Miracle Definitions

Question 1

What are the 3 basic attributes of a miracle?

Answer 1

Breaks the laws of nature
Has a purpose and significance
Is possible to ascribe religious significance to the event

Question 2

What are Aquinas’ three categories of miracles?

Answer 2

Events done by God nature could never do
Events done by God nature can do, but not in that order
Events done by God nature can do, but God does without use of natural laws

Question 3

What is the issue with “breaking a law of nature”?

Answer 3

We may not actually know all the natural laws and how they operate, and therefore cannot accurately say if a natural law has been broken or not

Question 4

What is Hume’s definition of a miracle?

Answer 4

A transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of the deity

Question 5

What kind of cause did a miracle need for Hume?

Answer 5

a Divine cause, e.g raising a person from the dead by intervention of a divine agent

Question 6

What is the hard interpretation of hume’s definition?

Answer 6

Laws of nature are unalterably uniform, violations are impossible and they are nothing but a misstated law that needs adjusting.

Question 7

What is the soft interpretation of Hume’s definition?

Answer 7

Laws of nature are not fixed and have exceptions, natural laws are regular patterns of events but can by altered by God. Miracles are a logical possibility but the evidence must be incredible

Question 8

What is Holland’s definition of Miracles?

Answer 8

An extraordinary coincidence that is seen in a religious way

Question 9

What example does Holland use for his definition?

Answer 9

A driver who falls asleep on a train hitting the brake lever and saving a young boy, which his mother views as a miracle.

“A coincidence can be taken religiously”

Question 10

How does Holland differ to the other’s explanations of miracles?

Answer 10

It doesnt need violating of laws of nature, or intervention by God. A miracle can only been seen as religious when the miracle is taken as a “sign”

Question 11

What does Holland mean by a Contingency Miracle?

Answer 11

a remarkable and beneficial coincidence that is interpreted in a religious way

Question 12

What is Swinburne’s definition of a miracle?

Answer 12

He builds on Hume’s definition: “a non-repeatable counter instance to a law of nature”.

Question 13

What does Swinburne mean by a non repeatable counter instance to a law of nature?

Answer 13

We cannot change a law of nature to account for a violation of a law of nature, as if the violation never repeated, the modified law would give false predictions of all other events. Therefore miracles are seen as non-repeatable counter instances.

Question 14

What is Swinburne’s view on the religious significance of miracles?

Answer 14

the event must contribute significantly towards a holy divine purpose for the world.

Question 15

Why do religious believers accept miracles occur?

Answer 15

If there is strong historical evidence one has occured, it’s reasonable to believe it has. Assuming there is a suitable motive for God acting this way. Natural theology establishes the probability God would produce revelations/miracles

Question 16

What is miraculous evidence in sacred writings?

Answer 16

most religions have miracles to vindicate the claims of those who are accepted as God’s messengers and there is historical evidence supporting these claims.

Question 17

How are miracles affirmations of faith traditions?

Answer 17

Many believe miracles mean their faith has a real God whilst other faiths have “fake” miracles. Some take it as evidence other religions are also valid

Question 18

What does Hume say about the probability of miracles?

Answer 18

that they are so incredibly unlikely they are realistically impossible, this does not mean they cannot happen but that for Hume to acknowledge it is a miracle, the likelihood the evidence is false must be smaller than the likelihood the miracle was false.