But soon after Xavier's death accounts of miracles began to appear. He was said to have had the gift of tongues, although his letters are full of the difficulties of the Japanese language and the paucity of good interpreters. It was said that, on one occasion when his companions were thirsty at sea, he transformed salt water into fresh. When he lost a crucifix in the sea, a crab restored it to him. ... Catholic writers still credit him with miraculous powers ; Source: Religion and Science, 1935, chapt. 1 More Info.：https://russell-j.com/beginner/RS1935_04-030.HTM
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Is the power of so-called "miracles" performed by founders of religions, saints, or revered monks indispensable in religion? Numerous incredible stories have been passed down, of illnesses healed by a mere touch, of people living for hundreds of years, of water turned into wine, or of the dead brought back to life.
The story of Francis Xavier mentioned in Today's Words of Russell may serve as a cautionary tale for those who are eager to believe in such "miracles."
However, the tendency of people to believe in miracles does not seem so easily changed. "Faith" is the act of believing in things that cannot be explained scientifically or rationally. If something can be explained scientifically or rationally, it only needs to be understood; and if it cannot be understood, education can help make it understandable.
Yet, those who find reality unbearable often seek something beyond it to believe in. If they can find something they believe to be absolutely right, their minds find a sense of stability.
As long as it does not harm others, even believing in extremely unrealistic things may not cause serious problems, but reality is rarely so benign. Throughout history and across cultures, "fanatics" have brought great harm into the world.
Among the tragedies caused by religious fanaticism are: the mass killings of Muslims and Jews during the Crusades, the witch hunts of the Middle Ages, the Thirty Years' War the Thirty Years’ War (which resulted in the deaths of around eight million people, many of whom were killed in the German territories), acts of terrorism by Islamic extremists, and the sarin gas attack carried out by Japan's Aum Shinrikyo. As for the tragedies caused by political or ethnic fanaticism, the Holocaust under Hitler's Nazi regime and the purges during China's Cultural Revolution are well known.
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Today, there are countless religions, many of which claim to pursue peace. However, there are also not a few cases where the expansion of influence and proselytizing seem to take precedence. Why is it that religious organizations, while appearing cooperative on the surface, often point out the flaws of other religions or sects when engaging in missionary activities?
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