Hume

• Realist 


  • God breaking laws of nature cannot happen
  • Miracles factually do not happen
• More probable the witness is lying or mistaken 


  therefore no human testimony can prove a miracle
• People who claim them have no sufficient good or education 


  Problem: not using reason or evidence - making a judgement without evidence
• Humans naturally want to believe in miracles as they have pre-existing beliefs and they want to develop beliefs in others 


  Problem: doesn't mean the belief isn't true - could actually be true whatever the confirmation
• Most accounts of miracles come from 'ignorant and barbarous' nations or ancestors (Middle East) - areas that aren't as advanced 


  Problem: plenty of countries with miracles that don't fall into this judgement e/g Bernadette of Lourdes
• Each religion claims miracles yet they all cancel each other out - cannot all be right 


  Response: Pluralism (all right) OR one is right which cancels out the others
• Whoever believes in miracles creates their own miracle which 'subverts all the principles of understanding' - believing in a miracle is itself a miracle as it goes against all reason and science 


  Problem: that is the point of miracles - they are meant to go against custom, beliefs and science