Miracles Flashcards
What is a miracle?
Something impossible
A violation of the laws of nature
An act of God
What does immanent mean?
God is active and involved in the world. proving that he cares for us
What does transcendent mean?
God is not involved in the world because He is outside if time and space. He is too complex for us to understand
Give an example of a miracle that broke the laws of nature
Jesus walking on water- breaking the laws of gravity
Give an example of a miracle that had been impossible before it happened
statues crying over the world
Give an example of a miracle that is an act of God
the parting of the red sea
Who do Muslims believe can perform miracles?
God only
For Christians who can perform miracles?
God only-however in the Bible Jesus performed miracles and he was a human
For Buddhists who can perform miracles?
Anyone who leads a holy life can learn to perform miracles
How does God show his is omnibenevolent?
by curing people at Lourdes
How does God show he is unfair?
by curing some people and not others
How does God show his is immanent?
By doing miracles
How does God show he is omniscient and omnipotent?
By doing miracles- not limited by scientific laws
An example of a miracle from a scripture
God parting the red sea in the Bible
An example of a miracle from history
Richard blessing the Droitwich salt pits after they had dried up
An example of a miracle from an experience
Faith healing- people who cannot be cured by a doctor seek cures from God e.g. Lourdes
An example of a miracle from a tradition
Buddhists believe the Buddha was able to calm a crazed elephant that was about to trample a baby.
Evidence for miracles? 4
They cant all be wrong
No scientific explanation
Miracles still occur today
Studies have proved the power of prayer to heal
What are Hume’s 4 arguments against miracles?
Never enough evidence
Witnesses are uneducated
Witnesses are unreliable
Religions depend on miracles
Explain Hume’s “religions depend on miracles”
Religions depend on miracles to explain their claims, they have become so dependent on the explanation of miracles
What does Hume mean when he says “witnesses are unreliable”?
Evidence for miracles are biased so cannot be trusted. People may exaggerate or lie about miracles because they want miracles to happen to back up their beliefs.
Explain Hume’s “witnesses are uneducated”
Miracles are reported by uneducated people, they are willing to accept the events as miracles because they cant explain them any other way. No knowledge of science
What does Hume mean when he says “there is never enough evidence”
There must be sufficient evidence to support miracles and there just isnt. e.g nobody appears in two places at once.
List 4 problems with Hume’s arguments
1) people are educated
2) events are researched and witnesses interviewed before it can be called a miracle
3) miracles are rare so the evidence will be slim
4) no dependence necessary as they only support beliefs
