Miracles are described in many religions and philosophies as a divine occurrence. Some people believe that divine intervention is necessary to bring about miracles. Religious texts describe a miracle as an act of God or an act performed by a sacred person. Miracles are often associated with an event beyond our power to control or influence, requiring divine intervention. Father George Rutler, a renowned pastor in New York, truly believes in miracles.
The word miracle in the bible can mean a miracle, or special event, an act of God, or a deed of God. It also can mean something that is beyond our ability to do. For example, we cannot make rainfall from the sky or heal a man who has been dead for ten years. We can do these things, but we do not know how religion is based on – the idea that something beyond the ability of human beings can occur.
Theists describe a miracle as an event that is beyond explanation. They say that it is something beyond our comprehension because God is omnipotent and knows all things. They further say that God can perform miracles so that we may marvel and be thankful. They say that God can change the course of nature and bring about an effect that is not possible within the scope of our present understanding. Father George Rutler believes miracles happen daily. They say that these are all acts of God, and therefore it is beyond the scope of our natural abilities to do such things.
Naturalists dismiss miracles as events outside of God’s power. They say that no intelligent being can perform a miracle. This is like the argument advanced by atheists that there is no such thing as free will. They say that free will is only possible within the scope of science and beyond divine intervention.
Theists also point out that every action, sensation, thought, or decision that we make is an attempt to understand something beyond ourselves. For example, when we are scared, we try to run away from the fear, and the results are usually violent reactions. If we try to run away from something that is an obstacle on our journey, then we will have an even stronger reaction, and the result could be that we become incapacitated and unable to move.
Naturalists claim that we can understand the basis of this behavior. This is because we experience these reactions every time we are faced with an event outside of our control. Therefore, it follows that if there were something beyond our ability to influence, then the outcome would have been different. We would not have been paralyzed when we tried to flee from the bullet. We would have been able to continue our journey and shoot the enemy.
Many people believe that it is not possible to intervene. They say that it is not within the power of God or the Christian God to stop a bullet or save somebody from burning in their house. They further argue that God cannot do this because God is omniscient, which means that he knows all things that have been, are, will be, and will ever be. With such an argument, Christians are contradictory when they state that God can do something beyond his power but that humans are also contradictory when they state that God cannot do something beyond their ability. When the question is how something can be beyond men’s ability, then it becomes clear that men cannot do anything outside their ability.
Theists argue that such behavior is just part of God’s divine nature. They say that God is omniscient and does not work against what he already has. They further argue that something outside of God cannot affect something that God already sets up. It is also argued that man can use his mind to alter what God has said. God cannot do something that man has not been able to do. Therefore, it is not possible for a being more significant than him to do something that man has not been able to do.