how do you define ‘miracle’? for me its anything that defies the laws of nature.
We can use this definition. However, if we do so, then repeatability goes right out of the window.
Repeatability meaning repeatability by principle.
For example, maybe Jesus did heal people over and over. This would be natural for him. It would not be natural for us. It would be an exception to our damaged natures.
Repeatability by principle would mean: every time I drop a brick, it falls. Or, every time I pray “God, heal me of {insert problem here}” the problem would be removed. One works, the other doesn’t.
Miracles do not even fall into this category. If they did, they would be natural, and not supernatural.
For example, if the prayer I listed worked every time, it would not be a miracle, but simply a natural phenomenon (one that could theoretically be studied).
He did expose as charlattans some people who claimed having supernatural powers. Like the guy who on T.V. was able to turn pages of a phone book without touching it.
in the stories jesus repeatedly healed people.
splitting the red sea on demand can be verified as defying the laws of nature. a miracle.
Except here’s the problem. How do we really know the laws of nature had been violated? If I step on a stone over and over and a river parts over and over, one would expect there to be a predictable measurable interaction between my two actions. However, if one special person for a special reason were able to part a river once, and if this could not be repeated by a similar principle, then that would be super-natural, and so a good candidate for a miracle.
How would one refute that this happened, scientifically?