WJEC/Eduqas RS for A2/Yr2: Religion and Ethics (DRAFT)

WJEC / Eduqas Religious Studies for A Level Year 2 and A2 Religion and Ethics

The existence of miracles The term miracle originally comes from the Latin ‘miraculum’ meaning ‘wonder’. However, the term miracle tends to have a more specific meaning, expressed by David Hume (1711–1776) as ‘an event that appears to break the laws of nature and so is held as an act of God’. The concept of predestination does not directly imply that miracles cannot occur. It is quite conceivable that a predestining omnipotent and omniscient God could have pre-planned all miracles. This is illustrated by Aquinas’ theory of miracles when he distinguished between a deity carrying out miracles directly, which he called a primary cause miracle, and a deity carrying out miracles indirectly, which he called a secondary cause miracle. A primary cause miracle is where God acts directly in the world to bring about a miracle which could have been predestined by an omnipotent deity before the creation of the universe. A secondary cause miracle is where God works a miracle through a human agent. Again, this could quite easily be pre-planned by an omniscient and omnipotent God; such as when God gave Moses the power to part the Red Sea. The above idea is also supported by C.S. Lewis (1898–1963). Lewis argues that God is an interactive God that, even today, continues to introduce new laws of nature. As Lewis states ‘nature behaves in accordance to fixed laws, and that a miracle is God introducing a new law ….’ Therefore, a miracle is no more than God interacting with this world by introducing new laws of nature. Lewis argues God only does these ‘miracles’ to remind us of his omnipotent nature as the creator and controller of all laws of nature. Of course it could be argued that if miracles are an act of God and if God has all knowledge of future events, then it must follow that all miracles are predestined because they are determined by God – they are his acts. Even if the miracles are a request from people, God still knows in advance how he will respond and what he will do. So in that sense all miracles must be predestined.

4.16 Brie y explain why miracles may occur if God predestines all events.

DRAFT

Moses parting the Red Sea

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