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PRE philosophy > Miracles > Flashcards

Miracles Flashcards

1
Q

what is a realsit?

A
  • real event caused by God

- miracles are evidence of Gods existence and of his care for the world

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2
Q

what are the 3 realist examples of miracles?

A
  • miracle as an extraordinary coincidence of a beneficial nature
  • an event bought about by the power of God/spiritual power
  • as a violation of natural law
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3
Q

whats an example of miracle as a coincidence?

A
  • gas explosion at West Side Baptist Church
  • would’ve killed the choir
  • but they were all late for different reasons
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4
Q

why is the realist definition of a miracle limited?

A
  • it only describes the event, it doesn’t make any claims about a supernatural power in the event
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5
Q

examples of a miracle as an event brought about by the power of God?

A
  • Bible contains numerous accounts of God acting through persons in this way
  • they invite belief in God and strengthen faith
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6
Q

a miracle as a violation of natural law?

A
  • Humes 3 parts to his definition:
  • a miracle as a transgression of a law of nature
  • an act of will
  • by the deity
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7
Q

problem with a miracle being a violation of natural law?

A
  • modern science simply doesn’t accept this understanding of natural law
  • doesn’t accept natural law can be violated
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8
Q

what does it mean by saying natural law is descriptive?

A
  • a law of nature cannot dictate what must happen
  • they sum up what we observe
  • they can’t be broken
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9
Q

if an event doesn’t conform to what scientific law predicts what are the possibilities?

A
  • evidence for that law is faulty
  • there’s an unknown factor, the law doesn’t take into account
  • the law is inadequate and needs to be adapted
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10
Q

what conclusion does Hick support with?

A
  • if there’s an exception to a law of nature, the law expands to include the exception
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11
Q

Hicks view if an event is currently seen as a miracle?

A
  • ‘god of the gaps’
  • what might currently be seen as miracles of healing will probably turn out to be brought about in a naturalistic way by some unknown power of human mind
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12
Q

why may natural laws be considered probabilistic?

A
  • they show what is likely to happen rather than what is going to happen
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13
Q

what is an anti-realist?

A
  • deny that we can have knowledge of a mind independent world
  • mind is our only means of understanding anything
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14
Q

what would an anti realist say about miracles?

A
  • the idea of miraculous intervention in this world by a transcendent God isn’t sensible
  • miracles are mental states or attitudes, understood in terms of pysch/socio
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15
Q

what does Paul Tillich say about miracles- as sign events?

A
  • miracles are sign events that cannot be divorced from their religious context
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16
Q

how does Tillich define a miracle?

A

“astonishing, unusual, shaking, without contradicting the rational structure of reality…points to the mystery of being…received as a sign event in an ecstatic experience”

17
Q

what does Tillichs definition of a miracle suggest?

A
  • has to be astonishing without breaking any law
  • point to the mystery of a being
  • has to be a sign/symbol
18
Q

what does R.F Holland say about miracles?

A
  • there is nothing miraculous about coincidence, expect the way they’re interpreted
19
Q

RF Hollands example?

A
  • child gets stuck on a train track in his toy car
  • driver of train can’t stop in time
  • brakes of train are applied
  • nothing supernatural, driver had fainted and applied brakes
20
Q

what makes RF Hollands account a miracle?

A
  • for the mother as its a beneficial coincidence which she interprets in a religious fashion
21
Q

whats Humes critique of miracles start with?

A
  • knowledge is based on sense experience

- the more evidence we have for an event, the higher its probability

22
Q

how does Hume define a miracle?

A

“a transgression of a law of nature by a particular violation of the deity, or by the interposition of some invisible agent”

23
Q

what does Hume believe as an empiricist?

A
  • all knowledge depend upon experience and that the laws of nature are therefore based on the maximum amount of uniform evidence
24
Q

what is Humes main inductive argument against miracles?

A
  • the more improbable the claim, the more reliable the witness needs to be
  • the most improbable event would be a violation of natural law
  • therefore, the reported event is maximally improbable
  • probability of witness lying or mistaken is always greater
25
Q

what is Humes supporting argument from psychology?

A
  • no witness account would convince us their not lying or mistaken
  • surprise and wonder from miracles is enough to make people of common sense less than sensible
26
Q

what is Humes overall complaint about miracles?

A
  • their part of the psychology of belief

- spiral of self delusion

27
Q

what are criticism from Wiles about miracles?

A
  • God doesn’t act in the world through miracles
  • If god acted in this interventionist way selectively, then
    he becomes morally responsible for not stopping evil
  • if God intervened to same some but not others, the problem of evil wouldn’t be solved
28
Q

instead what does Wiles argue?

A
  • should take anti-realist approach
  • Jesus engages in actions to prevent evil,
  • Jesus refuses to perform a miracle if there’s no - religious context
  • God doesn’t intervene from above to perform miracles
29
Q

what one miracle does Wiles suggest?

A
  • that of creation itself

- God creates the universe and leaves to work through its natural laws

30
Q

the value of miracles as faith- realist?

A
  • central miracle of the new testament is the resurrection of Jesus
  • this is the foundation of christian faith
31
Q

God intervenes providentially as a demonstration of power and love- realist?

A
  • God is believed to care for his creation

- God has both the power and love to act in this world

32
Q

miracles as actions of an all loving, all powerful God raises the problem of evil: realist

A
  • why an all powerful/loving God would allow evil

- why be so selective

33
Q

what is Wards answer to the problem of evil and miracles?

A
  • it has universal significance, discloses something of Gods intentions
  • sees God as ‘tinkering with his creation’
34
Q

miracles as a different understanding of religion:

anti-realist

A
  • Tillich- God is being itself
  • they’re sign events
  • profound personal and psychological significance
35
Q

Wiles- anti-realist

A
  • as events which reveal something of Gods intentions

- inspire to overcome evil and suffering

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