Miracles

Question 0

What is a miracle?

Answer 0

It’s generally understood to be a public event that anyone could in theory observe -not personal or introspective like many religious experiences and a transgression of natural laws.

Question 1

Miracles are 2 things

Answer 1

Violations of natural laws

Interpretations of events

Question 2

What did Hume think about miracles ?

Answer 2

He didn’t believe they had ever been proved

Question 3

What did Hume (1711-1776) empiricist who measures miracles against available evidence defined a miracle as?

Answer 3

“A transgression of a natural law by a particular violation of the Deity or by the interposition of some invisible agent….nothing is esteemed a miracle if it ever happens in the common course of nature.”

Question 4

Name a biblical event that appears to transgress natural laws.

Answer 4

The resurrection

Question 5

Swinburne says that all the following are all biblical transgressions of natural laws.

Answer 5

“Levitation;resurrection from the dead in full health of a man whose heart had not been beating for 24 hours; water turning into wine without the assistance of chemical apparatus or catalysts;a man getting better from polio in a minute.”(SWINBURNE Miracles Macmillan 1980). None of these things are miraculous in themselves ,however they are miraculous due to the speed/nothing natural being the direct cause/haven’t happened before.

Question 6

Swinburne quote on what wouldn’t be described as miracles.

Answer 6

“If God intervened in the natural order to make a feather land here rather than there for no deep ultimate purpose ,or to upset a child’s box of toys just for spite,these events would not naturally be described as miracles.”(SWINBURNE Miracles(Macmillan 1989). A violation of a natural law isn’t enough.

Question 7

Poblems with the definition of a miracle by Hume (2)

Answer 7

Natural laws are just saying ‘the sum of what’s happened’,then according
How do we know what natural laws are as science is not well understood

Question 8

What does R.F.Holland say about miracles ?

Answer 8

“A coincidence can be taken as a sign and called a miracle.”miracles are interpretations of events.

Question 9

R.F Holland quote

Answer 9

“In a minimal sense ,a miracle is an event that insights wonder.”

Question 10

Alaina’s defines miracle in

Answer 10

Different levels ,depending on the type of miracle it is.

Question 11

Objections to miracles take 2 forms

Answer 11

Miracles are per se impossible

No miracle could ever be rationally proved and empirically demonstrated

Question 12

What does Alistair McKinnon say about God concerning miracles

Answer 12

If God is both good and worthy of worship ,then God doesn’t do miracles

Question 13

Miracles and the problem of evil…issues (5)

Answer 13

If God was omni benevolent then God would want to help his followers equally
Why are some people healed of diseases but others left to suffer?
God clearly isn’t omni benevolent as he only appears to care enough to intervene with some peoples pain. After all God is omnipotent so can intervene.
Why would God intervene only in some events?
Arbitrary application of miracles appears to be neither loving nor just

Question 14

What does arbitrary mean?

Answer 14

Random

Question 15

Why else can we challenge miracles?(2)

Answer 15

Pointless,why does Christ walk on water or turn water into wine
Other miracles actively seem to harm people, Sodom and Gomorrah have fire and sulphur rained on them.

Question 16

What would theists say about Christ walking on water and tuning water into wine?

Answer 16

That these acts are showing God’s glory

Question 17

How would theists respond to the problem of evil in reference to miracles?(2)

Answer 17

Humans need suffering to develop

God limits himself so that the universe can operate normally

Question 18

But if God can intervene sometimes….

Answer 18

Why doesn’t he all the time

Question 19

What does Maurice Wiles say about miracles?

Answer 19

God doesn’t intervene at least not anymore

Question 20

Responses to moral objections to miracles

Answer 20

God may understand more than we do in concern with situations,thereby maintaining his omni benevolence
“Gods ways are above our ways”Maurice wiles

Question 21

Hume’s definition of a miracle

Answer 21

“A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature;and as firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof againts a miracle, from the very nature of the fact,is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined…”

Question 22

Three things to note about Hume’s case against miracles

Answer 22

His concern is epistemological,it’s impossible that they can be proved there is “no testimony sufficient to establish a miracle”

Hume only looks at second hand accounts,he hasn’t experienced a miracle himself
Epistemological concern “the wise man ,therefore,proportions his beliefs to the evidence”. Counter evidence is always stronger.

Question 23

Hume suggest counter evidence is always stronger,give a quote that backs this up

Answer 23

“The wise man,therefore,proportions his belief to the evidence.”

Question 24

Why else does Hume say miracles cannot be proved?(4)Hume’s arguments against miracles.

Answer 24

There are insufficient witnesses of ‘good sense,education and learning’. Witnesses tend to be uneducated,ignorant peasantry.

Humans(especially the religious) are gullible,

Since all religions attempt to use miracles to establish their own religion,it follows that all religions cancel each other out ,

The people among whom miracles are said to happen are uneducated and ignorant and educated people are not convinced by reports of miracles,’ignorant and barbarous nations ‘

Question 25

Criticisms of Hume include that Hume’s argument is one of

Answer 25

Circular reasoning ,hence,he begs the question

Question 26

Criticisms of Hume on his definition of a miracle(2)

Answer 26

R.F Holland has said that miraculous events can break no natural law but still be interpreted as miracles ,
Alistair McKinnon suggested that ‘natural laws’ simply mean ‘everything that happens’,so there can be no such thing as braking a natural law,

Question 27

Hume’s argument is based on 18th century mentalities and is therefore in….

Answer 27

Cultural relativity

Question 28

Modern science shows that…

Answer 28

Events happen which we don’t expect and which appear to break our earlier understanding of the way the universe works - during Hume’s time the 18th century it was believed the sun was the centre of the universe ,now scientist know better.

Question 29

Modern science will look where for an explanation of an unprecedented event ?

Answer 29

Within the universe

Question 30

Criticism Hume’s second hand account gathering of miracles

Answer 30

Assumes no one ever first hand witnesses a miracle/ experiences one.
Evidence could be left e.g a healed man

Question 31

Why were the disciples scared when Jesus walked on water?

Answer 31

They knew things like that didn’t happen.people who see miracles are often educated and if not still understand miracles are out of the ordinary hence,it was arrogant of Hume to assume people who experience miracles are uneducated.

Question 32

What is Hume’s weakest point ?

Answer 32

Different miracles in different religions cancel each other out

Question 33

Why is Hume’s weakest point,Different miracles in different religions cancel each other out ?(2)

Answer 33

Possible that one religion is true and the other false,

Or that one religions miracles are done by God and the other the devil,

Question 34

Hume begs the question,what does this mean?

Answer 34

Assumes in advance what he’s trying to prove

Question 35

Highest rank of miracles according to Aquinas(1225-1274)

Answer 35

‘Miracles of the highest rank are those in which something is done by God that nature could never do ‘e.g Aquinas gave the example of the sun going backwards into the sky

Question 36

Aquinas’ second rank miracles

Answer 36

Miracles of the second rank are those in which God does something that nature could do,but not in that sequence or connection’. By this Aquinas meant that as walking is an act of nature ,but it is an act of God if someone who used a wheelchair should be able to walk again.

Question 37

Aquinas third rank miracles

Answer 37

A miracle of the third rank is something done by God ,which is usually done by operation of nature, but is done in this case without the working of natural principles,as when one is cured by divine power of a fever ,in itself naturally curable ,or when it rains without any working of the elements.

Question 38

Critique of Aquinas ways and examples of miracles

Answer 38

None of the definitions Aquinas gave seem to consider God’s purpose in carrying out the miracles -Swinburne considers these miracles to be entirely arbitrary. There appears to be little religious significance in them ,nothing about God’s nature.

Question 39

Biblical transgressions of natural laws are

Answer 39

Sui generis

Question 40

R.F Holland train line miracle

Answer 40

A child is trapped on a railway line with a train hurtling toward him. Suddenly the driver of the train has a heart attack which causes him to release the emergency stop button that automatically brings the train to a haunt two feel short of the child’

Question 41

Problem with R.F Holland example

Answer 41

Fictions events used to justify miracles. No commonly accepted natural law broken yet still a miracles. Unclear whether Holland proposes it was caused by God.

Question 42

Theists response to problem of evil

Answer 42

Human free choice,suffering is important for growth and development ,God limits himself so that the universe can operate normally

Question 43

Hume was arguing that is is always more reasonable

Answer 43

To reject extraordinary event as being contrary to the weight of human existence.

Question 44

Criticism against weakest of Hume’s argument against miracles

Answer 44

One could be true the other false,one committed by the devil others by God.