Miracles

Question 1

What do religious believers believe about miracles?

Answer 1

God uses them to teach people about him or help them have greater faith.

Question 2

True or false, all religious believers accept miracles.

Answer 2

False, Buddhists do not believe in God and think everything happens through cause and effect. An event that appears to be miraculous may actually be caused by the result of the stage of enlightenment they are at.

Question 3

What is the miracle of the milk drinking statue?

Answer 3

Ganesha wanted milk- it disappeared when presented to Ganesha.

Question 4

Define laws of nature.

Answer 4

Descriptions of how scientists expect nature to work.

Question 5

What are miracles that break the laws of nature?

Answer 5

Event that do not normally occur in nature that break the laws of science as we know them.

Question 6

Name one miracle that breaks the laws of nature.

Answer 6

Israelite leader Joshua in which sun stands still to give Jews time to defeat enemies in battle.

Question 7

Name a teaching from Joshua.

Answer 7

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies.

Question 8

Name a miracle that is a happy coincidence.

Answer 8

Stairwell b in which 16 people survived the collapse of the north tower of the World Trade Center.

Question 9

What is a miracle that is a happy coincidence?

Answer 9

Do not break the laws of nature, but a coincidence occurs at exactly the right time to bring about a good outcome.

Question 10

Why do people believe miracles can only be performed by God?

Answer 10

He is outside time and space and not limited by the laws of nature.

Question 11

How do theists use the term miracle?

Answer 11

To refer to an event performed by God that appears to break the laws of nature, can involve healing.

Question 12

What do Christians believe about miracles?

Answer 12

God works directly in the world through miracles. Jesus performed miracles that showed the power or love of God.

Question 13

What do Hindus believe about miracles?

Answer 13

Result of direct intervention by Brahman but others are performed by the gods in their many aspects of Brahman, such as Ganesha drinking milk.

Question 14

What do Jews believe about miracles?

Answer 14

Works directly in the world, benefit of Jews. Prophet Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt- parted Red Sea.

Question 15

What does Islam believe about miracles?

Answer 15

Only Allan can perform miracles. Allah can work through individuals. Performed miracles through all prophets to show they were chosen by Allah.

Question 16

What does Sikhism believe about miracles?

Answer 16

Miracles occur and the saints and prophets should perform miracles if they choose. Should not be performed to gain popularity or prove greatness of a religion. Only used to assist others- understand right way to live and believe in God.

Question 17

What do people who believe in miracles use the evidence of them to prove?

Answer 17

That they have happened.

Question 18

What’s all the evidence of miracles?

Answer 18

Many people see them happening, e.g. Ganesha is strong evidence as seen worldwide on television, people experience a miracle for themselves e.g. a person Cured of terminal illness is evidence for the person involved and those who see the effect, associated with founders of a religion or seen by many and recorded at the time

Question 19

What do you people who believe in miracles use evidence for?

Answer 19

Reasons for believing that they happen and a genuine

Question 20

What’s all the evidence for miracles?

Answer 20

Not just events from the past, they still happened today, too many accounts of miracles for at least some of them not of happened, miracles have been investigated and no scientific explanation found, miracles performed by religious founders convince people to convert all die for their religion if they weren’t real they wouldn’t have become followers.

Question 21

What is the miracle of the Virgin Mary?

Answer 21

She has been seen crying at a church in Mexico. The priest cleans the statue and wipes away the stains only to see them reappear.

Question 22

What’s might be revealed by miracles?

Answer 22

Qualities of God as well as providing evidence for his existence. These qualities include God’s love and care for his creation gods imminence and his knowledge and power.

Question 23

How do Muslims believe God shows his love for his creation?

Answer 23

Through the miracle of the Koran as a guide on how to live as god wishes.

Question 24

How do Christians believe God’s love is shown through his creation?

Answer 24

Through the miraculous events linked to Jesus especially the resurrection

Question 25

What might miraculous healings show?

Answer 25

That there is an existence of a loving God as miracles not only assist people but also help people learn something about God.

Question 26

How might miracles show gods imminence?

Answer 26

They show he is active, sometimes God performs miracles directly like The parting of the waters. These type of miracles show that God controls events

Question 27

What do you Hindus believe that Gods do?

Answer 27

Take human form to rescue the world from chaos or to help people and use miracles for this purpose.

Question 28

What do you miracles excepted by Islam or Judaism show?

Answer 28

God works in the world indirectly. When God performs the miracle for a person he is supporting the individual's claim or showing some of his love all power through the person

Question 29

What do you miracles that breaks the laws of nature show about God

Answer 29

He is able to interfere with the natural workings of the world, he is not just working outside the laws of nature he is changing them this shows gods power is not limited and he is all powerful.

Question 30

What do miracles that's are a happy coincidence show about God

Answer 30

It demonstrates God is all knowing and all powerful as he knows when it is necessary to act to bring about a good outcome.

Question 31

What's are miracles

Answer 31

Events that cannot be scientifically explained. If it is believed the miracles performed by God it is further evidence that God is beyond human understanding.

Question 32

What do Buddhists believe the purpose of miracles are?

Answer 32

Benefit others by encouraging them to seek enlightenment because miracles demonstrate what can be achieved by developing the powers of the mind.

Question 33

Why do some Buddhists not accept miracles?

Answer 33

They say it is not a miracle but evidence that our knowledge about the world is incomplete. The event is something we cannot yet understand. In the past, illness was thought to be caused by evil spirits or a punishment for sin.

Question 34

What do Buddhists who accept miracles say?

Answer 34

Outside what we know and observe about nature, occur through power of the mind. Through mediation and a moral life, develop miraculous powers like the Buddha who could walk on hot coals, remember past lives, read people's minds however this is not proof they are holy.

Question 35

What do Hindus believe about if humans can perform miracles?

Answer 35

Through a positive attitude to life, possible to obtain positive energy of the universe. When you achieve perfection, gain mental or spiritual powers such as levitating, predicting future and remember past lives. Miracles are actions of nature which are events the observer cannot understand or explain.

Question 36

What do Sikhs believe about humans performing miracles?

Answer 36

Prophets and saints are able to but ability should not be used to achieve selfish ends eg at demand of King or leader. Guru Arjan underwent torture and martyrdom rather than perform miracles. Gurus performed miracles, help people and understand the right way to Live and worship.

Question 37

What do Christians, Jews and Muslims believe about humans performing miracles?

Answer 37

Can but only because God works through them. Unable to do them without God's help. Jesus could perform miracles as God in human form/ closer to God than any human being he worked through him but to a greater extent. Muslims and Jews only Allah/God can perform miracles although he can perform them through his prophets.

Question 38

Name an example of a miracle from Buddhism.

Answer 38

Elephant.

Question 39

Name an example of a miracle from Hinduism.

Answer 39

Krishna.

Question 40

Name an example of miracles from history.

Answer 40

Battle of Mons

Question 41

Name a miracle of personal experience.

Answer 41

Stairwell B.