Miracles

Question 1

Humes first argument

Answer 1

-no such thing as a miracle
-no evidence for it
-accept that its true if its more illogical to think it is false

Question 2

Humes second argument

Answer 2

• those who claim to have witnessed a miracle will have a natural tendency to want to believe, making it subjective
  -you want people to see it as true

Question 3

Humes third argument

Answer 3

• most who claim to have witnessed miracles are uneducated and ignorant
• also only religious people receive these
• why are there no miracles for those who are intelligent/ atheist

Question 4

Humes fourth argument

Answer 4

• different religions have different set of beliefs
• they all contradict each other
  -they each claim to have their own religion
• impossible to establish any are valid

Question 5

Criticism against Hume (1st)

Answer 5

• first arguments argues that miracles and NML can’t co-exist
  —> the whole point of miracles is that they are exceptions to the norm

Question 6

Criticism against Hume (2nd)

Answer 6

• to say sufficient people need to witness it is a logical absurdity as there is no line as to when ‘sufficient people’ is
• who is more likely to lie, atheist or believer? the atheist because they do not believe there is a consequence

Question 7

hume

Answer 7

a miracle is a contradiction of the belief in G-d

Question 8

deist vs thesit

Answer 8

deist- G-d created the universe but is no longer involved, miracles don’t happen as there are set laws which are untampered with
theist- G-d is involved and miracles exist

Question 9

Bible

Answer 9

-genesis G-d bought a miraculous flood to punish the people of that generation
-later promised Abraham that his descendants will be G-ds chosen people for all time
-implied that G-d would ensure his descendants safety

Question 10

resurrection of the dead:

Answer 10

book of kings= Elijah and Elisha bring a child back to life
in Ezekiel, the prophet experiences a vision of the ‘dry bones’ of fallen Jews coming back to life

Question 11

contradiction of nature:

Answer 11

Moses staff was thrown into the ground and turned into a snake
Korach and his followers are swallowed by the earth

Question 12

miraculous healing

Answer 12

general Naaman is struck with leprosy, he follows Elisha’s advice and bathes 7 times in the river Jordan and is miraculously resorted to full heath

Question 13

theist

Answer 13

-miracles happen but they are tools by which G-d rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked
-however isn’t the suggestion of miracles a criticism against G-d?
-the need is a flaw in creation therefore if there is a flaw the world can’t have been made by a perfect G-d

Question 14

criticism of Hume’s second argument

Answer 14

• claims there has never been a sufficient number of witnesses
• how many is sufficient though?
• also argued a religious believer would subjectively want to believe a miracle
• a non believer would in the same way subjectively believe that what he was experiencing was not a miracle

Question 15

criticism of Hume’s third and fourth argument

Answer 15

• miracles come from those with lower intelligence
• in every other scenario, this argument would not stand as sound (law, lab etc)
• reliability of evidence considered not intelligence of witness

Question 16

Maurice Wiles

Answer 16

-rejects miracles on a moral ground
-G-d created the world with natural law
-even though He could choose to intervene He won’t because it contradicts the moral structure of the world