I found this over at The Anchoress and just had to share it with all of you.
Reader Benjamin writes: Mostly to say that this is pretty much how the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is supposed to have been settled, via a pray-off. So there is nothing inherently unbiblical it seems, nor something that God objects to, about this sort of challenge – and it should, apparently, be settled in present time, promptly, by God.
Anyway, it seems like, given that the bible is accurate, we ought to be able to do this sort of thing, here and now. If we can?t, we had better figure out why.
Here’s a sample from 1 Kings 18:1-46
22Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.
23″Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it.
24″Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”
Maybe it hinges on (1) living, in-the-flesh prophet of the LORD and (2) “all the people” in agreement?