You may have heard by now a story about an Italian woman who sweats blood. Doctors who examined her haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause of her condition, but their own theories didn’t pan out and other doctors are puzzled. There’s bound to be a rational explanation for this, obviously. We just don’t know what it is yet.

Christian radio host Bryan Fischer brought the case up during his Focal Point radio show yesterday, around the 17:15 mark in the full episode though the relevant clip is below, and made a strange claim: It proves the Bible is true!

Fischer pointed out that Luke 22:44 is all about how Jesus sweats blood. Critics love saying Jesus’ miracles never happened, but here’s a perfect example of someone confirming an unlikely biblical story!

And so we discover… that this is a genuine condition, that under the right circumstances, people can actually sweat blood, blood vessels burst… and the blood travels up through the sweat glands to the surface of the skin. So, ladies and gentlemen, bottom line here: Do. Not. Doubt. This. Book. Do not doubt this book. Verified and confirmed all of the time.

There’s a problem with his line of thinking.

If you go to the passage, here’s what it says about Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (on the base of the Mount of Olives):

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Did you catch that? Jesus’ “sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

It wasn’t actually blood. It was like blood. It’s a figure of speech. It’s a simile.

The point is: Even if you took the Bible literally enough to make Ken Ham happy, it doesn’t say Jesus ever sweat blood.

The only thing this anecdote proves is that Fischer is so desperate to find proof of biblical truth that he’ll lie to get there.

(Thanks to Kyle for the link)

