diff understandings of miracles - break in natural law

what are 5 different understandings of miracles?

• break in natural law

• demythologising

• sign events

• coincidences

• creation as a continuous miraculous event

what is realism?

• binary view of reality

• perception not involved

• objective

examples of realist views of miracles

break in natural law

• HUME

• SWINBURNE

• AQUINAS

break in natural law

HUME - “a transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of the deity”

• ‘law of nature’ = happens in specific regularity in nature (e.g. gravity)

• by God’s will

e.g. parting of Red Sea, Jesus’ resurrection, healing miracles

how do AQUINAS and SWINBURNE develop on HUME?

• AQUINAS - includes beneficence

• SWINBURNE - must be a “deep ultimate purpose”

evidence for it being possible to break natural law

• omnipotent

• God of the Gaps

  • just fill him in when it’s something else?

• God = cause in esse / sustaining cause

  • if he can create laws, can break

evidence for it being impossible to break natural law

HICK

• haven’t fully understood natural law yet

  • could be exceptions

e.g. magnetism considered miracle until science discovered

arguments against break in natural law

• why some and not others?

  • only 70 miracles at Lourdes out of thousands who visit

• may contradicts freewill

Pindola

Mahayana

• one of Buddha’s disciples

• flew, performed miracles

• punished to stay in the world and repent 

  • banned from final nirvana

Buddha to Pindola

“my teaching uses morality to change others and compassion to save living beings”

3 miracles in kevatta sutra

• miracle of psychic power

• miracle of telepathy

• miracle of instruction

• Kevatta invites Buddha to display miraculous powers to show spiritual superiority

  • Buddha = supernatural powers not valid measure of spiritual development

  • can be falsified with charms and spells

Buddha quote about miracle of psuychic power / telepahty

“I am horrified, humiliated, and disgusted with the miracle of psychic power / telepathy”

• not ehipassiko

• wants people to experience themselves 

• faith shouldn’t be based on tricks

gombrich on miracles in buddhism

“miracles have little role to play in Buddhism” - GOMBRICH

miracles metaporical

• Buddha filling King Bibimsara’s plate of food = metaphor for having enough compassion for everyone

• Pali Canon being orally transmitted before being written down - mythical elements added later