Miracles.

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  • Created by: Jordan64
  • Created on: 28-06-17 19:50
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  • Miracles
    • The concept / meaning of a miracle
      • It must break the laws of nature
        • Events done by God, which nature could never do
        • Events done by God, which nature could do, but not in that order
        • Events done by God, which nature can do, but God does without the use of natural laws (e.g time scale)
          • Events done by God, which nature could do, but not in that order
    • Challenges to the existence of miracles
      • God's intervention
        • Present in every action: how can intervention take place?
        • Interventionist (occasional): morality of God questioned
          • Realist: Miracles only for faith believers
          • We may not understand God
        • World single act of God, miracles undermine laws of nature
        • God can't intervene; transendent
        • Compromises free will, key component for POE arguments
        • God sustains world but never acts in it
        • Anti-realist: Miracles help only believers understand God, can be symbolic
    • God's interaction in the world
      • Secondary actions where God works indirectly through human choices to bring about his will
      • God acting through human beings at particular times to bring about specific events
      • History being gradual unfolding of God's plan
      • Primary actions where God's specific interventions change events
      • God's sustaining activity (earth's continued dependence upon God)
  • Challenges to the existence of miracles
    • God's intervention
      • Present in every action: how can intervention take place?
      • Interventionist (occasional): morality of God questioned
        • Realist: Miracles only for faith believers
        • We may not understand God
      • World single act of God, miracles undermine laws of nature
      • God can't intervene; transendent
      • Compromises free will, key component for POE arguments
      • God sustains world but never acts in it
      • Anti-realist: Miracles help only believers understand God, can be symbolic
  • Hume
    • Miracle must outweigh all evidence against the natural law
    • Religious exclusivism - conflicting miracles
      • God may appear in form that theist can understand
    • Unreliable witnesses
      • Background of witness (learning, education)
        • Historical evidence can be used: our apparent memories, testimony of others, physical traces left
          • Tendency for belief in wonder or proof of God
          • Science based on these three types of evidence
        • Subjective (degree level?)
      • Tendency for belief in wonder or proof of God
  • Whole point of miracle is that it is an exception to the rule - could never establish miracle
    • Miracle must outweigh all evidence against the natural law
  • Time not same for God, doesn't harm him.
    • Doesn't undermine omnipotence - logically impossible to know future
  • Signs: miracles only for religious significance
    • What is the significance supposed to be? Different faiths
    • Miracles as events of religious significance

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