MIRACLES AND TRUSTING GOD

 
A miracle is what is not naturally possible. It is a supernatural occurrence - supposedly only what God can do.

But God can delegate this power.  No miracle says it came directly from God.

We should not read too much into any alleged miracle.  The more we claim to know about God, the less we know.

THE ARGUMENT

Religious traditions often present miracles as evidence for the truth of their claims. However, miracles alone cannot serve as reliable proof for the existence of God or the truth of a religion. The reason is simple: it is unclear what a miracle actually demonstrates. Miracles are reported events that seem to defy natural explanation, but their occurrence does not necessarily indicate divine involvement.

Religious authorities often argue that miracles validate their claims only after ruling out deception or error. Yet this assumes the reports themselves are trustworthy, without acknowledging that even when a report passes scrutiny, it does not guarantee divine origin. Belief in a miracle often relies more on trust in human witnesses than on trust in God, which introduces bias and undermines the claim that miracles are signs of divine action.

The fascination with miracles is a major driver of religious enthusiasm. Miracles—such as reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary, unexplained healings, or extraordinary events like the resurrection of Jesus—capture human imagination because they appear to challenge natural laws. Yet, historically and scientifically, the evidential value of miracles has been repeatedly questioned, and alternative explanations are continually proposed.

Trust and Authority

When religious followers accept a miracle based on a report from the Church or other authorities, they are effectively trusting the institution rather than God. Trusting a person or organization to convey God’s actions is not equivalent to trusting God directly. For example, believing that a healing at Lourdes is miraculous often requires trusting the diagnosing doctor and Church officials more than God Himself. This reliance on intermediaries shifts the focus from God to human judgment.

If God truly intended to communicate through miracles, those miracles would need to be directly observable and verifiable, not filtered through human testimony. Relying on reports allows for potential manipulation, error, or misrepresentation, meaning that miracles do not reliably confirm divine truth.

Miracles, Morality, and Faith

Miracles are often presented as evidence that God protects the righteous and responds to prayer. However, this framing can have harmful implications. If a miracle signifies divine favor, it implies that those who do not prosper or suffer misfortune may be punished by God. Such interpretations risk fostering judgment and hostility toward others, contradicting principles of fairness and compassion.

Furthermore, pursuing miracles as proof of divine power can indicate a lack of genuine trust in God. True faith, according to many religious teachings, should not depend on extraordinary signs. Miracles may encourage assumption rather than reasoned belief, leading individuals to rely on human intermediaries rather than cultivating direct understanding or relationship with God.

The Problem of Verification

Even when a reported miracle is witnessed, there is no guarantee that the event is divine in origin. The experience could have alternative explanations, such as psychological factors, coincidence, or deliberate misrepresentation. Treating a witness’s account as a definitive sign of God prioritizes human interpretation over divine truth, effectively creating an idol of the person reporting the miracle rather than recognizing God directly.

Conclusion

Miracles cannot be treated as reliable evidence for religious truth. They depend on human reporting and interpretation, which introduces bias, error, and potential manipulation. Miracles may inspire wonder or devotion, but they do not provide verifiable support for faith claims. Reliance on miracles as proof undermines critical thinking and directs attention away from direct engagement with moral, spiritual, or philosophical questions. True understanding and trust should not require extraordinary events but should arise from reasoned reflection, ethical behavior, and personal discernment.

Further Reading ~
A Christian Faith for Today, W Montgomery Watt, Routledge, London, 2002
Answers to Tough Questions, Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Scripture Press, Bucks, 1980
Apparitions, Healings and Weeping Madonnas, Lisa J Schwebel, Paulist Press, New York, 2004
A Summary of Christian Doctrine, Louis Berkhof, The Banner of Truth Trust, London, 1971
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 Case for Faith, Lee Strobel, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000
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