Miracles

Given three situations:
1. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs but you can see no benefit or detriment to anyone. For example you glance at the odometer in your car and it reads 123456.
2. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs and it is a positive life changing event for someone. For example you are involved in a serious car accident but you survive due to very unusual circumstances.
3. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs and it is a negative life changing event for someone. For example you are walking along and a branch of a tree just happens to fall at the time you are passing underneath it leaving you paralised for life.

if you are a theist would you:
a. declare all of them miracles and look for the 'good' in all of them.
b. declare only 2. a miracle and the others coincidences.
c. declare 2. a miracle and 3. the work of the devil.
d. any other explanation.

Why are only positive coincidences publicized as miracles?

If it can be shown that seemingly unlikely coincidences are expected to occur with the observed frequency by random chance would you then say that God is suppressing some random coincidences in order to fit in his miracles?

Originally posted by twhitehead
Given three situations:
1. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs but you can see no benefit or detriment to anyone. For example you glance at the odometer in your car and it reads 123456.
2. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs and it is a positive life changing event for someone. For example you are involved in a serious car accident ...[text shortened]... you then say that God is suppressing some random coincidences in order to fit in his miracles?

B all the way...

Originally posted by twhitehead
Given three situations:
1. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs but you can see no benefit or detriment to anyone. For example you glance at the odometer in your car and it reads 123456.
2. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs and it is a positive life changing event for someone. For example you are involved in a serious car accident ...[text shortened]... you then say that God is suppressing some random coincidences in order to fit in his miracles?

I heard a story once, not sure if it's true, about a man that came out of a building onto a busy city sidewalk exclaiming loudly there is no God while shaking his fist at the sky daring God to strike him dead.
Later on when he got home he opened the screen door and a moth flew into his mouth choking him to death.
If this story is true then I believe it was a coincidence.
God obviously can work miracles, but I've only heard of them, and have never seen one. At least I don't think so.

Well, even from a neutral perspective, the word "miracle" has a positive connotation just from positive uses in general...

I'm not sure though; I'd probably consider them all coincidences, but I'd be closer to calling #2 a miracle than the others.

maybe you wouldnt call a bad thing a miracle, but you could call it divine intervention

Originally posted by Jay Joos
B all the way...

This response really says it all.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Given three situations:
1. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs but you can see no benefit or detriment to anyone. For example you glance at the odometer in your car and it reads 123456.
2. A seemingly very improbable coincidence occurs and it is a positive life changing event for someone. For example you are involved in a serious car accident ...[text shortened]... you then say that God is suppressing some random coincidences in order to fit in his miracles?

I always use to look at my clock at night and it was always at the 13th minute.

the denotation of "miracle" is?........

what is your conotation of "miracle