Critically assess the view that a concept of miracles is...

Critically assess the view that a concept of miracles is inconsistent with a belief in a benevolent God. (35 marks) Before one is able to debate the ideas of inconsistency surrounding miracles, we must define and clarify what a miracle actually is. One definition is ‘an event caused by God, this view is traditionally supported by Christians and philosophers such as Aquinas. A second definition is ‘a violation of the laws of nature’ which is most commonly associated with David Hume. These two definitions usually underlie the way in which people approach the question of God acting in the world, thus impacting ones interpretation of miracles showing a benevolent God. Benevolence is used to describe God being a good and loving God. Many†¦show more content†¦Although this could have been down to a mis-diagnoses which distorted the idea of a miracle occurring. Overall, the inconsistencies with miracles present a biased God. Why would a benevolent God only perform to people who visit Lourdes and not ‘non-believers’? Overall this shows God to not be benevolent beca use the miracles he performs are inconsistent and biased. Keith Ward stated that God is purposely inconsistent with miracles, and does not act within the world often so he does not undermine our free will, thus presenting a transcendent God. In his book ‘Divine Action’ he stated that if God helps ‘person X’ rather than ‘person Y’, it may be because ‘person X’ has a more potentially important role in the working out of the divine purpose then ‘person Y’. Therefore God’s inconsistency is deliberate and his actions are beyond our human understanding. This supports the concept of God being benevolent as he performs miracles for the greater good of the people, he can’t save everyone, as this would undermine the significance of miracles, however he does intervene when it will make a large impact in the bigger picture. However, Hawkins stated that a good theory is one that is straight forward. Ward presents his argument based on a lot of assumptions. As Gods actions and purpose in the world is beyond our understanding, it is impossible for us to understand the significance and purpose of miracles. It is impossible for us to know what God’s plan is. Who are we toShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesand provides an advanced introduction to the heterogeneous study of organizations, including chapters on phenomenology, critical theory and psychoanalysis. Like all good textbooks, the book is accessible, well researched and readers are encouraged to view chapters as a starting point for getting to grips with the field of organization theory. Dr Martin Brigham, Lancaster University, UK McAuley et al. provide a highly readable account of ideas, perspectives and practices of organization. By thoroughlyRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOrganizational Behavior? 3 The Individual 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Diversity in Organizations 39 Attitudes and Job Satisfaction 69 Emotions and Moods 97 Personality and Values 131 Perception and Individual Decision Making 165 Motivation Concepts 201 Motivation: From Concepts to Applications 239 3 The Group 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Foundations of Group Behavior 271 Understanding Work Teams 307 Communication 335 Leadership 367 Power and Politics 411 Conflict and Negotiation 445 Foundations of OrganizationRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesINFLUENCE 279 280 SKILL ASSESSMENT 280 Diagnostic Surveys for Gaining Power and Influence Gaining Power and Influence 280 Using Influence Strategies 281 SKILL LEARNING 283 Building a Strong Power Base and Using Influence Wisely 283 A Balanced View of Power 283 Lack of Power 283 Abuse of Power 285 Strategies for Gaining Organizational Power 286 The Necessity of Power and Empowerment 286 Sources of Personal Power 288 Sources of Positional Power 293 Transforming Power into Influence 298 InfluenceRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagescreated, the cost of volume production is almost nothing, and a company can maintain its market dominance until it is challenged not by economies of scale but by being shoved aside by the next temporarily dominant product. This is changing the whole concept of manufacturing and factories in some industries. RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTIVITY Underlying many of these conditions is the Internet (now almost universally understood as multipurpose technology), which has the potential