Miracles

Question 1

What is a miracle?

Answer 1

Something impossible
A violation of the laws of nature
An act of God

Question 2

What does immanent mean?

Answer 2

God is active and involved in the world. proving that he cares for us

Question 3

What does transcendent mean?

Answer 3

God is not involved in the world because He is outside if time and space. He is too complex for us to understand

Question 4

Give an example of a miracle that broke the laws of nature

Answer 4

Jesus walking on water- breaking the laws of gravity

Question 5

Give an example of a miracle that had been impossible before it happened

Answer 5

statues crying over the world

Question 6

Give an example of a miracle that is an act of God

Answer 6

the parting of the red sea

Question 7

Who do Muslims believe can perform miracles?

Answer 7

God only

Question 8

For Christians who can perform miracles?

Answer 8

God only-however in the Bible Jesus performed miracles and he was a human

Question 9

For Buddhists who can perform miracles?

Answer 9

Anyone who leads a holy life can learn to perform miracles

Question 10

How does God show his is omnibenevolent?

Answer 10

by curing people at Lourdes

Question 11

How does God show he is unfair?

Answer 11

by curing some people and not others

Question 12

How does God show his is immanent?

Answer 12

By doing miracles

Question 13

How does God show he is omniscient and omnipotent?

Answer 13

By doing miracles- not limited by scientific laws

Question 14

An example of a miracle from a scripture

Answer 14

God parting the red sea in the Bible

Question 15

An example of a miracle from history

Answer 15

Richard blessing the Droitwich salt pits after they had dried up

Question 16

An example of a miracle from an experience

Answer 16

Faith healing- people who cannot be cured by a doctor seek cures from God e.g. Lourdes

Question 17

An example of a miracle from a tradition

Answer 17

Buddhists believe the Buddha was able to calm a crazed elephant that was about to trample a baby.

Question 18

Evidence for miracles? 4

Answer 18

They cant all be wrong
No scientific explanation
Miracles still occur today
Studies have proved the power of prayer to heal

Question 19

What are Hume’s 4 arguments against miracles?

Answer 19

Never enough evidence
Witnesses are uneducated
Witnesses are unreliable
Religions depend on miracles

Question 20

Explain Hume’s “religions depend on miracles”

Answer 20

Religions depend on miracles to explain their claims, they have become so dependent on the explanation of miracles

Question 21

What does Hume mean when he says “witnesses are unreliable”?

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

Explain Hume’s “witnesses are uneducated”

Answer 22

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

Question 23

What does Hume mean when he says “there is never enough evidence”

Answer 23

There must be sufficient evidence to support miracles and there just isnt. e.g nobody appears in two places at once.

Question 24

List 4 problems with Hume’s arguments

Answer 24

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