fall out with anyone; just call me a cynic.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Jul 19
God gave those surgeons the skills necessary to do the work of separating the girls. He brought the doctors to the parent's attention so they could get the help they needed to be separated. I'm sure the parents are grateful to the surgeons too.
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@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Jul 19
@Fleura God gave man the ability to learn, comprehend, and the skills necessary for everything that took place. Without knowledge and understanding, those surgeons couldn't do anything. Why it waited until now when those types of twins have been around for centuries, is not up to me or anybody else to question God's timing. God's purpose is always for His glory and those parents gave God glory for the answered prayer that led them to the surgeons who had the ability to perform the surgery.
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@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
16 Jul 19
The skill of the surgeons and all the medical staff was amazing and many thanks go to them! Since God is the Creator of life there is nothing wrong with thanking Him as nothing would be possible without Him. If I was in her shoes I would be thankful to everyone!
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
18 Jul 19
The other day I was seeing a pair of siamese twins in India both boys and there is just no way they can be separated but they are very healthy at the moment.
I don´t know who allows what I also saw another Mom in India who has two children that has two boys that have that illness where they grow old before their time I forget what you call it right now but she just gets on with life the best way she can.
The siamese twins were left in a care home at birth and were very grateful just for a roof and food.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
18 Jul 19
@Fleura
Thanks that is the name of that awful illness and I have no idea why they should feel grateful either myself I am not sure that I would be grateful at all but they are.
I suppose its their outlook on life and the Mother of the other two boys is quite amazing really.
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@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
18 Jul 19
There are some very sad situations in the world. Progeria is the premature aging disease. If you are unlucky enough to have something like this then really you have no option but to try to make the best of what you have. Still it is sad that the twins are pathetically grateful just for the most basic essentials. Why should anyone settle for so little just because of an accident of birth?
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@psanasangma (7287)
• India
17 Jul 19
Medical technology are way advance and allow to separate conjoined twin with the help of careful, expert and brainy surgeons. Along with God, people should learn to thanks Doctors also.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
16 Jul 19
i don't believe she's jest given credit to God though? i read 'n watched the whole thingy. she seemed most grateful fer all who tended the needs 'f 'er daughters 's well 's comfort to the family o'er this drawn out process.
havin' read through all the other responses/comments, i can see others point 'f view, yers, too. if'n someones faith helps 'em through troubled times, i can't 'rgue with such. can't 'magine losin' yer hubs 'n givin' birth to twins with such a condition 'twas easy fer her nor the family. they needed faith'n somethin' they could not see 'r touch.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
16 Jul 19
@Fleura i 'gree with ya, hon. but jest seein' the pic 'f 'er kissin' those doc's hands 'n most likely that which went 'npublished warmed my heart.
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@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
That's very true, faith and prayer can certainly help people through difficult times. Maybe I read too much into it but I would expect more of a balance between gratitude to all the people who provided help of one sort or another as well as to God for healing.
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@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
19 Jul 19
There are people who believe Christ and or God does everything. Then there are those like me that understand christians stories are just lessons for anyone who might read or listen the stories to help them get through difficult times. We are all different people and every one of us has our thoughts. I didn’t believe any of the bible until a college teacher was talking about the stories and made me understand, it’s all about life and written by humans, not gods.
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@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
20 Jul 19
I agree with everything you said. I almost had a major fall-out with one aquaintance once, when I said that I did not believe that the Bible is the exact word of God! As you say, it is just a book of stories, written by people, explaining to the best of their ability the history of a certain people and giving guidelines for a 'good' life. This is the same in many other religions, if only people would just accept that then a lot of strife could be avoided!
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@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
25 Jul 19
@Fleura I agree with you. I was delighted to have such a smart teacher.
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@amitkokiladitya (171927)
• Agra, India
16 Jul 19
Maybe you have a point. But the success of the people who handled it was definitely governed by God.
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@amitkokiladitya (171927)
• Agra, India
16 Jul 19
@Fleura yes...this is a fact for sure.
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@RememberMe1 (29)
•
29 Jul 19
Always before each game of chess he asked God for victory, many times he lost but he always asked God for victory again on the next occasion. The point I want to get to is that if God had always pleased my prayers today I would be the best chess player in the world and I wasn't studying telecommunications engineering. They could have done endless things. Sometimes a game decides the future of people and that is why it is no less important than the rest of the things we do. When I wondered why I had not won, I thought about that child who played against me who often asked God for victory too. Then I realized that victory and defeat have a purpose. The truth is that this is a very interesting topic with a lot of debate. I firmly believe that God is present in our lives all the time but we are the result of our own actions and those of those around us, for our free will for thousands of years we have hurt the planet where we live we have been responsible for diseases, explosions and genocides and today we carry the responsibilities of our ancestors starting with the sin of Adam and Eve ... I close with a question to know that the builders of the TITANIC said the phrase "Neither God can sink this ship". Would you have ridden? We are the result of our actions
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
I have read this earlier this morning. It is an amazing outcome by a very clever dedicated team for whom the stress levels would have been something most of us can never imagine. Not only that but these poor people worked for up to 20 hours during these operations. Imagine the stress that one false move could be so fatal. These people indeed are very clever, skillful and talented and hats of to each and every one of them.
We sometimes conveniently use prayer when we are frightened but may never do so in everyday life. I am going to be quite cautious in my response because I do not want to upset people unnecessarily. I have seen good things and bad things during my career spanning over 40 years but the greatest thing for me is seeing someone get better.
The pleasure one gets from seeing someone get well and discharged is better than any financial gain.
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@JESSY3236 (19942)
• United States
16 Jul 19
I sorta agree. I do believe God is behind the chain of events though.
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@ilocosboy (45156)
• Philippines
16 Jul 19
Maybe not in this world for us to understand the wisdom and reason.
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