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Summary Science, Religion and Miracles (+ Prepared past paper questions)
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Science and MiraclesDavid Hume
Hume used probability to argue that there will always be more likely explanations
than those coming from religion when it comes to miracles
Scientific discoveries made the chances of miracles seem lower and lower – God was
just an answer to a question mankind had yet to find the true answer to
He also spoke of laws of nature, which we have discovered through science & which
are rarely broken
This however has been criticized greatly, such as by Swinburne who did not see laws
of nature in such a fixed light
Theists such as Swinburne have pointed out that Hume left very little room for
discovery which hinders his argument
For example, Albert Einstein’s law of general relativity replaced Newton’s laws of
physics which Hume would have learnt
Peter Atkins
A chemist who argues against miracles
Atkins suggested people seek publicity or are deluded or hallucinate etc. which is
why they believe in miracles
However, as pointed out by Swinburne when criticizing Hume’s subsidiary claims –
you cannot assume a person is unintelligent or foolish just because of their beliefs.
Richard Dawkins
People have strange & disturbing experiences, such as “dreaming of someone for the
first time & waking up to discover they are dead” – Russell Standard. Other
experiences might be great coincidence
Occasionally you would expect people to have coincidental experiences in life to
which they attach special significance
Examples of places such as Lourdes could be explained by the placebo effect. People
go to Lourdes believing they will be cured & are then cured
Not Ruling out Miracles
Many scientists acknowledge the possibility of God acting in the world somehow
Few scientists would speak of God violating laws of nature
But many would discuss God acting through natural laws
, John Polkinghorne
Intelligent life that can think about what it does has only existed for a few million
years, therefore if God only acts through people it implies God has been “an inactive
spectator” for most of history
If God works through people, he affects the way the physical processes of the world
work by affecting you
In unprecedented circumstance, it is entirely conceivable that God will act in totally
novel & unexpected ways – leaving the possibility of God intervening
Miracles within Religion:
Miracles are by definition acts of God and thus demand a religious response – i.e.
praise to God.
Miracles are sometimes seen as an answer to prayer – even Jesus is described as
praying before he raised Lazarus in order to show the bystanders that he works
through the power of God and not merely in his own strength. But prayer responses
do not necessarily break any natural law. – e.g. the attaining of a job.
Jesus was very wary of those who looked upon the miracles with wonder lust – and
instead, he urged them to look beyond signs and wonders.
John’s Gospel treats miracles as “semiea” or signs – the miracles are intended to be
as signposts to who God is and who Jesus is. The person is not called upon to gaze at
the sign but to look to whom it points.
Miracles are more often treated as secret and personal events in the Gospels – Jesus
often encourages the person on whom the act of healing is performed not to tell
anyone. What is more important is the act of spiritual healing rather than the
physical one.
Miracles may also be treated in a theological manner in the Gospels – as in John –
when the miracle itself is less important than the teaching which connects with it.
For example – it is more important that Jesus is the “Bread of Life” (John 6) than he
performs the miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand (John 5).
The appreciation and recognition of a miracle is an act of faith – some might be blind
to it while others will see and respond to it – as in the case of the man born blind in
John 9.
The simple philosophical response might be that God has intervened in the natural
order to bring about a beneficial end.
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