On the brink

As I’ve often mentioned in the past, false expectations are hazardous to your faith. And false expectations are fostered by theological mistakes.

Some outwardly earnest Christians are just a thin door away from apostasy. Take the question of extrabiblical miracles. Ironically, some Christians oppose extrabiblical miracles for essentially Humean reasons. As Hume put it, “Let us consider, that, in matters of religion, whatever is different is contrary; and that it is impossible the religions of ancient Rome, of Turkey, of Siam, and of China should, all of them, be established on any solid foundation, Every miracle, therefore, pretended to have been wrought in any of these religions (and all of them abound in miracles), as its direct scope is to establish the particular system to which it is attributed; so has it the same force, though more indirectly, to overthrow every other system. In destroying a rival system, it likewise destroys the credit of those miracles, on which that system was established; so that all the prodigies of different religions are to be regarded as contrary facts, and the evidences of these prodigies, whether weak or strong, as opposite to each other.”

This is based on two assumptions:

i) The only function of miracles is evidentiary

ii) Miracles validate whatever religion they’re attributed to

From these two assumptions, Hume derives the conclusion that the ostensible miracles of one religion cancel out the ostensible miracles of another religion.

This, in turn, commits some Christians to ruling out all postbiblical miracles, for fear that once they admit the possibility of a postbiblical miracle, they thereby undermine Biblical miracles.

To take another example: because of their flawed eschatology, some Christians automatically discount the existence of ghosts.

But this approach to the occult or the paranormal is spiritually perilous. Because there's no flexibility in their outlook, it would only take one personal experience to the contrary for their belief-system to come tumbling down in a heap of dust.

Let’s go back to the question of miracles. Let’s take an example from Scripture: “And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time” (Lk 4:5).

This clearly qualifies as a miracle in the usual sense. It’s a supernatural event. But it’s a Satanic miracle.

According to Hume’s argument, a Satanic miracle would cancel out a divine miracle. But how does that follow?

i) To begin with, does Satan perform this miracle to attest a system of doctrine? No. That’s not his intention. Rather, his intention is to divert the Messiah from his mission.

ii) Suppose, though, we say that, regardless of his motives, a side-effect of this miracle is evidentiary. If so, then what does this Satanic miracle attest?

a) The existence of the devil.

b) The power of the devil.

c) The character of the devil.

So does this Satanic miracle cancel out a divine miracle? I don’t see how. All these things are consistent with Biblical demonology.

Let’s take another example from Scripture: the demoniac in Acts 16:16. This clearly qualifies as a miracle in the usual sense. A supernatural aptitude. But it’s a demonic miracle.

According to Hume’s argument, a demonic miracle would cancel out a divine miracle. But how does that follow?

The slave-girl is probably heathen. But does this miracle attest the truth of heathen religion? Ironically, this pagan demoniac is bearing witnessing to the Apostles!

But assuming that it does, indirectly, attest something about paganism, what would that be?

i) Demons are real

ii) Possession is real

iii) Demons have superhuman powers

iv) Paganism is demonic.

So does this demonic miracle cancel out a divine miracle? I don’t see how. All these things are consistent with Biblical demonology.

What about ghosts? I don’t have a personal stake in the issue. I’ve never seen a ghost.

But you have some Christians who think Ron Rhodes is the last word on ghosts. Because there's no give in their belief-system, their faith is extremely fragile. It's not the proverbial web of belief, which can stretch and spring back, to readjust the internal balance. Instead, it's as brittle as an ice castle. One tiny crack or hairline fracture and it breaks into a thousand pieces.

And it's not limited to Christians. Bishop PIke was a textbook example. Ironically, it's because he was a liberal rationalist who didn't take the occult seriously that he had no resistance to the occult when he was confronted with that tantalizing reality. His secular worldview shattered on contact, and he instantly capitulated to necromancy.

Sometimes the very people who are the most dogmatic are also the most vulnerable. Because their belief-system is so unsophisticated and ill-prepared, they're right on the brink of apostasy without knowing it. It only takes one little nudge to push them over the edge. They're absolutely sure of themselves until a last minute crisis, at which point they suddenly jettison their former convictions and embrace the very thing they used to denounce.