The Regularity of Miracles

A miracle is a causation not explicable by natural or scientific laws. This article is a miracle. The writing of it is the result of a causation “not explicable by natural or scientific laws”.

Why do I say this?

Suppose that I lined up five dominoes. I then knocked down the first domino. In turn, the first knocks the second, the second knocks the third, the third knocks the fourth, and then the fourth knocks the fifth.

Question…

What caused the fifth domino to fall?

Answer…

The fourth domino.

The fourth domino causing the fifth domino to fall is what Christian Apologist, Greg Koukl, would refer to as event causation.

Did the fourth domino choose to knock over the fifth domino? Nope, dominos don’t make choices. That’s why it’s referred to as event causation. The same goes for the third domino knocking the fourth, the second knocking the third, and the first knocking the second. These are all examples of event causation. They are all “explicable by natural or scientific laws”, so they are events, not miracles.

But now, let’s take a look at the first domino. What caused it to fall?

In the illustration, it was me. I caused the first domino to fall. Christian Apologist, Greg Koukl, would refer to this as agent causation. I made the choice to knock over the first domino, therefore, this causation is agent causation; and I would consider such to be a miracle.

Why?

It qualifies as a miracle because it’s not explicable by natural or scientific laws. In other words, the first domino fell because of an agent’s choice. The first domino could never fall on it’s own. It would remain, as is, forever, unless acted upon by something else; either an event cause (a non-miracle), or an agent cause (a miracle).

Now, I know that some people reading this will go into a tizzy, because such people deny that miracles are possible. But, miracles are really no big deal. They happen all the time. Agents are constantly imposing their immaterial wills upon the material, setting the material in motion. When material sets material in motion, we have event causation. When immaterial sets material in motion, we have a miracle, or agent causation.

The interesting thing here to ponder, is that the whole of reality is actually one big miracle. Reality cannot set itself in motion. An agent is required. A miracle is required. Such an agent who sets all of reality into motion, should really be referred to as big “A” Agent. We (human beings), are little “a” agents.

Another thing to ponder is that not only does the immaterial “Agent” (in the ultimate sense) set the material in motion, but the immaterial “Agent” also creates the material and organizes the material for a purpose.

Take the five dominos illustration. How were they made and then organized, prior to being set in motion?

Agents.

Think about it. Dominos were birthed as concepts (which are immaterial), in the mind of an agent. Then, their arrangement, which was designed to have them fall down in an ordered way, was conceived immaterially, also in the mind of an agent. The same goes for this article. As I said above, “The writing of it is the result of a causation ‘not explicable by natural or scientific laws.'” It’s a miracle, and it’s regular.

We (Christians) must be careful to not give in to the notions that miracles do not happen. Miracles are as normal as those who deny them, and they are as obvious as the Agent who makes them happen:

Hebrews 2:10
“For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”

Godspeed, to the brethren!

Check out part 2 of this article:

“It’s time to no longer be deluded by the plausible arguments made by secular science, and to take back the gift that God gave us.”

The Regularity of Miracles, Part II: The Denial of Agency (The Goal of Secular Science)

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