Believing in Miracles

Believing in Miracles

The issue of whether it is reasonable or not to believe in miracles

is a complex and divided matter. There are many varied opinions on

what a miracle actually is so each need to be assessed and a

reasonable evaluation given.

Starting with Hume, he defines it as ‘A transgression of a law of

nature brought about by a particular violation of the Deity.’ He would

also go as far to say that the Christian faith is closely linked with

miracles both when it started and today. Christianity is not

reasonable and this belief flies in the face of all understanding and

experience. Hume feels that miracles is the absolute last resort of

explanation for any happening, one must look at all possibilities

before coming to that particular conclusion.

Mel Thompson in “Teach Yourself Philosophy of Religion” sees Hume’s

ideas as a simplistic view on miracles based on an eighteenth century

view of the universe. He feels that miracles are a natural process,

speeded up and a natural event happening at just the right moment. He

refers to Aquinas who stated things could be miraculous because they

are thought to be impossible in nature. These events are unlikely to

have happened in a particular way in a particular time. Thompson

therefore concludes that miracles are a matter for interpretation.

David Hume, who argued that any claim of a miraculous event should be

measured against available evidence. As miracles are a violation of a

law by a supernatural being these laws of nature are based on past

human experience. It would therefore be reasonable to reject the claim

of a miracle because it would be contrary to human experience,

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...e of a miracle would surely count

as evidence to a person.

Maurice Wiles also makes his arguments against miracles, and God’s

action in the world would not be confined to certain instances. Rather

the “idea of a divine action should be in relation to the world as a

whole.”

There is therefore no single act of God applicable to an instance, but

a constant act of God applying to the world as a whole. Wiles

considers a God that interferes in the laws of nature to be arbitrary

– if God does intervene, why is there suffering in the world? Why does

God intervene where children are suffering?

It is on this note that having taking into account the various

arguments miracles do not occur as a God who performs such acts is

random, unknowable and not Omni – benevolent, therefore miracles

should not be believed in.