Miracles Evaluation

Wiles’ arguments Maurice Wiles put forward three main arguments for not believing that miracles happen: If miracles are a violation of the laws of nature, they have to occur infrequently to avoid the concept of laws of nature becoming meaningless. The pattern of the occurrence of miracles appear strange. The large number of evil events that are not prevented by God raises questions about God’s Goodness and Omnipotence.

Wiles’ arguments “The World as a whole is a single act of God” This is similar to deism, but Wiles thinks of himself as a theist Wiles argues that the absence of miracles does not go against Christianity He argues that prayers still have a purpose because they are a way to feel connected to God The miracles in the bible do not have to be rejected but should be understood as being symbolic However, he argues that Jesus was not the son of God, and so his ideas would be rejected by most Christians

Criticisms of Wiles Handouts: Fill in the grid using p.50 in your booklets and p.350 in your textbooks If you finish this task, turn your handout over and make notes to help you plan your essay 20 minutes

Criticisms of Wiles Explain the criticism Argue about whether the criticism is successful Christian tradition Human rationality The Christian God Ward’s criticisms

Homework – 1 week 'A belief in miracles leads to the concept of a God who favours some but not all of his creation.' Discuss [35] Introduce the topic of miracles by briefly discussing definitions and examples Focus on the first definition Explain why Wiles believes that a God who only helps some people isn’t worthy of worship Argue about Wiles’ view – is he right or are the criticisms of his ideas more convincing?

Task – 10 minutes Complete the looped puzzle activity Two clues to help you: Holland says that miracles are coincidences Polkinghorne says that God acts through our free choices

This is me: This is God: There are lots of differences between me and God. For example, God can do anything: God isn’t physical: God knows everything:

God knows my past: God knows my future: God has been around forever: God is always good: God never changes:

The Attributes of God

The nature of God Key questions: Does God exist in time? Booklets, p.52 Key questions: Does God exist in time? What do religious believers mean when they describe God as omnipotent, omniscient and omni-benevolent? Do these terms have any real relevance today? Why are they significant to religious believers?

What is ‘God’? Is this an unanswerable question? How might it be difficult for an atheist and a religious believer to discuss the concept of ‘God’?

The God of Classical Theism Traditional Christian definitions of God include five key concepts: Simplicity Eternity Omniscience Omnipotence Omni-benevolence

The God of Classical Theism Problems Simplicity Eternity Omniscience Omnipotence Omni-benevolence