Miracles Do Not Exist—Period!
James A. Worrell
“The supernatural does not esist.” — Camille Flammarion (1843-1925) French Astronomer—
“Those who wish to seek out the cause of miracles, and to understand the things of nature as philosophers, and not to stare at them in astonishment like fools, are soon considered heretical and impious, and proclaimed as such by those whom the mob adores as the interpreters of nature and the gods. For these men know that, once ignorance is put aside, that wonderment would be taken away, which is why their authority is preserved.” —Baruch Spinoza, Ethics (1677)—
“The figures are shocking. Three quarters of the American population literally believe in religious miracles. The numbers who believe in the devil, in resurrection, in God doing this and that—it’s astonishing. These numbers aren’t duplicated anywhere else in the industrial world. You’d have to maybe go to mosques in Iran or do a poll among old ladies in Sicily to get numbers like this. Yet this is the American population.” —Noam Chomsky (1928-) American Linguist, MIT Professor —
A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of divine intervention by a supernatural being in the universe by which the ordinary operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or even modified. The term is derived from the Latin word miraculum meaning “something wonderful”. (Definition from Wikipedia)
There are events that happen in the world that are unexplainable because our wealth of knowledge is at present insufficient to explain the causes. Because we are unable to explain the cause or the process, some people are quick to call it a miracle. This simple solution gives credence to the belief in a supernatural power or god.
Most people are uneducated about the forces, laws and dynamics of nature. If we drive our car, the engine pistons are pushed by expanding gas, and it is propelled forward by sending power to a gearbox that turns the wheels. The car is held to the earth by gravity and speed is a compromise between force and resistance. We don’t usually think of these natural things in the way they affect our everyday lives. Because most of us are not scientifically inclined, or have had our brains hijacked by an ignoramus or a religious quack when we were about five-years old, we tend to cop out to things we don’t understand instead of reserving judgment until further investigation is made.
The mystery (read miracle) of how the Universe and life were created also gives cause for insecurity and uncertainty, yet religious people solve this complex mystery by creating another mystery. They say that God created everything from nothing (ex nihilo). This is a cop-out because there is absolutely no credible evidence to prove there is a god, much less that a god created life and the Universe.
When an event happens the cause of which is unexplainable, it is impossible to prove that it did not happen by natural means. Those who believe in miracles are willing to accept the impossible and ignore the possible.
Today, most people know that rain is a natural phenomena. However, in a drought stricken area, a preacher prays for rain, and within 30 minutes it begins to rain. How can anyone prove that the rain happened due to a supernatural cause? It is interesting to see religious, god-fearing farmers pay to seed the clouds with silver nitrate in hopes of making it rain. I’d say that was abandoning God and relying on science.
A recent drought in the state of Georgia brought about a public prayer by the governor. Within 24 hours it began to rain. It usually rains after a drought, but forget the natural. The gullible and those seeking evidence to prove their belief in a higher power will immediately label the rain as a miracle.
The best way to confront miracle nonsense is to ask the miracle believer to define a miracle. Their definition must not include any natural causes for a so-called miraculous event. If they do include any natural causes, then it cannot be deemed a miracle. Next, ask them to prove why it is impossible for the event (miracle) to have occurred naturally. They cannot do this. If they cannot explain or distinguish between rainfall that occurred naturally and rainfall that occurred due to supernatural intervention, then their logic and reason are defective.
As an aside here, I marvel at the audacious egos of those who believe in God, and then pray for God to intervene in the workings of nature, and asking God to suspend the laws of physics or meddle in human affairs, just to give them what they ask for in prayer. People like that think they are really special.
Belief (or faith) without facts proves nothing. Always keep in mind that proof is the result of evidence, and that the cause of events labeled as miracles is usually not knowable. Simply stated, there is absolutely no evidence of a supernatural power, whether you call it God, Allah, Yahweh or something else.
Certainly there are many events that are unexplainable, but that, in and of itself, does not mean or prove the event was caused by a supernatural power.
Here is a paradox for religious miracle believers. Since all religions claim their god can cause miraculous events, it would follow that the Christian god was causing the so-called miraculous healing at Lourdes, France. The paradox is how does a Christian explain the miracles caused by the gods of other religions?
Among the more idiotic miracles in the Bible is the story of the flood. It rained so much; it covered the whole earth in forty days and nights. Since Mount Everest is the highest place in the world and is 29,000 feet high, it would have to rain 750 feet a day; or 30.2 feet an hour; or five feet every ten minutes; or six-inches a minute. Just imagine it pouring six inches of rain every minute for forty straight days and nights. No person on earth has ever experienced such a deluge. Do you believe it happened? Well, just one simple question will throw the whole Noah and his Ark story into the lie box. The question is, “Just how did Noah find penguins, polar bears and kangaroos in Palestine? “The story is pure fiction as are the other miracle stories in the Bible.
CHRISTIAN MIRACLES The following is only a small example of the alleged miracles.
OLD TESTAMENT
Creation (Gen.1)
Lot’s wife turning to salt (Gen. 19:26)
Opening of Rachael’s womb (Gen. 30:22)
Flaming bush (Ex. 3:2)
Transformation of Moses’ rod into a serpent (Ex. 4;3, 4, 30;7 10, 12)
God turns the Nile river into blood (Ex. 7:17)
Passage of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:22)
Manna from heaven ( Ex. 16:4-31)
Quails (Ex. 16:13)
Scourge of serpents (Num. 21: 6-9)
Balaam’s ass speaks (Num. 22:23-30)
Sun and moon stand still (Josh. 10:12-14)
Elijah fed by ravens (1 Kings 17:6)
Elijah’s translation to heaven on a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11)
Dead man restored to life (2 Kings 13-21)
The sun goes backwards 10 degrees as a sign to Hezekiah (2 Kings 2-:11)
NEW TESTAMENT
The incarnation of Jesus (Matt. 1:18-25)
Water made into wine (St. John 4:46-54
Draught of fishes (Luke 5:1-11)
Heals Peter’s mother-in-law (Matt. 8:14)
Cleanses the leper (Mark 1:40)
Heals the paralytic (Luke 5:17-16)
Healing of the impotent man (St. John 5; 1-16)
Restoring the withered hand (Mark 3:1-5)
Restores the centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:5-13)
Raises the widow’s son to life (Luke:7:11-16)
Stills the tempest (Matt. 8:23-27)
Casts devils out of two men of Gadara (Matt. 8:28-34)
Raises Jarius’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:22-24)
Cures the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48)
Restores two blind men to sight (Matt. 9:27-31)
Feeds five thousand people (Matt. 14:15-21)
Walks on the sea (Mark 7:15-21)
Heals daughter of Syrosphenician woman (Matt. 15:21-28)
Feeds four thousand people (Mark 8:1-9)
Restores one deaf and dumb (Mark 7:31-27)
Restores a blind man (Mark 8:22-26)
Restores a lunatic child (Matt. 17:14-21)
Tribute money obtained from a fish’s mouth (Matt.16:24-27)
Restores ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
Opens eyes of man born blind (St. John 11:1-36)
Raises Lazarus from the dead (St. John 11:1-36)
Heals woman with spirit of infirmity (Luke (13:10-17)
Cures a man with dropsy (Luke 14:1-6)
Restores two blind men near Jericho (Matt. 20:29-34)
Heals ear of Malchus (Luke 22:49-51)
Second draught of fishes (St. John 21:6)
There were also many alleged miracles performed by the disciples including raising people from the dead. Interestingly, there is no proof of any of the above alleged miracles simply because there is no evidence that they happened.
When confronted with a report of a miracle, we must first question the credibility and reliability of the source. I cannot emphasize this too much. Next we review any evidence of the miracle. Also the alleged miracle can be compared with the possibility of such an event happening in the course of human experience.
First, take the alleged miracle of creation. The only source of this information is the Bible’s Book of Genesis. That is the source. Next we check the credibility of Genesis. Since no one knows who wrote the Book of Genesis, it is not possible to check the writer’s credibility, nor is it possible to check the writer’s reliability. Credibility deals with the source’s truthfulness. Reliability deals with how the reporter of the miracle got his information; whether he was in a position to observe the purported miracle; his physical ability to observe; whether there were other witnesses; whether there was any corroborating evidence of the miracle; whether the source recorded the event in some manner or relied solely on his or her memory. Reliability simply is asking the question of the source, “How do you know?” Those are only a few of the questions we must determine about the source, but if you check these questions, chances are great that you will be able to determine the credibility and reliability of the source.
In the alleged miracle of the creation, there were no witnesses and no evidence that God created the Universe and mankind; therefore the proof fails as the credibility and reliability of the reporter is unknown.
Oh, you say, God was there and he was the witness. Again, I say to you, “How do you know God was there?” Because you say, “The Bible says so in the Book of Genesis.” Well, your proof fails because you (1) cannot prove there is a God, and (2) your information comes from the writer of Genesis who, like you, was not there and has already been proven to be unreliable. Your argument is like “circular reasoning.” Circular reasoning is an attempt to support a statement by simply repeating the statement in different or stronger terms. In this fallacy, the reason given is nothing more than the restatement of the conclusion that poses as the reason for the conclusion.To say, “you should exercise because it’s good for you,” is really saying, “You should exercise because you should exercise.” Or in your case, “God created the Universe because the Bible says so and the Bible is true because the Bible says it is inspired by God.”
It shares much with the false authority fallacy because we accept these statements based solely on the fact that someone else claims it to be so. Often, we feel we can trust another person or writing so much that we often accept his or its claims without testing the logic. This is called blind trust, and it is very dangerous. We might as well just talk in circles. By citing the Book of Genesis as your proof that God created the Universe and mankind is the use of a false authority for your argument.
Now, how does the creation miracle comport with modern day knowledge? We know for a fact that the Universe is expanding and that it is approximately 4.6 billion years old. Rather than take space showing what modern science has discovered, I suggest the reader go to Wikipedia and read “Formation and Evolution of the Solar System.” There you will find a wealth of scientific investigation based on empirical evidence rather the simplification of the first eight words of Genesis, to-wit: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” That is nothing more than a self-serving statement lacking any evidence whatsoever. If you say the “Big Bang” is a theory, then I say the biblical story of creation is a myth.
The biblical reports of the miracles of Jesus are equally false. Since all of the reported miracles are not something done by anyone in this day and time, they require examination.
First, what is the source of the reports? Allegedly they are reported by eyewitnesses, i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Even though the gospels were written by them, we have no positive proof of that. Just because a gospel is named “Matthew” does not prove that it was written by Matthew or not re-written by many authors later on. Further, the gospels were written decades after the alleged miracles. So how good is the memory after 50-60 years?
We must examine the fact that these alleged miracles were impossible for anyone to perform unless he was a god or had supernatural powers. All the said miracles defy the laws of nature. With so many miracles one must ask why they were not recorded by any historian or any other person. There is no independent corroboration for these so-called miracles.
Proof of the Jesus miracles fails because the reporters are unknown, and there is no other independent corroboration of the events. The disciples were followers and had every reason to promote their beliefs. They were advocates for Jesus and when one has a personal interest in a story, it colors their judgment. They could hardy be said to be neutral as Jesus had promised them an eternity of bliss.
A word about probabilities, when a person is confronted with a report of miraculous events, the person uses his own experience to determine whether the story is probably true or not. This is the method of our jury system. When you have 12 jurors, they weigh the veracity of the evidence in light of their personal lifetime experiences. If a witness starts to lie, the jurors are quick to catch it. As an example, if a man is on trial for assault and battery, and he swears that demons made him do it, the jury will not believe him. This is simply because no juror has ever seen a demon. Yet, Christians believe in demons because the Bible says so. Nutty, absolutely nutty!
Probabilities are simply weighing the facts on what we know to be true in our own minds. If we are religious, we have been raised to believe in many absurdities. Religion teaches its followers that we live after death—no evidence of such; that there exist creatures as angels, devils, demons and other heavenly beings—no evidence of such; that there is a god who counts the hairs in our heads and is concerned every time we touch our sex organs—no such evidence exists; and on and on. Religious people have had their minds polluted by religion to the point that they believe very ridiculous things, things that a rational person can easily determine are not true.
As Sam Harris says in his book, The End of Faith, “The spirit of mutual inquiry is the very antithesis of religious faith.” Religious dogma does not allow for dissent, free inquiry or rationality, it demands strict mental and physical adherence. Religion is mind control. This is a fact and don’t forget it.
An illustration of this is also in Sam’s book. If a friend told you your wife was cheating on you, you would demand evidence, yet, on the night-stand beside your bed is a copy of the Bible, and you accept its preposterous claims without demanding any proof whatsoever.
A point being made here is that we are not perfect judges of evidence. Because of our imperfect judgment, that is why courts have rules of evidence. The rules are designed to make sure only relevant, competent and material evidence is considered by a jury.
David Hume (1711-1776), Scottish philosopher, stated that miracles are never believable because the possibility of a miracle having actually happened is always lower than the possibility either that the reporter is mistaken or is lying. We should always assume that one of the two later options is more likely true.
In a church in the country of Mexico, a statue of the Virgin Mary began to bleed fresh blood. The outcry from the Catholic parishioners was that it was a miracle—a sign from the Virgin Mary. The so-called miracle was easily vanquished when someone discovered a pigeon that had been wounded by a hunter. The poor pigeon had landed in the belfry and its blood had seeped down and was dripping on the statue of Mary. That was the end of that miracle.
Recently in Chicago, the El, and elevated train that runs on rails supported by concrete forms was the site of a miracle. Naturally, the rails and iron bolts had rusted over the years. Rain and moisture had washed the rust down the side of the concrete leaving a rust-stained image. Passersby thought the rust stain looked like the face of Jesus. It wasn’t long before the gullible and unthinking were lighting candles and praying before the rusty image.
What is wrong with this miracle? Rust makes stains; that is natural. No person on earth has ever seen Jesus. There are no photographs or paintings made of Jesus while alive. So how could anyone say this rust stain resembled the face of Jesus? There have been artistic renditions of Jesus, but they are just guesses. Ironically, most of the painted faces of Jesus make him look like an Anglo-Saxon with blue eyes. Jesus, if he ever existed, was a Jew, and in all probability had brown eyes. There we go again with probabilities. It is easy to see that the religiously trained dummies don’t use their minds and are quick to see a miracle in everything they don’t understand. It is sad, but true.
There is no supernatural (and no god). There is only our natural world. What we can’t explain may be explained in the future as our knowledge increases. Here are a couple of examples:
In the Dark Ages, the plague killed a large portion of the European population. The Catholic Church proclaimed it the will of God because we were sinners. However, science discovered the germ theory, viruses, etc., and we learned how to vaccinate ourselves against disease. Score one for science and one against religion.
Faith healers are preachers that claim they can heal people as they are endowed the power of Jesus. Having watched television shows of those claiming miraculous cures by faith healers and prayer, I have never seen the healing of a lost arm or leg, or the replacement of a lost eyeball. If these fakers are for real, why aren’t they at a Veterans’ Administration hospitals healing the many wounded veterans of the Iraq war?
On what scriptural basis do the fakers claim to heal? It is because of what Jesus said in St. John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father.”
Words have meaning. Clearly stated words don’t need interpretation or apologetics to explain them. Jesus was very clear. All you have to do is believe on (in) Jesus and you can perform greater miracles than Jesus did. You don’t ever have to pray. Can any rational or sane person believe these words? Jesus lied. Show me a person that believes these words spoken by Jesus and I’ll show you an idiot.
This is one of the leading lies in the Bible, because (1), it can be verified that it doesn’t work, and (2) believers cannot perform any of the miracles Jesus allegedly did. So why are the faithful still believing the false promises of Jesus? It is because people have a fear of death and are filled with wishful thinking. Wishful thinking is nothing more than hoping for the impossible—because miracles are impossible.
Presumed miracles are favored by religious leaders because it preserves the awe of the unknown and incidentally keeps them in riches. The laity loves believing in miracles because the miracles give them hope that there is a supernatural power (God) and that earthly death is not permanent.
© All rights Reserved by the writer.
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