Miracles Flashcards
Realism
Realists understandings of the world say that
Scientific theories give us true depictions of the world
The world exists the way it is - regardless of what we think about the matter
Realist understandings of miracles
They are real events that are brought about by God
Here, God is transcendent and inobservable
Anti realism
Anti realism says we can’t have knowledge of a mind independent world because the world is observed by senses and interpreted by the mind
Anti realist understandings of miracles
A miracle is seen as something that lifts the spirit or transforms a community - but it doesn’t necessarily break a law of nature
A religious person may see anything as miraculous because of the psychological effect it has on them
Juliane Koepcke case study
In 1971, she was the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Peruvian Rainforest
This is regarded as a miracle that she survived
1950 Nebraskan Church Case study
Each choir member was late to practice for a different reason
This meant none of them were there when the Church exploded due to a gas leak
This is regarded as a miracle because it is such an extreme coincidence
Problem with Realist understandings of miracles
Why would God save these people but ignore others in similar situations?
Importance of Miracles to Catholics
You have to have verified miracles to be a saint
Lourdes and its importance in Pilgrimage
Jesus’ resurrection - a miracle you have to believe in to be a Christian
Paul Tillich belief on God
God is not a ‘being’ but a ‘Being-itself’
Paul Tillich belief on Miracles
Miracles are not interventions in the world by a transcendent God because this would reduce them to superstition and sorcery
They are unusual, astonishing events
They dont break any law of nature
They point to the mystery of existence
They are signs and symbols within a religious experience
John Hick view on miracles
A miracle is any event that is experienced as a miracle
They are ordinary/natural events seen through the eye of faith
They make us become conscious of God acting in us
Holland view on Miracles
The train driver who faints so puts his foot on the breaks for the train - which means he doesn’t run over the child
This story proves an event doesn’t have to violate a law of nature to be thought of as a miracle
The mother in Holland’s miracle story
It is a ‘beneficial coincidence ‘ that she ‘interprets in a religious fashion’
She interprets what happened as God’s response to human need
Humes quote on a wise man
‘A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence’
Humes definition of miracles
He defines a miracle as a violation of a law of nature by God - he has a realist approach
Humes critique of miracles
A violation of natural laws is far less likely than a person lying/not understanding their sense experience
It is always more likely that the witnesses are mistaken or that they are lying than that a miracle has occurred
Hume belief on what a good witness should be
Good education
Good integrity
Good character, not sensationalist
From an educated and developed nation
Wiles belief about language about miracles
Language about miracles is symbolic not literal
God does not act in the world through miracles
Wiles understanding of God’s intervention
There has been a misunderstanding about God brought about by Hume that God is an agent controlling the chain of causes as a whole - this is not true. God does not intervene.
Miracles seen as highly selective
It must be an immoral God who saves some but ignores the rest
The only miracle for Wiles
Creation itself
Biblical support for Wiles
Jesus refuses to do miracles for Satan which proves that God does not intervene to perform miracles
Real value of a miracle for Wiles
Its personal and religious value to each person
Biblical significance of miracles
The miracles of Jesus all point towards the central miracle of God’s resurrection of Jesus
For St Paul, If the resurrection is not true then religious faith is vain and futile because if Christ is not raised then there can be no human resurrection from the dead
Realist Miracles and the inconsistent triad
If God is intervening in miracles then this means he is willing, able and does intervene in the world through revelation - this solves some of the problem of the problem of evil
Anti realist significance of miracles
Their significance is primarily personal and psychological
For Holland they are events with deep personal significance
Wiles significance of miracles
They are events that reveal something of God’s intentions for the world
Eg. Miracles in the New Testament are about inspiring people to overcome evil and suffering
Exodus example of miracles
God sends 10 plagues to smite the Egyptians
God gives the power to the prophet Moses which proved his care for the Jewish people and his ultimate power
Hume quote against testimony about miracles
‘No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle until the testimony be of such a kind that its falsehood would be MORE miraculous’
Hume quote on scientific laws
‘If there appears to be an exception to a law of nature, then the law expands to include the exception’
Natural laws as descriptive
They sum up what we have observed
So if there appears to be an exception to a law of nature then the law expands to include the exception
Natural laws as probabilistic
Natural laws show what is likely to happen rather than what is going to happen
‘It is logically possible that truly anomalous events occur and if they do strictly scientific explanation will have to ignore them or set them to one side for a moment at least’
Hume and Tacites
Hume claims there are ‘no properly attested miracles’ by ‘men of sufficient good sense, integrity, education and learning’
But he claims the Roman Historian Tacitus is ‘greatest and most penetrating genius’ ‘so free from nay tendency to credulity’
So why should Tacitus’ testimony on the miracles performed by Emperor Vespasian be rejected by Hume?
Hume and religion quote
‘Religion is founded on faith not reason’