Arguments Against Miracles

David Hume argued miracles are impossible. He stated that Natural Law is by definition a description of a regular occurrence. A miracle is by definition a rare occurrence. We know that the evidence for the regular is always greater than that for the rare. As a result, the wise person always bases his belief on the greater evidence. Therefore, a wise person should never believe in miracles.

In response, we can see that the evidence for the regular is not always greater than that for the rare. The Big Bang is not a regular event. Neither is the origin of life on earth nor macro-evolution. None of these three phenomena has been repeated and, by Hume’s own definition, are rare occurrences. But we universally recognize these phenomena. Therefore, it would seem that the argument is not valid.

The Challenge to Miraculous Confirmation

Hume’s Challenge Stated: Every miracle, therefore, pretended to have been wrought in any of these religions (and all of them abound in miracles), as its direct scope is to establish the particular system to which it is attributed; so has it the same force, though more indirectly, to overthrow every other system. Destroying a rival system likewise destroys the credit of those miracles on which that system was established. (Hume, Enquiry, Section 10, Part 2)

Miracle claims in opposing religions are self-canceling. Christian and non-Christian religions use miracles to confirm their truth claims, but these religions have opposing truth claims. Logic tells us opposing claims cannot both be true. Hence, miracles can’t be used to confirm the truth of one religion over others offering the same evidence.

There is a problem with this hypothesis. Non-Christian claims are based on unverified miracles. Christianity is a historical religion, and there is evidence to support the occurrence of miracles, so the argument fails. Jesus’ miracles meet the criteria for true miracles. Better stated, the argument would be that Christianity alone has miraculous evidence of its truth claims. Other religions have opposing truth claims (but no verified miracles). Opposing claims cannot be true; therefore, Christianity alone has miraculous confirmation of its true claims (and all opposing claims are false).