It is a Miracle

Can theists be as skeptical of their own religion’s miracles as they are of their own?
Mention a Catholic miracle to a Protestant, and most times the Protestant need not hear any more on the tale. They already know it is not a “true” miracle. Say ("Medjogorje" ) to most Protestants, and they would not have a clue what you are talking about. Start to explain it is a sighting of the Virgin Mary, and you might as well save your breath.

They won’t research it. They won’t attempt to refute it; they won’t even bother reading the entire story. It has been labeled, “false miracle,” and immediately placed into the wastebasket as a fruitless endeavor to gain any more knowledge of the affair.

But if I was to do the same with a talking donkey, I am considered “close-minded, pre-disposed to not believing in miracles, too skeptical.” What is the difference?

“The Muslims recount a (miracle) of……” Stop right there. Don’t bother completing the sentence. The Christian, at best desires to hear the rest only anticipating to be reduced to guffaws of laughter. But question how one can walk on water, the Christian obtains a somber tone.

“The Mormons tell of how the angle Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith….” And the Christian is prepared to smile in pity at the credulity of certain people. But talk of an Angel who will tell a female she will never been injected with sperm yet produce a child, and it becomes a serious contention of a doctrinal issue.

(And, of course, this goes both ways in various religions. It is certainly not exclusive to Christians.)

Miracles are always proven through testimonial evidence. How can I, as an outside observer, make the determination that the testimony of dead being raised back to life is a “true” miracle, and Mary’s face appearing in a grilled cheese sandwich, based on testimony, is not? (Yes, we have the actual sandwich, I know. But who says that is Mary’s face? THAT is the testimony part.)

Unverified, biased testimony is, frankly, some of the worst evidence there is.

Defendant’s Mom: My son couldn’t have committed the crime. He was home, with me, watching T.V. all night. He has an alibi—me.
Prosecutor: Did you two see anyone else that night?
Mom: No.
Pros: Did anyone call you and talk to your son on the phone?
Mom: No.
Pros: What did you watch?
Mom: I always watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.
Pros: Would your son say you watched the same shows?
Mom: He has a bad memory. He may not remember which shows we watched.
Pros: Does you son normally watch TV with you?
Mom: No.
Pros: How many times, in the past year, has he?
Mom: Well, this is the first time he ever has.
Pros: This has never happened before, has never happened again, is unique, and it happens at a convenient time, in favor of your proposition, and is unverified by any other person?
Mom: Yep.

Not surprisingly, most jurors show sympathy towards the Defendant’s mother, but reject her story outright.

Look at the time when Christianity recorded its miracles. It was times when miracles were considered to happen often. Appollonius of Tyana resurrected the dead, performed miracles and ascended to heaven. Even Eusebius did not question the reality of many of these miracles, but attributed them to demons. Peregrinus’ statute healed the sick and gave oracles. Josephus recounts miracles as historical events. Papias does as well.

“Jesus cured a friend of a guy I know from blindness!”
“Really? I know a guy that saw Simon fly about the city!”

All of this is pure testimonial evidence with no verification whatsoever. Over the years, societies have become more skeptical, and no longer do we simply accept testimonies. We don’t accept, “Believe it because I said so,” we want proof. In this day and age of newspapers, internet reporting, blogs, information-sharing, investigation, and scientific knowledge, simply hearing about it from a “friend of a friend” is not enough. (Yet there are exceptions to even that. Urban myths abound!)

And, not surprisingly, the incidents of “miracles” have decreased upon this skepticism. Now miracles are reduced to:

“Aunt Bessie was cured of cancer by a Miracle.”
“How?”
“In an examination it was discovered, surgery was performed, radical chemotherapy administered, and she is now cancer-free! They say only 20% survive this type of cancer.”
“So an event that happens 1 out of 5 times is considered a miracle? If I play slots, and win 1 out of 5 times, is that a miracle?”

Bottom line. Can we establish a methodology by which we can determine an event recounted by an individual is an actual miracle, as compared to other accounts which are not? If we can, how does the sole testimonial evidence of Christian miracles survive this methodology, whereas other miracles do not? If not, why should I believe testimony of one set of miracles over any other?

Without skeptical verification of a miracle, it should be ruled out.

(Thanks to http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/kooks.html for information.)