The question raised in this People in White Coats cartoon is an interesting one. There are stories of martyrdoms of miracle-workers, and not just from early Christian sources. But do those stories make any sense if the individual in question actually performed the kinds of miracles they are supposed to have? We can understand why a persecuted group might delight in depicting their leaders as doing better than opponents and being vindicated by God in a variety of ways. But what are the consequences of taking such stories literally? In many instances, it would be necessary to view God, history, and many other subjects very differently if one took those stories as factual in practice, and not just by a meaningless nod of assent.
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