FOREWORD
Much of the world’s religious fervor and the harm it causes can be traced to fascination with miracles. People are emotionally drawn to them, often in a way that becomes addictive. This book seeks to address that issue. Miracles primarily appeal to those who fear a natural universe and wish to believe in a supernatural force that can intervene in it.
MIRACLES
What is a miracle? The word has multiple, often conflicting meanings.
A common definition describes a miracle as an event that violates the normal course of nature and is caused by a supernatural being. Religions often add that the miracle serves as evidence for the “correct” faith. In other words, miracles are deemed supernatural events because they supposedly operate outside the laws of nature.
But the term “supernatural” itself is problematic. It implies something outside reason and science, governed by unknown forces. Anything that operates according to physical laws cannot truly be supernatural or a divine sign.
For example, the Virgin Mary appearing to St. Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858 is considered a miracle. If it truly occurred, it defies natural explanation. However, calling it a miracle essentially asserts that something magical happened. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam condemn magic as evil, yet label some supernatural events as “miracles.” Changing the label does not change the underlying inconsistency.
IS EVERYTHING A MIRACLE?
Some claim that everything is a miracle, but this overextends the concept. It is akin to saying that every human action is spiritual. Such reasoning falls into circular logic: “Everything is a sign from God; therefore, God exists.” Conversely, one could just as easily argue, “Everything is a sign that God does not exist; therefore, God does not exist.” The point is that an overly broad definition makes the term meaningless.
WHY MIRACLES ARE A MEANINGLESS CONCEPT
Rationally, miracles cannot be coherently defined. There are several competing definitions:
Miracles are supernatural events that override natural laws because something has gone wrong, and God intervenes.
This implies a God who cannot create a universe that works correctly, which is illogical.
Miracles are exceptions to natural laws but not violations of them.
St. Augustine argued that miracles do not truly break natural laws; God merely acts according to laws unknown to us. This definition is internally consistent only for those who accept it, but it cannot be universally applied.
Miracles are suspensions of natural laws.
This is essentially the same as definition 2. A suspension of laws is still a violation because laws exist to be upheld.
All three definitions assume humans can know more than they actually do about nature, which is arrogant and misleading. Miracles claimed as divine signs often encourage self-deception.
Miracles are highly improbable, inexplicable events, often attributed to divine power.
This definition, offered by PJ McGrath, avoids claims of violating natural law. However, “inexplicable” does not mean “supernatural.” Many events once deemed inexplicable—lightning, disease cures—are now understood scientifically. Therefore, defining miracles as merely improbable events is unreliable.
This approach also raises inconsistencies: why must “divine” power be invoked rather than simply “unknown” or “supernatural” power? The definition is effectively a rewording of definitions 2 and 3, and it still relies on unverifiable claims.
THE PROBLEM OF OBSERVING MIRACLES
Some argue that if a miracle could be fully observed, it would cease to be supernatural. This is incorrect. Observation does not change the nature of an event; it merely clarifies it. However, no one can reliably detect or verify a supernatural cause. Even if someone claims the Virgin Mary appeared in a refrigerator, we cannot determine whether the experience was natural, psychological, or deceptive. Without clear evidence, alleged miracles remain ambiguous.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE DEFINITION PROBLEM
If God intended humans to rely on miracles as proof of divine truth, He would need to provide a clear, consistent definition. The Bible does not define miracles, nor has the Catholic Church or other religious authorities resolved this issue. Without a reliable definition, reports of miracles cannot confirm divine authority.
Belief in miracles thus becomes a matter of speculation rather than evidence. One cannot reasonably claim that miracles validate scripture or religious authority because the events themselves are undefined and unverifiable.
CONCLUSION
Using miracles as evidence for religious belief is logically flawed. When the definition of a miracle is unreasonable, the event cannot serve as evidence. Rejecting miracle claims is not dogmatic; it is a rational response based on the principles of reason and evidence. Belief in miracles encourages placing emotional desire above critical thinking, which undermines the pursuit of truth.
Hostility to miracle claims, far from being dogmatic, supports rational inquiry and prevents self-deception.
Further Reading ~
Answers to Tough Questions, Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Scripture Press,
Bucks, 1980
A Summary of Christian Doctrine, Louis Berkhof, The Banner of Truth Trust,
London, 1971
Believing in God, PJ McGrath, Wolfhound Press, Dublin, 1995
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Veritas, Dublin, 1995
Catholicism and Fundamentalism, Karl Keating, Ignatius Press, San Francisco,
1988
Enchiridion Symbolorum Et Definitionum, Heinrich Joseph Denzinger, Edited by A
Schonmetzer, Barcelona, 1963
Looking for a Miracle, Joe Nickell, Prometheus Books, New York, 1993
Miracles, Rev Ronald A Knox, Catholic Truth Society, London, 1937
Miracles in Dispute, Ernst and Marie-Luise Keller, SCM Press Ltd, London, 1969
Lourdes, Antonio Bernardo, A. Doucet Publications, Lourdes, 1987
Medjugorje, David Baldwin, Catholic Truth Society, London, 2002
Miraculous Divine Healing, Connie W Adams, Guardian of Truth Publications, KY,
undated
New Catholic Encyclopaedia, The Catholic University of America and the
McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc, Washington, District of Columbia, 1967
Raised From the Dead, Father Albert J Hebert SM, TAN, Illinois 1986
Science and the Paranormal, Edited by George O Abell and Barry Singer, Junction
Books, London, 1981
The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan, Headline, London, 1997
The Book of Miracles, Stuart Gordon, Headline, London, 1996
The Encyclopaedia of Unbelief Volume 1, Gordon Stein, Editor, Prometheus Books,
New York, 1985
The Hidden Power, Brian Inglis, Jonathan Cape, London, 1986
The Sceptical Occultist, Terry White, Century, London, 1994
The Stigmata and Modern Science, Rev Charles Carty, TAN, Illinois, 1974
Twenty Questions About Medjugorje, Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph.D. Pangaeus Press,
Dallas, 1999
Why People Believe Weird Things, Michael Shermer, Freeman, New York, 1997
THE WEB
The Problem of Competing Claims by Richard Carrier
www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/indef/4c.html