Miracles today
Objectives
•To examine recent miracles
•Explore the importance of miracles for
Christians
Explain why some Christians might not
believe in miracles. (6 marks)
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•
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You could say:
Coincidences
Irrational
No evidence - unreliable
A good God would not perform miracles for some
people who need them and not for others.
• Because God created the universe and the laws
which govern it then He would not do things
which break his own laws.
Can you be a
Christian
without a
belief in God?
Newspaper Article
• Read the newspaper article and decide if a
miracle has occurred or not.
• Write a short explanation in your books
making sure you explain your reasons
• 33 Chilean miners rescued after spending 69 days
trapped underground have arrived home.
• I think that God was protecting us, he was protecting
me.
• Of his personal, remarkable journey, he said: "I think that now
I'm more human”.
'Starving yogi' astounds Indian
scientists
Questions…
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Is it a miracle?
How do we test for a miracle?
Is the report of this miracle reliable?
Are all miracles religious?
If it is a miracle; then the Holy Spirit works
within other faiths (according to some
Christians).
The Case for miracles
• A Christian may ask God for a miracle to help
them in a crisis: for example, when a loved one
is suffering an illness.
• Christians visit shrines and holy places in order
to experience God and be healed. These shrines
exist because miracles are reported to have
happened in these places.
- Knock in Ireland
- Lourdes in France
Miracles do happen today.
Homework!!!
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1.
2.
3.
Knock – in Ireland
Lourdes – in France
What are they?
Explain why they are famous?
An example of why they are famous.
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Then produce a revision guide/resources for
you to keep on the topic ‘Belief in Deity’.
Remember – exam in two years
•
To think about…
• Although many people have recovered from
illnesses after visiting Lourdes, the Roman
Catholic Church investigates each claim very
carefully and since the first ‘official’ cure on 1st
March 1858, only 66 cases have been
accepted as genuinely miraculous by the
Church.
Key Question:
Do people
believe in God
because of
miracles or do
people believe
in miracles
because of
their belief in
God?
The Case against miracles
Watch the 5 minutes video clip about Lourdes in
France by Richard Dawkins
Think
1.Is Richard Dawkins a Theist, an Agnostic or an
Atheist? How can you tell?
2.Why does he not believe in miracles?
3. Is something missing from Richard Dawkins’
view of miracles?
• If Miracles do Happen, What can they Prove?
• From what we have said so far, no reason has
been offered against the possibility of miracles
happening. Suppose, then, that a miracle were
to occur. What could we deduce from this?
• Richard Swinburne argues that a miracle
would point to the existence of agents other
than humans.
…….And finally
Key Question:
Do people believe in God
because of miracles or do
people believe in miracles
because of their belief in God?
Theist, Atheist, Agnostic
A miracle is an event where
God’s work becomes clearly
seen in a surprising or
mysterious way. Jesus did
many miracles during his
time on earth. The Bible
writers chose miracles to
illustrate that Jesus was God
and had power over nature,
over sickness and over
death.
(A
Christian
description of a miracle)
Miracles would be where God
breaks his own laws – like a
dead person coming alive
again. The Bible writers made
them up to try and convince
people about Jesus. I don’t
believe in God, and I think
miracles never happen – they
are impossible. (An atheist’s
reaction to the idea of a
miracle)
The Bible writers say that
they saw miracles, but they
were probably seeing what
they wanted to. The stories
have probably been
exaggerated, like legends. I
find the miracle stories
powerful, but they just
make me ask more
questions. (An agnostic’s
response to the miracle
stories)
Questions to answer…
1. What does the word ‘miracle’ mean?
2. If a miracle is God’s action in the world why does he
not do it all the time?
3. How do we test for a miracle?
4. Are reports of miracles reliable?
5. Why might some Christians not believe in miracles?
6. Do you think that the miracle stories are important
and add to the story of Jesus or do they just make it
harder to believe?
7. Why are miracles important to Christians? What
difference might they make to a Christians life?
Question
“The existence of miracles proves that
God exists” Do you agree? Give reasons
for your opinion showing that you have
considered another point of view.
• Personal experience
• A sign that God exists
• Helpful in times of
trouble
• Jesus rose from the dead
• There are lots of examples
of other miracles in the
Bible.
Some people believe
that miracles prove the
existence of God
because……
Other people may
disagree because……..
A Christian would think
……………. because……..
I think……………..
because……………..
• Perhaps the eye
witness made a
mistake
• Science
• Tricks and magic
6 mark question…
Explain why some might not Christians believe
in miracles.
(Point and explanation x3…).
David Hume ( 1711 to 1776) on Miracles
A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and
unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a
miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument
from experience can possibly be imagined. Why is it more than
probable, that all men must die; that lead cannot, of itself, remain
suspended in the air; that fire consumes wood, and is extinguished by
water; unless it be, that these events are found agreeable to the laws
of nature, and there is required a violation of these laws, or in other
words, a miracle to prevent them? Nothing is esteemed a miracle, if it
ever happen in the common course of nature. It is no miracle that a
man, seemingly in good health, should die on a sudden: because such a
kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has yet been
frequently observed to happen. But it is a miracle, that a dead man
should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age
or country. There must, therefore, be a uniform experience against
every miraculous event, otherwise the event would not merit that
appellation....