Miracles Definition

'That which has a divine cause. Not that whose cause a human person fails to understand'

3 types of Miracles

1. Events in which God does something which nature could never do. For example, the sun going back on its courtse across the sky

2. Events in which God does something which nature can do, but not in this order. For Example, someone living after death

3. Events in which God does something that the nature usually does, but without the operation of the principles of nature nature. For example, somne being instantly cured of an illness that usually takes much longer to recover from

Defines a miracle as a 'violation of natural law'

'a transgression of a law of nature by a paricular volition of the diety, or by the interposition of some invisible agent'

Had to have an event that broke the laws of nature btu also had to express divine cause

If miracles are a violation of what cannot be altered, then miracles are impossible

What appears to be a violation of a law of nature is a misunderstood law of nature

Hume was a empiricist - he believed that all knowledge is based on sense experience

Hard Interpretation -  laws of nature are unalterably uniform - view on laws would need to change to take into account the new circumstances and therefore it would not be a violation

Soft interpretation - natural laws not fixed but things can have exceptions - belief in miracles not about a logical impossibility but about whether or not the testimony is worthwhile

Contingency miracle

Didn't need a breaking of the laws of nature

'a remarkable and beneficial coincidence that is interpreted in a religoius way

Child on the train tracks - conductor has a heart attack - looks like a miracle - can be interpretated as a mircle but is not

A non religious person owuld describe the event as very lucky - despite it not breaking the laws of nature to a religious person it would be seen as a miracle

'Self contradictiory' - McKinnon

Swineburne's view on miracles - historical and scientific evidence gives weight to the existence of miracles

Flew commented that the reason that Hume rejects historical evidence is that hisorical evidence is often appealing to a singular past event

Miracles have to hold deepre significance than just breaking the laws of nature - natural laws as not fixed laws

Theology established probability that God would produce a miracle - a miracle happening in answer to a prayer as evidence - miracles as sings

'An occurance of a non-repeatble counter instance to a law of nature

Lourdes - deeper religious significance

Evidence in sacred writing and historical writing

Carl Becker argues that miracles cannot be the object of a historical investigation as it is supernatural in nature - however some religiions such as islam believes in the supernatural