Angels - Do you believe in angels and/or a spiritual hierarchy?

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   michaelrbassoposted 10 years ago

   I once lost electrical power in my car on a Friday afternoon while crossing the GW bridge in the left lane going fast. I thought that this might be my last day in this life!! Within seconds I made it off the Bridge and don't know how I got there ??? Ended up in a real nasty part of NYC just before dark. I was REAL scared and prayed for help. Less that a minute later a car stopped and four people got out to help...while they moved a wire I by chance noticed a broken wire under a rubber cover....I fixed the wire and within 5 minutes was safely and gratefully on my way, ALIVE and WELL with my CAR fixed! hmmmmmm

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      wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You fixed your car and therefore conclude that angels exist?  I don't quite follow the reasoning - I've fixed my car many times and never found it a reason to believe in angels.

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         michaelrbassoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         See comment below. Made no conclusions - just found it very interesting.

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      EncephaloiDeadposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      That's why we never need tow trucks or mechanics, because there are angels.

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   Emile Rposted 10 years ago

   I'd be interested in knowing why you think you were helped by angels? I assume you think this since the title to the thread asks if others believe in angels and your story implies you believe you were helped by one.
   
   Since a lot of people have similar experiences and either wreck or are stranded, get mugged or worse.....why do you think you were being watched and protected?

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      michaelrbassoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      First of all, I am not concluding anything. The fact that I somehow got across three lanes of very heavy, high speed traffic, with a stalled car, was incredible - had to be there.  While there are many explanations, it really did feel like something helped me in some interesting way. Secondly, the people who helped, stopped within less that a minute after saying a prayer. I was there for hours before that happened.  Again lots of possibilities. However, these immaculately dressed folks stopped for a perfect stranger in an area where they literally put their lives in danger. It was an extremely rough place with stripped cars all over the place and where many really nasty things happened. Some folks felt that I somehow received help. I will not discount anything as I was in VERY great danger! Was curious what others thought. In any event these very helpful humans certainly acted like human angels & even risked getting their very expensive clothing dirty to help out within seconds of my asking for help- many years ago!

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         wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         And you have an answer; no one else finds anything but vague circumstantial evidence that there may be angels; certainly nothing to indicate even a high probability it is so.
         
         People all over the world (including me) have had instances of extreme danger or concern; sometimes they turn out good, sometimes not.  Certainly there is insufficient statistical evidence to indicate that angels are involved on the "good result" side of the equation.  Particularly as those good results can and do happen without angelic interference.

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            michaelrbassoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I have an extensive background in statistics, engineering, neuroscience and psychology & can also not explain with certainty how I got across those three lanes and why those folks stopped with seconds after I asked for help.. The small sample size regarding those who have replied here is also insignificant and not very informative. Fun little exercise anyway. Thanks for your responses.

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               Dr Lambposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               You made it out alive so you got to report it, notice we don't see reports from those who don't make it out alive. I wonder how many people prayed just before they died? I think it may help if you give yourself credit for getting yourself through your ordeal instead of trying to find something to give the credit to.

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               wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Not too difficult, and it doesn't take statistics, engineering, neuroscience and psychology.
               
               You steered the car across the highway while other drivers gave way.  Those folks stopped because they were good people and deduced you were in trouble. 
               
               No angels needed; cars are steered for millions of miles down roads each year and strangers help people every day.  Even risk their lives to do so sometimes.

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   michaelrbassoposted 10 years ago

   Thank you. I do/did do that as well. Like many others, I have had some very interesting but difficult experiences that are hard to explain one way or another. I was a young and sometimes cocky engineer when this happened & tried very hard for hours to figure out what happened to the electrical systems before dark. As soon as I, in desperation, humbly asked for help, I received the info I needed to fix the car within minutes. As I got older I have come more firmly to realize that most mere mortals might have a hard time creating even one human hair, a blade of grass or even correcting their vision.... I have learned to respect natures engineers, scientists and clinicians - even if I don't fully understand their designs and other unexpained parts of the bigger system.

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      Dr Lambposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      God decided to answer your prayer at the side of the road when you were capable of helping yourself out yet will not answer the prayer of children in hospital dying of cancer? How do you explain that all studies done on prayer have show they were no more than the placebo effect? And here you are seeming to think the only answer to the coincidence is that a car of angels stopped and helped you rather than think a group of nice people stopped to help you out.

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   michaelrbassoposted 10 years ago

   1) I know many people who once had cancer and inexplicable ways were cancer free
   2) You are making assumptions that I was not worthy of help many years ago because some one else not receive it which has no causal validity & is an unreliable statement. 
   3) There is much literature about coincidence and paying attention & ironically I once was part of a teaching team for course on the unconsciousness
   4) I know of no statistically valid studies which conversely disprove and the power of prayer, the presence of angels or any related concepts - albeit the more western scientific views are also valid
   5) You are also assuming that I am only considering the spiritual possibility, which I am not. yet, you have not provided any solid evidence of other possibilities for moving across three lanes full with trucks and cars moving real fast & how these folks would stop for me so soon after I asked for help

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