Argument from miracles
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The argument from miracles is an argument for the existence of God relying on eyewitness testimony of the occurrence of miracles (usually taken to be physically impossible (or extremely improbable) events) to establish the active intervention of a supernatural being (or supernatural agents acting on behalf of that being). One example is the claims of some Christians that historical evidence proves that Jesus rose from the dead, and this can only be explained if God exists.
[edit] Criticisms
One of the most famous criticisms of the argument from miracles comes from David Hume. Apart from his central argument against the possibility of good grounds for belief in the occurrence of a miracle (see Of Miracles), Hume argued that every religion has its corpus of miracles. Without begging the question for or against any religion, the argument from miracles should lead to equal belief in all such religions; but religions contradict each other, so cannot all be true. Therefore, miracles cannot be used to demonstrate the truth of religion.
Although it is often argued that religions have become much less intolerant of each other since Hume's time, Hume's point does not concern tolerance, but doctrine. Christianity, for example, holds that salvation possible only through belief that Jesus was the Christ, while Hinduism neither accepts that Jesus had that status nor holds that Christian salvation is the proper aim of human beings.
[edit] References
- David Hume An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, L. A. Selby Bigge, ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902
- Richard Swinburne [ed.] Miracles. London: Collier Macmillan Publishers, 1989. ISBN 0-02-418731-3
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