The Argument from Miracles∗
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Understanding the Intelligent Design Creationist Movement: Its True Nature and Goals
UNDERSTANDING THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN CREATIONIST MOVEMENT: ITS TRUE NATURE AND GOALS A POSITION PAPER FROM THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY OFFICE OF PUBLIC POLICY AUTHOR: BARBARA FORREST, Ph.D. Reviewing Committee: Paul Kurtz, Ph.D.; Austin Dacey, Ph.D.; Stuart D. Jordan, Ph.D.; Ronald A. Lindsay, J. D., Ph.D.; John Shook, Ph.D.; Toni Van Pelt DATED: MAY 2007 ( AMENDED JULY 2007) Copyright © 2007 Center for Inquiry, Inc. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for noncommercial, educational purposes, provided that this notice appears on the reproduced materials, the full authoritative version is retained, and copies are not altered. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the Center for Inquiry, Inc. Table of Contents Section I. Introduction: What is at stake in the dispute over intelligent design?.................. 1 Section II. What is the intelligent design creationist movement? ........................................ 2 Section III. The historical and legal background of intelligent design creationism ................ 6 Epperson v. Arkansas (1968) ............................................................................ 6 McLean v. Arkansas (1982) .............................................................................. 6 Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) ............................................................................. 7 Section IV. The ID movement’s aims and strategy .............................................................. 9 The “Wedge Strategy” ..................................................................................... -
Intelligent Design, Abiogenesis, and Learning from History: Dennis R
Author Exchange Intelligent Design, Abiogenesis, and Learning from History: Dennis R. Venema A Reply to Meyer Dennis R. Venema Weizsäcker’s book The World View of Physics is still keeping me very busy. It has again brought home to me quite clearly how wrong it is to use God as a stop-gap for the incompleteness of our knowledge. If in fact the frontiers of knowledge are being pushed back (and that is bound to be the case), then God is being pushed back with them, and is therefore continually in retreat. We are to find God in what we know, not in what we don’t know; God wants us to realize his presence, not in unsolved problems but in those that are solved. Dietrich Bonhoeffer1 am thankful for this opportunity to nature, is the result of intelligence. More- reply to Stephen Meyer’s criticisms over, this assertion is proffered as the I 2 of my review of his book Signature logical basis for inferring design for the in the Cell (hereafter Signature). Meyer’s origin of biological information: if infor- critiques of my review fall into two gen- mation only ever arises from intelli- eral categories. First, he claims I mistook gence, then the mere presence of Signature for an argument against bio- information demonstrates design. A few logical evolution, rendering several of examples from Signature make the point my arguments superfluous. Secondly, easily: Meyer asserts that I have failed to refute … historical scientists can show that his thesis by not providing a “causally a presently acting cause must have adequate alternative explanation” for the been present in the past because the origin of life in that the few relevant cri- proposed candidate is the only known tiques I do provide are “deeply flawed.” cause of the effect in question. -
Do Miracles Occur?
Do Miracles Occur? Kenny Pearce Big Questions in Philosophy Trinity College Dublin February 2, 2021 Kenny Pearce (Big Questions) Do Miracles Occur? February 2, 2021 1 / 22 Ibrahim said: \. Fie upon you and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you then no sense?" They [the idolaters] said: \Burn him and help your gods, if you will be doing." We (Allah) said: \O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim!" And they wanted to harm him, but We made them the worst losers. (Quran 21:66{70) A young labourer [in Templemore] named James Walsh has had visions of the Blessed Virgin. Miraculous cures are also being reported, including that of a young girl named Crowe, who was in the last stage of consumption when she entered Dwan's house, but completely healed when she left it. (Century Ireland, 23 August 1920) Miracles Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back. and turned the sea into dry land. (Exodus 14:21) Kenny Pearce (Big Questions) Do Miracles Occur? February 2, 2021 2 / 22 A young labourer [in Templemore] named James Walsh has had visions of the Blessed Virgin. Miraculous cures are also being reported, including that of a young girl named Crowe, who was in the last stage of consumption when she entered Dwan's house, but completely healed when she left it. (Century Ireland, 23 August 1920) Miracles Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back. and turned the sea into dry land. -
The Price of God's Miracle Working Power 1 "The Disciple Is Not Above His Master, Nor the Servant Above His Lord"
THE PRICE OF GOD’S MIRACLE WORKING POWER A. A. ALLEN HopeFaithPrayer Blog www.hopefaithprayer.com Copy Freely THE PRICE OF GOD’S MIRACLE WORKING POWER CONTENTS FOREWORD....................................................................i THE PRICE OF GOD'S MIRACLE WORKING POWER 1 "THE DISCIPLE IS NOT ABOVE HIS MASTER, NOR THE SERVANT ABOVE HIS LORD"............................21 "THE DISCIPLE IS NOT ABOVE HIS MASTER: BUT EVERYONE THAT IS PERFECT SHALL BE AS HIS MASTER"......................................................................29 "BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT"............................42 CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE..............................................59 SELF DENIAL ...............................................................67 THE CROSS .................................................................78 “I MUST DECREASE” (John 3:30) ...............................84 "HE MUST INCREASE" (John 3:30).............................93 IDLE WORDS AND FOOLISH TALKING .....................98 PRESENT YOUR BODY ............................................108 A PARTAKER OF HIS DIVINE NATURE ...................113 PERSONAL THINGS..................................................118 DEATH CERTIFICATE ...............................................132 PROPHECY FROM THE 1950’s ................................133 THE PRICE OF GOD’S MIRACLE WORKING POWER i FOREWORD According to his death certificate Evangelist Asa Alonzo Allen died from acute alcoholism. This fact would cause some in the Christian community to forever banish from memory the accomplishments of this man of God. Did he sin in drinking himself to death? Obviously so. But in his death we should not forget the thousands who were saved, healed, and set free during the ministry of A. A. Allen. According to the Bible we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. But, we have not all been so mightily used of God as was Evangelist A. A. Allen. Also, in the light of the 9-11 attack on the United States, an included prophecy from A. -
0 It Comes from the Outside
How valid are visions? 0 They happen to an individual person 0 It comes from the outside 0 It isn't usually looked for by the person receiving it 0 A vision is startling and memorable 0 The "receiver" will want to tell others about it 0 Visions are hard to put into words 0 They only have meaning if they convey a deeper message 0 Visions could be the result of an overactive imagination - or drug or alcohol induced Find an example of a religious vision and explain what the vision was and why it is important Assessment question. "Visions are only important for the person who receives them." Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. I 25 Dreams are a series of thoughts, images and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. Many people forget their dreams. However there are some dreams which can make a deep impression on the person dreaming and, as with visions, they might give the dreamer new insights into reality and into God. Such dreams can give new direction to a person's life. For these dreams to be valid, they have to be free from any artificial stimulus, e.g. drugs! You are going to research 2 dreams and explain their meaning by answering the following questions: hlow valid are dreams? Name of Jacob's dream at Bethel Pharaoh's dream the dream Explain this dream How did God use this dream What affect did it have on the person 26 0 Dreams happen when a person is asleep 0 Most people forget their dreams but some leave a deep impression 0 Dreams might give new insights into reality and into God 0 People don't have control over their dreams 0 For dreams to be valid they have to be free from artificial stimulus Special Revelation: Enlightenment! Obiectives: Understand how enlightenment can help a believer deal with life and its pressures Evaluate the importance of enlightenment for believers and their faith ^ Task 1: Enlightenment is. -
Approaching Patients and Family Members Who Hope for a Miracle
Approaching Patients and Family Members Who Hope for a Miracle Eric Widera, M.D. Division of Geriatrics, UCSF Blog: geripal.org Twitter: @ewidera The lens of the provider The lens of the family The Case How It Plays Out In Real Life The Lung Mass It’s Bad The Mother: “Do Everything… I am hoping for a miracle” The Physician Fundamental Attribution Error Situational Reaction attribution Behavior Dispositional Reaction attribution Why would a reasonable, So Nowrational, What? and decent person do that? Paterson K et al. Crucial Confrontations. 2005 A Well Designed Question • Should be clear and focused describing: –a patient or clinical problem –the intervention or exposure –Relevant comparisons –and the outcome of interest Take a step back, why isn't a chaplain giving this talk? A Well Designed Question • Should be clear and focused describing: –a patient or clinical problem –the intervention or exposure –Relevant comparisons –and the outcome of interest 5 Questions Question 1 • Among the general public, what Is the prevalence of the belief in miracles or divine Intervention? Not an uncommon hope in general • 79% of US population believe that “miracles still occur as in ancient times” • Little difference based on age • Majority of respondents from every major religion and those unaffiliated with any religion agreed Religion among the millennials. Pew Research Center, -- 2010 A common hope in the context of health care? • Survey of 1006 adult Americans and 774 trauma professionals • A patient in PVS could be saved by a miracle • Divine intervention from God could save a person even if the physician told them “futility had been reached”. -
Summary the Purpose of the Dissertation Is to Present The
Summary The purpose of the dissertation is to present the abductive argument of Richard Swinburne in favor of theism. Richard Swinburne was born on December 26, 1934. He is a British philosopher, a retired professor of the University of Oxford, where he held the position of Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion (Oriel College). He has devoted all his philosophical activity to the justification of the Christian faith – he has intended to show that it is rational to believe in God. The main thesis of the dissertation is that Swinburne’s concept of theism does not remain consistent with the assumption that God is perfectly good. This inconsistence comes from the fact that human experience of suffering cannot be reconciled with God’s perfect goodness, especially assuming that God allows or causes the suffering. The structure of the work corresponds to the logical construction of Swinburne’s line of reasoning. The first chapter – Methodology of Philosophy – describes the main philosophical methods Swinburne uses in presenting his arguments. It is divided into two parts: the first one (Theory of Explanation) primarily presents the Swinburne’s construction of the concept of coherence, which is a prerequisite for considering any theory as probable or true. Moreover, this part discusses Swinburne’s dual explanatory theory, according to which two types of explanation are possible: (1) scientific, based on the analysis of unintentional causation, and (2) personal, based on the analysis of intentional causation. At the same time, Swinburne tries to show that it is not possible to explain certain phenomena in the world only by means of scientific explanation. -
The Argument from Miracles: a Cumulative Case for the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth
The Argument from Miracles: A Cumulative Case for the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth Introduction It is a curiosity of the history of ideas that the argument from miracles is today better known as the object of a famous attack than as a piece of reasoning in its own right. It was not always so. From Paul’s defense before Agrippa to the polemics of the orthodox against the deists at the heart of the Enlightenment, the argument from miracles was central to the discussion of the reasonableness of Christian belief, often supplemented by other considerations but rarely omitted by any responsible writer. But in the contemporary literature on the philosophy of religion it is not at all uncommon to find entire works that mention the positive argument from miracles only in passing or ignore it altogether. Part of the explanation for this dramatic change in emphasis is a shift that has taken place in the conception of philosophy and, in consequence, in the conception of the project of natural theology. What makes an argument distinctively philosophical under the new rubric is that it is substantially a priori, relying at most on facts that are common knowledge. This is not to say that such arguments must be crude. The level of technical sophistication required to work through some contemporary versions of the cosmological and teleological arguments is daunting. But their factual premises are not numerous and are often commonplaces that an educated nonspecialist can readily grasp – that something exists, that the universe had a beginning in time, that life as we know it could flourish only in an environment very much like our own, that some things that are not human artifacts have an appearance of having been designed. -
Intelligent Design Has No Place in the Science Curriculum by Harold Morowitz, Robert Hazen and James Trefil the Chronicle of Higher Eduction
Intelligent Design Has No Place in the Science Curriculum By Harold Morowitz, Robert Hazen and James Trefil The Chronicle of Higher Eduction Posted on Truthout 02 September 2005 Issue Volume 52, Issue 2, Page B6 Scientists who teach evolution sometimes feel as if they are trapped in an old horror film - the kind where the monster is killed repeatedly, only to come to life in a nastier form each time. Since the Scopes trial in 1925, the battle between scientists who want to teach mainstream biology in American public schools, and creationists who want to promulgate a more religious view, has gone through several cycles. In McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education in 1982, a federal court ruled that the introduction of creationism into public- school curricula constituted the establishment of religion, and hence was expressly forbidden by the First Amendment. That decision dealt a serious (though by no means fatal) blow to old-line creationism and its close cousin, so-called creation science. But another variant of creationism, so-called intelligent design, has cropped up. At least 19 states are now debating its use in public education, and President Bush commented in August that he thought both evolution and intelligent design "ought to be properly taught." Many people fail to understand the subtle but important differences between the new and old forms of creationism, and the different debates those approaches engender. Like the French generals who used tactics from World War I to face the Nazis in 1939, some educators seem intent on fighting the last war. A word about the authors of this essay: Although our areas of expertise differ, all of us have investigated aspects of life's origin and evolution. -
Beliefs in Miraculous Healings, Religiosity and Meaning in Life
Religions 2015, 6, 1113–1124; doi:10.3390/rel6031113 OPEN ACCESS religions ISSN 2077-1444 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Article Beliefs in Miraculous Healings, Religiosity and Meaning in Life Jakub Pawlikowski 1,*, Michał Wiechetek 2, Jarosław Sak 1 and Marek Jarosz 2 1 Department of Ethics and Human Philosophy, Medical University of Lublin, Aleje Racławickie 1, 20-950 Lublin, Poland; E-Mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Psychology, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Aleje Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin, Poland; E-Mails: [email protected] (M.W.); [email protected] (M.J.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-81-4486-850. Academic Editors: Arndt Büssing and René Hefti Received: 1 June 2015 / Accepted: 9 September 2015 / Published: 17 September 2015 Abstract: Throughout centuries, many interpretations of miraculous healings have been offered by philosophers, theologians, physicians and psychologists. Different approaches to miracles originate from the differences in understanding of causative factors, concepts of nature and the relationship between God and nature. Despite many skeptical arguments, a vast majority of people (approximately 70%) in modern Western societies share a belief in miracles and millions of sick people pilgrimage to sanctuaries seeking their occurrence. The aim of the research was to describe the social perception of miraculous healings, and the relationship between beliefs in miraculous healings, religiosity and meaning in life. A survey was conducted on a group of 178 respondents aged 18 to 30 (M = 21.5; SD = 2.31), 90% Catholics. The obtained results show that it is possible to describe the perception of miraculous healings in category of the essence of the causative factors (natural/supranatural) and definiteness (defined/undefined). -
THE QUESTION of GOD: an Introduction and Sourcebook
THE QUESTION OF GOD This important new text by a well-known author provides a lively and approachable introduction to the six great arguments for the existence of God. Requiring no specialist knowledge of philosophy, an important feature of The Question of God is the inclusion of a wealth of primary sources drawn from both classic and contemporary texts. With its combination of critical analysis and extensive extracts, this book will be particularly attractive to students and teachers of philosophy, religious studies and theology, at school or university level, who are looking for a text that offers a detailed and authoritative account of these famous arguments. • The Ontological Argument (sources: Anselm, Haight, Descartes, Kant, Findlay, Malcolm, Hick) • The Cosmological Argument (sources: Aquinas, Taylor, Hume, Kant) • The Argument from Design (sources: Paley, Hume, Darwin, Dawkins, Ward) • The Argument from Miracles (sources: Hume, Hambourger, Coleman, Flew, Swinburne, Diamond) • The Moral Argument (sources: Plato, Lewis, Kant, Rachels, Martin, Nielsen) • The Pragmatic Argument (sources: Pascal, Gracely, Stich, Penelhum, James, Moore). This user-friendly books also offers: • Revision questions to aid comprehension • Key reading for each chapter and an extensive bibliography • Illustrated biographies of key thinkers and their works • Marginal notes and summaries of arguments. Dr Michael Palmer was formerly a Teaching Fellow at McMaster University and Humbodlt Fellow at Marburg University. He has also taught at Marlborough College and Bristol University, and was for many years Head of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at The Manchester Grammar School. A widely read author, his Moral Problems (1991) has already established itself as a core text in schools and colleges. -
The Epistemology of Testimony
Pergamon Stud. His. Phil. Sci., Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 1-31, 1998 0 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved Printed in Great Britain 0039-3681/98 $19.004-0.00 The Epistemology of Testimony Peter Lipton * 1. Introduction Is there anything you know entirely off your own bat? Your knowledge depends pervasively on the word of others. Knowledge of events before you were born or outside your immediate neighborhood are the obvious cases, but your epistemic dependence on testimony goes far deeper that this. Mundane beliefs-such as that the earth is round or that you think with your brain-almost invariably depend on testimony, and even quite personal facts-such as your birthday or the identity of your biological parents--can only be known with the help of others. Science is no refuge from the ubiquity of testimony. At least most of the theories that a scientist accepts, she accepts because of what others say. The same goes for almost all the data, since she didn’t perform those experiments herself. Even in those experiments she did perform, she relied on testimony hand over fist: just think of all those labels on the chemicals. Even her personal observations may have depended on testimony, if observation is theory-laden, since those theories with which it is laden were themselves accepted on testimony. Even if observation were not theory-laden, the testimony-ladenness of knowledge should be beyond dispute. We live in a sea of assertions and little if any of our knowledge would exist without it. If the role of testimony in knowledge is so vast, why is its role in the history of epistemology so slight? Why doesn’t the philosophical canon sparkle with titles such as Meditations on Testimony, A Treatise Concerning Human Testimony, and Language, Truth and Testimony? The answer is unclear.