Miracles Flashcards
1
Q
What three things generally define a miracle?
A
- Something impossible
- A violation of the laws of nature
- An Act of God
2
Q
Define ‘Omnipotent’
A
All Powerful
3
Q
Define ‘Omniscient’
A
All Knowing
4
Q
Define ‘Omnibenevolent’
A
All Loving
5
Q
Define ‘Immanent’
A
God is active and involved in the world, proving that He cares for us.
6
Q
Define ‘Transcendant’
A
God is not involved in the world because He is outside of time and space. God is too complex for us to understand.
7
Q
Give four pieces of evidence for miracles.
A
- Scientific studies have proved the power of prayer to heal (1995 research on AIDs patients).
- Miracles still occur today.
- There are too many miracle stories for them all to be wrong.
- Miracles have been investigated and no scientific explanations have been found.
8
Q
What were Hume’s four arguments against miracles?
A
- Never enough evidence (“We have evidence from hundreds of years of research that the laws of science are correct. If miracles are to be accepted, there needs to be sufficient evidence to outweigh the evidence of the laws of nature.”)
- Witnesses are uneducated
- Witnesses are unreliable
- Religions depend on miracles (“Religions of the world depend on miracles to prove their claims to be true. But they cannot all be right, so none of them are right. Religions cancel each other out.
9
Q
State some problems with Hume’s four arguments against miracles.
A
- Never enough evidence - Believers state that Hume has missed the point as to what is meant by a miracle. It is something that breaks the laws of nature but is a rare occurrence.
- Witnesses are uneducated - Some miracles have been reported by people with high levels of education, and even scientists.
- Witnesses are unreliable - Events are thoroughly researched and witnesses interviewed before it can be called a miracle..
- Religions depend on miracles - Most religions don’t depend on miracles as proof of their teaching, they mostly just support the beliefs and teachings of the faith.
