Chapter 6:

Miracles

Pocket handbook of Christian apologetics (2003)

Peter Kreeft & Ronald Tacelli

Tuesday 29 November 2011

A miracle is

“a striking and

religiously significant

intervention of God in

the system of natural

causes”Tuesday 29 November 2011

1. The idea of miracles presupposes that nature is a self contained system of natural causes - only in that there are regularities can there be irregularities2. A miracle is not a contradiction - a man walking through a wall is a miracle, a man both walking through a wall and not walking through a wall at the same time is a contradiction - God performs miracles but not contradictions (which are meaningless)

Tuesday 29 November 2011

1. The idea of miracles presupposes that nature is a self contained system of natural causes - only in that there are regularities can there be irregularities2. A miracle is not a contradiction - a man walking through a wall is a miracle, a man both walking through a wall and not walking through a wall at the same time is a contradiction - God performs miracles but not contradictions (which are meaningless)

contradiction |ˌkäntrəˈdik sh ən|

* a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another

* a person, thing, or situation in which inconsistent elements are present

Tuesday 29 November 2011

1. The idea of miracles presupposes that nature is a self contained system of natural causes - only in that there are regularities can there be irregularities2. A miracle is not a contradiction - a man walking through a wall is a miracle, a man both walking through a wall and not walking through a wall at the same time is a contradiction - God performs miracles but not contradictions (which are meaningless)

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Two questions about miracles

Philosophical question - are miracles possible?Historical question - are miracles actual (do they happen)? This simply requires some historical knowledge and/or investigation, has it ever happened?The philospohical question is the one that apologists argue with people about - the possibility of miracles needs to be decided upon. People who do not believe in miracles usually have some form of argument which says miracles cannot happen.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

To believe miracles happen you have to believe in a miracle worker - you have to believe some form of God exists. Then we can say miracles are possible - although God might choose not to make this possibility a reality.Are God and the world both open to miracles happening?There is nothing in the nature of God that says he would not make a miracle happen - he is omnipotent and can do it, we cannot know a priori if he will though.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

To believe miracles happen you have to believe in a miracle worker - you have to believe some form of God exists. Then we can say miracles are possible - although God might choose not to make this possibility a reality.Are God and the world both open to miracles happening?There is nothing in the nature of God that says he would not make a miracle happen - he is omnipotent and can do it, we cannot know a priori if he will though.

a priori |ˈä prēˈôrē;

* relating to or denoting reasoning or knowledge that proceeds from theoretical deduction rather than from observation or experience

* in a way based on theoretical deduction rather than empirical observation

Tuesday 29 November 2011

To believe miracles happen you have to believe in a miracle worker - you have to believe some form of God exists. Then we can say miracles are possible - although God might choose not to make this possibility a reality.Are God and the world both open to miracles happening?There is nothing in the nature of God that says he would not make a miracle happen - he is omnipotent and can do it, we cannot know a priori if he will though.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Can we object to miracles from the position of nature - here we have already acknowledged that God created nature - if God can bring the world out of a Big Bang then he can add some smaller bangs of miracles! If nature is made by God for God - then he can do miracles.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Objections against miraclesAs apologists we have to consider what objections people might bring against miracles. This is not to be dealt with on an historical level, the people here are probably objecting on the basis of philosophical ideas not historical validity - in other words we are arguing on the level of possibility (or an argument that they are very improbable) - after all if they are impossible we do not need to consider historical “occurrences”.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Objections against miraclesAs apologists we have to consider what objections people might bring against miracles. This is not to be dealt with on an historical level, the people here are probably objecting on the basis of philosophical ideas not historical validity - in other words we are arguing on the level of possibility (or an argument that they are very improbable) - after all if they are impossible we do not need to consider historical “occurrences”.

We should remember that much of the

fundamental truth of the Christian faith is

based on “miracles” - incarnation,

resurrection, salvation, biblical inspiration...

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Objection #1

Miracles violate the principle of uniformity of natureReply: what is the uniformity of nature? Is this meant to suggest that only natural causes lead to events in the world - in which case it is like saying that “miracles violate the principle that miracles never happen”

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Objection #2

A miracle must by definition, violate some law of nature, and therefore must be a maximally improbable event. But then it is always more likely the event never really occurred as described (or remembered), or that it did not violate the laws of nature.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

A miracle does not violate the laws of nature in the same way the college principal does not violate college law by cancelling classes for a special event. A violation can only take place when an established order has to be upheld and someone refuse to do so.God has authority over the whole universe and so he cannot violate it (and would not feel guilt or embarrassment about it). In a miracle all God does is change the schedule for the day.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

A second response goes this way: why should miracles be considered maximally improbable?They are unusual but how do we know whether or not they are likely to occur? Such a conclusion only comes from already having decided that God does not exist or that he would never work a miracle.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Objection #3

How can we ever know it is God and not a mere god (or a demon) who is responsible for this or that striking intervention in the natural order of things?

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Context is important here - looking at the miracles of Jesus and the relationship he claimed to have with the Father, we come to three possible conclusions:1. Sincere lunatic2. Demonic fraud3. The Son of God, and therefore his deeds were in the fullest sense miracles.The three possibilities need to be considered in the light of the life, character and message of the one conveying the.

Tuesday 29 November 2011