Miracles are impossible!
As an atheist, I could not understand how anyone could believe in the miracles of the Bible. One of the most famous philosophers of the last few centuries, David Hume, expressed it perfectly for me in the following logical syllogism [1]:
1. Miracles are violations of natural laws.
2. Natural laws are immutable.
3. It is impossible for immutable laws to be violated.
-> Therefore, miracles are impossible.
How simple is that?
Surely, that is clear to even the meanest understanding?
And if we can stand on that logic, then not only are miracles impossible, but the very foundation stone on which all Christianity stands is also demonstrably false!
For if there is only one miracle that actually counts, it is the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead!Without it, there is no Christianity, plain and simple! Even in their Bible, the Apostle Paul made it clear to believers that the Christian faith depends entirely on this one fact! [2]
So here on the one hand we have this logical argument laid out by one of the greatest philosophers in modern history, and on the other we have the New Testament.
I mean, this is what it comes down to, isn’t it?
And in that light, it’s pretty easy to choose, isn’t it?
Or is it?
Because, as an atheist, I began to find that I had three problems:
- Atheist historians were debunking the Christ Myth theory and coming out in support of the historicity of Jesus and the New Testament writings, and
- I was discovering that the foundations of atheism are logically incoherent – Hume’s syllogism above being just one example, because absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, so it is useless, and
- I was honestly committed to following the evidence – regardless of where it led. So I couldn’t ignore it!
As we have already discovered in previous articles, there does not appear to be a single ATHEIST academic historian who will not confirm that:
- The EVIDENCE shows that New Testament was written by eye-witnesses – or people who knew eye-witnesses – of the events they recorded, and
- The EVIDENCE shows that they absolutely believed what they wrote to be completely factual.
All of a sudden, I had the OPPONENTS of Christianity – and my fellow atheists! – agreeing that the evidence is FOR many of the Christian truth claims, that previously we were able to laugh off.
Of course many armchair experts still do, but they are doing so not because it is logical to do so, but because they are either ignorant of the discoveries of modern forensic science, or because it goes against their New Atheism religious creed.
(If you are looking for a clear and succinct breakdown of these topics from the point of view of non-Christians, with references, check out the consensus of the ATHEIST academic experts here at rationalbelieving.org)
In any case, my previously comfortable position of logical superiority had been significantly undermined.
But still, what about this Resurrection story? If an honest seeker after the Truth has been forced by means of reason to accept everything else, surely we still can throw this one out?
So here is what it boils down to:
- We know that we do not have proof of miracles outside the Bible claims, but then we also know that Hume’s argument about miracles is logically false – absence of evidence is not evidence of absence – and so he requires EVIDENCE to support his claims against miracles.
- However, all the EVIDENCE we DO have (according to the NON-Christian experts) supports the fact that many of the 500 plus people who claimed to have seen the risen Jesus were tortured and died horrible deaths for refusing to deny their claim.
Can you see the problem?
I really learned the meaning of Cognitive Dissonance! So much easier just to ignore it all and yell at people on social media …
Because I can attest to the fact that, even when faced with the overwhelming evidence that Jesus was and is real, I did not WANT to believe it. Never mind any resurrection from the dead!
But then I would read the words of people such as the great Princeton scholar Benjamin Warfield, and squirm!:
“We believe in Christ because it is RATIONAL to believe in him … we are arguing that our faith is, in all its exercises alike, a form of conviction, and is, therefore, NECESSARILY GROUNDED IN EVIDENCE”.
However, I still could not believe in any miracle – let alone this one – until I discovered something else that Warfield said is also true:
“Only the Spirit of Life can communicate life to a dead soul, or can convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.”
I found out that this is literally true: that until the Life of God has come into the dead soul of a man, the truth of the Gospel is as a rainbow is to a mouse in its hole, or Mozart is to a doorknob.
Jesus himself made this fact clear when he said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
He also explained my situation perfectly when he said:
“For judgement I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
But now, along with the blind man cured by Jesus, I am able to say:
“One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
Clearly, “… no one knows the Father except the Son and ANYONE TO WHOM THE SON CHOOSES TO REVEAL HIM.”
“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Check it out at www.bible.com.
Notes and References:
[1] Hume, David (1985). Of Miracles. Open Court Publishing Company.
[2] Even the Apostle Paul made it clear that the Christian faith depends on this one fact of the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead: “If Christ has not been raised from the dead, your faith is futile”. 1 Corinthians 15:17.
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