Miracles

Question 1

realist view

Answer 1

miracles are objectively true result of direct activity of God or of someone empowered by him.
Traditional view
signs from God

Question 2

Realist view affirmation of faith traditions

Answer 2

miracles at Lourdes have affirmed the catholic faith tradition support belief in God being omniscient

Question 3

realist view of miracles as an event bought about by a spiritual power working through people

Answer 3

biblical 0 deliverance of Israelites from Captiity in Egypt through Moses
Claimed miracles in Catholic Church

Question 4

realist view miracles as a violation of natural laws

Answer 4

miracles happen when God intervention interferes with normal workings of the laws of nature
intentional act of Gods will

Question 5

what does Swinburne say - realist

Answer 5

miracles are exception to the rule ‘an extraordinary event of religious significance brought about by God’
violate laws of nature to reveal something

Question 6

what does aquinas say realist

Answer 6

defined direct interventions of God over turning natural order
1. Nature can never do
2. Nature can do but not in this order
3. Nature usually does but without using the principle of nature

Question 7

realist - personal experiences

Answer 7

William James - religious experience were primary source of religious belief
Miracles are good basis for belief in Gods existence more likely to believe something they have experienced

Question 8

anti realist - miracles are experiencing as

Answer 8

Hick
natural evens which are experienced move us to a religious response
if does break law of nature - not religious
shows understanding of that law wasn’t enough
shows science wasn’t good enough
Holland
based on individuals interpretation of event
allows atheists negative view to have equal value
no way to know which is right or wrong

Question 9

anti realist - miracles as remarkable coincidences

Answer 9

R F Holland
Train stopping just in time - coincidence
the significant event caries on after the event
fact a explanation for train stopping doesn’t take away significance
Hollands miracles don’t involve law of nature
they are natural occurrences, beneficial in nature and have religious significance

Question 10

Anti realist - miracles as sign events

Answer 10

Tillich - subjective experience entering on individuals response
sign events of religious significance tells us about god
doesn’t breach any law of nature

Question 11

Anti realist view - liberal view

Answer 11

interpretation of events
they are natural events seen as signs of God’s goodness without sense of direct intervention or the violation of human law
feeling gratitude after

Question 12

arguments in favour of realist view - 5

Answer 12

1. provides significance to believer
2. provides cumulative argument for existence of God- Swinburne
   shows that prays are being answered
3. ‘If there is a God we might well expect that he intervenes’
4. the miracle of resurrecting of Jesus is foundational to Christian belief
5. Other miracles like Lourdes are important

Question 13

issues from realist views -4

Answer 13

1. Dawkins God of the gaps
2. Wiles - If miracles are an intervention of God why do so many suffer
3. Concept of violation is accepted - the weight of evidence for law of nature will outweigh the evidence for claimed breach of that law of nature - Hume
4. Science rejects concept of laws being capable of being violated. Laws of nature are descriptive and probabilistic - Hick

Question 14

problems from anti realist - 2

Answer 14

1. can be seen as diminishing power of omnipotent God as approach may be patronising.
2. if miracles are an intrepation they are a product of peoples brain

Question 15

Hume

Answer 15

rejects realist view
miracles aren’t impossible just impossible to prove
argument based on empiricism
deity is hidden and unobservable

Question 16

Humes argument - 4 + conc

Answer 16

1. Never been a suffiencent number of witnesses
2. Those testifying will have natural tendencies to suspend their reason and support claim
3. as nations develop miracle stories disappear due to barbarous nations
4. different religions claim to miracles and they clash and cancel each other out
   Conclusion - it is a miracle anyone can believe in the traditional view of miracles at all. christainty based on faith not reason

Question 17

Swinburne

Answer 17

rejects Hume
miracles are exception to the rule they are a 1 of
laws of nature are good general descriptions of how the world works
1. Hume doesn’t say what a suffiencent number is
2. evidence for miracles can be collected from memory modern science
3. difficult to define when people are educated - many people today are still miracles happen
4. Same God could preform miracles -interpreted differently

Question 18

Wiles - 7 + conc

Answer 18

1. anti realist approach
2. only miracle is creation
3. creation is good no need for further intervention
4. God put natural laws in place
5. Idea of God intervening for some not others would not be compatible with belief of love and justice from God
6. Miracles are trivial - didn’t intervene for extreme
7. takes liberal stance on Bible
   conclusion - creator and sustainer

Question 19

strengths wiles - 1

Answer 19

1. gives holistic view of Gods activity in world

Question 20

Challenges wiles -

Answer 20

1. are miracles unfair? example of resurrection of Christ clearly breaks law of nature
2. we can’t understand why God would inteven for some and not others