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Questions tagged [miracles]

A miracle is an event attributed to a supernatural agent even if there is a naturalistic explanation for the event.

The following are some sources for information on miracles.

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What should a rational person accept as a miracle?

I was reading through this collection of short essays from theologians, scientists and thinkers each responding to the question "Does the Universe have a purpose?" which was suggested to me in a response to my question here on the purpose of the…
Saeed Neamati
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Is watching an amputated limb regrow proof of the supernatural?

A typical challenge skeptics present when confronted with claims of alleged miracles is "why won't God Heal amputees?". But, would that do the job? Consider the following thought experiment: Let's suppose that God grants the miracle and multiple…
user48437
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What is a miracle, and why should it influence our metaphysical beliefs?

There's a question on this site regarding what a rational person should accept as a miracle, but the question and its answers seem to take the definition and categorization (as well as consequence) of a 'miracle' for granted. Hume defined a miracle…
That Guy
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Are miracles compatible with our belief in empirical predictions?

I read the SEP entry on miracles a while ago and plan to take a shot at Hume's Of Miracles soon. Before I get started - I cannot understand how miracles even make sense. Here's my thinking so far: Premise: Our best predictions state some empirical…
user6917
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Can a zero prior probability for some theories be justified?

Let us assume the case of psychics and call the hypothesis of a “psychic explanation” H. Bayesian theory tells you to never assign a prior of zero. This is because if P(H) = 0, then no amount of observations can make that hypothesis likely as an…
thinkingman
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What is the point of prayer for theological rationalists?

Of course, there are psychological aspects, you can unify a community or concentrate on your life goals. I feel like Christians try to do something like that when they say that prayer should be a dialog. The thing is, those things can be obtained by…
Probably
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Does Alvin Plantinga's solution to the problem of divine action entail a total denial of the applicability of Newtonian physics to the world?

Alvin Plantinga offers at least two major solutions to the problem of divine action; that physical laws of the Newtonian sort are (often implicitly) qualified to apply only to causally closed systems, and that quantum physics has overtaken Newtonian…
user22111
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God's paradoxes and their implications

Possible Duplicate: Is the definition of God consistent? As many of you, I've come across a few paradoxes of all sorts, from logic to math, linguistics and so forth. Some of such involve God or, at least, what Western Philosophy attributes to it.…
Bob
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Can we assign probabilities to God and is the argument from improbability from Dawkins valid?

Dawkins essentially argues that if one observes some event that seems to be designed because it seems very improbable to have occurred, positing God as a hypothesis doesn't make sense, since God is more complex, and given His nature, He seems to be…
thinkingman
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Why do we need repetitive demonstration to accept miracles happening?

From the highest upvoted answer on Is any aspect of the supernatural testable? What level of proof is possible for the supernatural?: However, you are probably wasting your time on the various hobgoblins and eerie powers you list. We do not see…
gaazkam
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Is getting 100 Heads in a row from a fair coin a miracle or not?

Suppose a man continues to toss a coin until he gets 100 heads in a row. Suppose the outcomes of all tosses from the 9999901th toss to the 10 millionth toss are all heads and 100 heads in a row didn't happen before this. Now, if someone went back in…
Ryder Rude
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Is the idea of the word of God a means to understand human nature, and prayer?

The idea may sound stupidly ridiculous, but I wonder, can the word of God (Christ?) be read as an allegory on how it is that prayer works. If you see John 1:1-3 it says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was…
user28117
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What was Spinoza's take on miracles: what are they are why think they do occur?

What was Spinoza's take on miracles: what are they are why think they do occur? I'm asking because I want to find out and this could, conceivably, be the easiest way. I've read a chapter or two of something by him, and backed off because it seemed…
user35983
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How does the success of science offer an objection to religious miracles?

I see today many newspaper columnists etc. say that atheism is a faith as much as any religious one. But surely (I say to myself) the success of science makes any religious claim about a supposed miracle, highly questionable. I'm not asking whether…
user6917
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Is there something a little artificial about 'miracles'?

A miracle is something that is currently inexplicable by the laws of nature: statues crying blood; the resurrection of the dead; turning water into wine; etc.. Suppose I can accurately guess the lottery each weekend (I can't), and do so each weekend…
user65758
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