DAVID HUME’S “On Miracles” (Section X of The Enquiry)   http://18th.eserver.org/hume–enquiry.html 

On Hume’s view, even if a miracle happens (e.g. a piece of lead floats around our head or we see Jesus crucified and dead and then walking around three days later), it is never rational to believe it happened.  In other words, we should not believe that a 12 lbs. piece of lead floated around our head and that Jesus actually rose from the dead because it is contrary to our experience of the world–lead doesn’t float around our heads and people do not rise from the dead.  

(CHOOSE: 1a or 1b)

1a: Now, some philosophers think that this epistemic view is too strong and that it might impede scientific progress.  What do you think?  From what you know of wild things in science (now and in the last 200 years) would scientists have made less progress if they followed Hume’s conservative epistemic view? Give specific examples to illustrate your view.

1b: PowerPoint Lecture: Give examples of God’s possible action in your life through both primary causation and secondary causation (see my story from Chemsford, England).  And, do you think we should say God’s action through secondary causation (like Ridley Scott’s view of the parting of the Red Sea) is a miracle?   

HUME’S PART 2:  BUT-IN-FACT, the testimony for miracles is (usually) horrible for four reasons: 

(2) Explain one of the first three but-in-fact arguments that Hume gives and defend his view with an example in the last 100 years (miracle claims, supernatural claims, UFOs, BigFoot, Nessie, Bat Boy, etc.).

(3) William Lane Craig’s online article, “The Resurrection of Jesus” http://www.reasonablefaith.org/the-resurrection-of-jesus   What is the best piece of evidence in defense of the view that Jesus was raised from the dead?

(4) After reading the article or watching video by William Lane Craig, explain some of  the facts around the resurrection of Jesus (use short quotes and give us page numbers) and tell us which explanation is most reliable:  Jesus was raised from the dead by God; Jesus’ unknown twin brother stole the body and destroyed it and impersonated Jesus;  the disciples lied and made it up; the disciples saw appearances of Jesus and we just don’t know how to explain it – they saw Jesus but it can’t be true that Jesus rose from the dead; Etc. 

(5) Rowe chapter pp. 145-146.  Answer one of the “Topics for Review” questions, and one of the “Topics for Further Study” questions. Type out the whole questions and cite the text with page numbers.  

(6) Critical Comment and Question from the Rowe chapter.  E.g. Examine atheist C.D. Broad’s argument from indirect evidence being stronger than the disciples’ testimony, the 17th century philosophers’ argument that even mentally disabled people can know if a man is dead and if he is alive, etc.  

Choose one (or more) to answer: 

A. Find a good miracle video on YouTube and evaluate it.  Or, evaluate this one of two cases: (1) a woman escaping through a solid window in a river; and )2) an angel talking to the police to find a baby in a car.  https://youtu.be/X4JLHnRX1WE 

B. Critique the “Zeitgeist” film’s argument that if the concept of a dying and rising god was present in Egytian lore and other religions, then it shows that the Christian case is false, a priori.  C.S. Lewis thought that if it hadn’t been in other religions we would not have recognized it; and that the difference in the case of Jesus is that it actually happened this time.  So the argument is null and void.  Do you agree with Lewis or Zeitgeist?  Explain. 

(C) Tell us a spring tradition (e.g. Easter, March Madness, spring break, etc.) in your family that you are fond of.