Timeline for Is there a standard definition of the word 'miracle' in Christianity?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
22 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 2022 at 21:00 | history | tweeted | twitter.com/StackChristian/status/1504925616373702656 | ||
| Mar 18, 2022 at 2:45 | answer | added | Geremia | timeline score: 1 | |
| S Mar 18, 2022 at 0:32 | vote | accept | CommunityBot | ||
| Mar 17, 2022 at 23:47 | comment | added | user50422 | @OneGodtheFather - I'm tagging you in case you didn't receive the notification from GratefulDisciple (see comment above). | |
| Mar 17, 2022 at 23:04 | comment | added | GratefulDisciple | @RayButterworth and also SpiritRealmInvestigator and OneGodTheFather : I provided a definition that takes into account: "violation of the laws of nature", God as an agent, rarity, and the need for discernment whether to call an event a "miracle" or not. Bottom line: the event itself is not sufficient to call it "miracle" or not. It's a matter of definition and discernment. No wonder the Catholic Church needs to verify a miracle related to sainthood. Your feedback will be appreciated. | |
| Mar 17, 2022 at 22:24 | answer | added | GratefulDisciple | timeline score: 1 | |
| Oct 16, 2021 at 14:44 | vote | accept | CommunityBot | ||
| S Mar 18, 2022 at 0:32 | |||||
| Oct 15, 2021 at 20:36 | history | became hot network question | |||
| Oct 15, 2021 at 19:55 | answer | added | Ken Graham♦ | timeline score: 1 | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 19:15 | comment | added | Only True God | This doesn't belong on BH because it's not about the meaning of an ancient Greek term, but about a current concept, 'miracle'. The former informs the latter but does not determine it. | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 19:14 | comment | added | Only True God | "But if everyone tried the same thing, on average it would happen for one person each time, so no big deal overall." Right. Consider quantum effects. Could a vat of water instantaneously transform into wine? Yes, according to quantum physics. But it's highly unlikely. So it's not a violation of the laws of physics, but the unlikeliness in a given probability framework suggests something else at work. | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 19:12 | comment | added | Only True God | Our understanding of the 'normal laws' are constantly changing - does this mean something is a miracle at time A, but then not at time B? | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 19:11 | comment | added | Only True God | How does one ascertain something is a violation of the laws of nature? How would one know? | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 19:07 | comment | added | Ray Butterworth | Perhaps David Gerrold best describes the dilemma of miracles: "Whatever supernatural thing happens, it has to look like a natural event. That way only the believers will see what's really happening. The ones who don't believe — they're the ones who always get caught unawares and unprepared." — from "The White Piano". | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 17:21 | review | Close votes | |||
| Oct 20, 2021 at 3:12 | |||||
| Oct 15, 2021 at 17:06 | comment | added | Nigel J | I’m voting to close this question because it belongs on SE-BH. | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 17:05 | comment | added | Nigel J | This should be asked on Biblical Hermeneutics as it is not a matter of tradition or opinion : it is a matter of defining the Greek words. | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 16:47 | comment | added | Luke Hill | Ray - Under the standard definition, any violation of the laws of nature would have to come from God or some other all powerful being, the existence of which would be outlawed under Christian belief. | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 15:50 | answer | added | Luke Hill | timeline score: 1 | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 14:59 | comment | added | Ray Butterworth | Rarity alone isn't enough to define a miracle; prediction or purpose are needed too. If, after reading this, you dropped 33 coins and they all landed heads, you'd be astounded, and most people would say it's a miracle. But if everyone tried the same thing, on average it would happen for one person each time, so no big deal overall. What would make it seem like a real miracle is my prediction that it would happen to you. ¶ But even prediction isn't enough. The prediction itself has to be rare. Everyone that goes to a faith healer (or Lourdes, or whatever) is predicting they will be cured. | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 14:45 | comment | added | Ray Butterworth | Why does it have to be "Actions of God"? Wouldn't all such "Events" be considered miracles too? | |
| Oct 15, 2021 at 12:33 | history | asked | user50422 | CC BY-SA 4.0 |