The argument from miracles (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note

What is a miracle?

• A miracle is usually defined as:

• An event is often described as a miracle if it follows certain criteria, including that it:

  • Goes beyond what is expected from nature or science

  • Cannot easily be explained by logic, evidence or natural processes

  • Often leads some people to believe that a higher power (such as God) is involved

• Miracles often have meaning attached

  • For example, they might happen at a crucial moment or affect someone deeply

• They are typically believed to have causes beyond nature and are often thought to be divine interventions or acts of God

• Miracles are very important because they go against the idea that everything in the universe follows natural laws

  • Many religious people see miracles as proof of a higher power or that there is more to reality than just science

• The idea of miracles divides people’s opinions:

  • This division often relates to whether someone takes a religious or scientific perspective on these events

  • Some people believe miracles show that reality is not limited to what can be seen or measured

  • Other people argue that calling something a miracle is just a way of expressing awe or ignorance and not actual proof of the supernatural

What are the main types of miracles?

• There are many different types of miracles, but they can be divided into certain categories

Healing miracles

• Some miracles are seen as healing miracles, which occur when someone is cured of an illness, injury or disability in a way that has no medical explanation

• Examples of healing miracles include:

  • Jesus healing the blind man (John 9)

  • People reporting cures at Lourdes, France (a Catholic pilgrimage site)

  • Sudden recovery from terminal illness without treatment

• When someone is healed with no medical explanation, it is often seen as a sign of divine compassion or intervention

Miracles over nature

• Certain miracles can be viewed as miracles over nature

• These occur when the natural world is controlled, altered or defied in a way that cannot be explained by science

• Examples of miracles over nature include:

  • Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35–41)

  • The parting of the Red Sea in the story of Moses (Exodus)

  • Water turning into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1–11)

• These types of miracles show God’s power over creation

Rescue/provision miracles

• Provision or rescue miracles are events in which someone is saved from danger or receives unexpected help at just the right time

• Examples of rescue miracles include:

  • Survivors being pulled from disasters against the odds

  • Food or resources arriving just in time during prayer or crisis

  • Jesus feeding the 5,000 (John 6:1–14)

• These miracles are often interpreted as divine protection or God answering people’s prayers

What is the argument from miracles?

• The argument from miracles claims that miracles are evidence that God exists because they are events that cannot be explained by science or natural laws

• The stages of the argument that these events prove the existence of God are as follows:

  • A miracle is something extraordinary that appears to break natural laws

  • If no natural explanation is possible, the cause must be supernatural

  • The best explanation for a supernatural cause is God

  • Therefore, God must exist

• Many Christians and Muslims believe miracles are:

  • Signs of God’s power and will

  • Evidence of divine revelation

  • Reinforcements of faith

• Arguments for miracles being evidence of the existence of God often use examples of miracles from religious texts, such as the resurrection of Jesus or the feeding of the 5,000, and more recent accounts of miraculous healings or events at holy sites

• There are many reasons why miracles are viewed as strong proof of God’s existence:

  • Miracles can be powerful personal experiences that reinforce the faith of believers

  • Many people claim to have witnessed or experienced miracles, which can be seen as evidence supporting the argument

  • Miracles are often central to religious narratives and faith traditions, giving the argument a strong foundation within religious frameworks

What are the objections to the argument from miracles?

• There are many objections to both the existence of miracles and the claim that they are proof of God

• David Hume was an 18th-century philosopher who strongly doubted miracles and argued that:

  • Because miracles break the laws of nature, they are the least likely explanation for an event

• Some people claim that if beliefs are based on evidence, natural explanations are always more likely than supernatural ones

  • People are often mistaken, biased or lying, especially about things they want to believe

• Many critics of the argument from miracles say that the accounts of the miracles come from unreliable testimonies:

  • They might argue that many miracle claims come from ancient texts or emotionally charged situations

  • They may doubt personal testimonies, which are often difficult to verify, influenced by emotion or religious bias and lacking scientific or independent evidence

    • An example might be an account of miraculous healing, but the illness could have been misdiagnosed or psychological rather than physical

• Some people argue that new scientific developments are always occurring, which may now account for historical miracles:

  • Events once seen as miraculous (such as illness recovery or weather events) now have natural explanations

  • This may also apply to events that can’t be explained now but may be explained in the future

  • Science is based on evidence and repeatability, while miracles are one-off events

• Other critics focus on the fact that there are contradictory claims across religions:

  • Different religions claim different miracles

  • Christians claim that miracles prove Jesus is divine, and Muslims see miracles as signs from Allah

  • These claims can’t all be right, so it is not possible to know which (if any) are true

    • This weakens the argument that miracles prove that any one God exists

• Finally, many people argue that miracles are simply coincidence or luck:

  • Some people believe miracles are simply extremely rare coincidences

  • Thus, some may interpret them as divine intervention when they are just unusual events

Christian responses to miracles

• Miracles are an important aspect of the Christian faith for many reasons:

  • Christians believe that miracles show God’s omnipotence and benevolence

  • There are many examples of miracles in both the Old and New Testaments

  • In the Gospels, Jesus performed healing miracles (the paralysed man), nature miracles (the calming of the storm) and raising from the dead miracles (Jairus’s daughter)

  • Acts of the Apostles records that healing miracles were a common feature of the early church:

• Miracles have taken place throughout the history of Christianity, especially at places of pilgrimage such as Lourdes in France, where there were seventy verified miracles between 1858 and 2018

Why are miracles significant in Christianity?

• Miracles are significant because they teach Christians about God and about the Christian faith

• Christians believe that:

  • Miracles show God’s power and His ability to intervene in the natural world

  • Through miracles, God can heal, transform and change circumstances, showing that He is almighty and sovereign

  • The many miracles performed by Jesus (such as healing the sick, raising the dead and turning water into wine) are proof that Jesus is not just a human teacher but also the Son of God

  • Miracles are seen as signs of Jesus’s divine authority and mission

• Miracles often strengthen the faith of Christians:

  • When people witness or experience miracles, it can deepen their trust in God’s love and power

• Miracles act as evidence for Christians that God is active and involved in the world today

• Miracles are often seen as a sign of God’s love and compassion for humanity:

  • For example, when Jesus healed the sick or raised people from the dead, it was an expression of His care for those who were suffering

• In the Bible, Jesus’s miracles are often linked to the coming of God’s Kingdom:

  • They show what life is like when God's rule is fully established and there is no suffering, disease or death

  • They are a glimpse of what the future will look like in the Kingdom of God

Miracles today

• Many Christians believe that miracles can still happen today:

  • This belief motivates some to pray for healing and miraculous signs in their communities or in missionary work

  • Miracles can serve as a tool for sharing the Christian message with others

Muslim responses to miracles

• Muslims accept the possibility of miracles but understand them in a way that reflects the power, will and knowledge of Allah

• A miracle is something extraordinary that can only happen by Allah’s will, not by human power or natural causes

• The Qur’an is regarded by Muslims as the greatest miracle of all. They believe that:

  • The Qur’an is Allah’s final revelation and the only miracle still present today

  • It is perfect, unchangeable and inimitable

  • It was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who was unlettered, making its content even more miraculous

Prophets and miracles

• Muslims believe that only prophets were given miracles (mu’jizat) to prove their truthfulness

• Examples of the miracles include:

  • Musa (Moses) parting the Red Sea

  • Isa (Jesus) healing the sick and raising the dead (but only with Allah’s permission)

  • Muhammad’s Night Journey (Isra and Mi’raj) — a miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and into the heavens

• The miracles are not performed by prophets themselves but through Allah’s power

The importance of miracles

• Miracles are important to Muslims because they demonstrate Allah’s will and power:

  • Miracles reveal Allah’s omnipotence

  • They are signs (ayah) meant to strengthen faith or support belief in the unseen

• Muslims believe they should not rely on miracles alone to have iman (faith):

  • The Qur’an and the teachings of the prophets are enough

Miracles today

• Many Muslims are cautious about modern claims of miracles:

  • This is especially true if the claims are not supported by the Qur’an or Hadith

  • Some Muslims accept miracles as signs, while others warn against exaggeration or false claims