Are Miracles Real?

Miracles may seem difficult to believe in, but there is a great deal of evidence that occurrences that could be called miracles do take place. To fully understand whether miracles happen, it's important to explore what this word means. Something that looks like a miracle to one person may seem like a plausible coincidence to another. However, when you look through the lens of deep spirituality with an eye for divine guidance, you can see miracles all around.

The Argument Against Miracles

Perhaps the most popular argument against miracles is that of Scottish philosopher David Hume. Hume contended that a miracle must be a "transgression of a law of nature by a deity or invisible agent." Thus, many things that are referred to as "miracles" simply don't qualify. If an event can be explained through science, however unlikely or implausible, then it is not a miracle according to Hume.

Miracles Backed by Science

In many cases, so-called miracles can be explained scientifically and therefore adhere to the laws of nature. Even the parting of the Red Sea can potentially be explained through fluid dynamics. A wind of sufficient strength could cause water to rise steeply on two sides of a path and rush back in when the wind ceases.

One could contend that this is merely an unusual circumstance and not a miracle. Others, however, see the uncanny timing of the event and argue that the likelihood of such a wind occurring as the Israelites were escaping the Nile delta can only be explained as an act of divine intervention, whether it adheres to natural laws or not.

When Is a Miracle a Miracle?

Though many miracles can be scientifically explained, the surrounding circumstances of these events are often so implausible that it's nearly impossible for onlookers to see them as chance. There is certainly a place where science and spirituality converge and scientifically possible circumstances are so perfectly timed as to appear preordained. Identifying a miracle is nearly impossible in a conclusive manner. However, there are enough miraculous instances recorded that it's not difficult to believe that these types of happenings exist.

Miracles on Record

Some miracles conform to the rules of known science, such as the case of a man deflecting a bullet with his wedding ring by raising his hands at the right moment. Though the odds were against this simple acting stopping a bullet, it is possible.

Other miracles can't be explained by science as we know it. Consider the case of an 18-month-old girl who was discovered inside a car suspended above freezing water only because rescuers heard an adult's voice calling for help. The only adult in the vehicle appeared to have died on impact 14 hours earlier. Though modern science can't explain this, some might contend that clairaudience accounts for the situation, which is simply a form of science we don't fully understand.

If you open your mind to the idea of miracles as unlikely occurrences that are guided by a divine hand, it's clear that these do happen.