Why haven't the great, obvious miracles been repeated in our time?

This question occupies the minds of many today. We read in sacred books about the parting of the sea, raising the dead, and the transformation of a staff into a serpent, and we wonder: why don't we see such clear miracles today? Have miracles stopped? Or has their nature changed? Or is the problem in our own perspective?

Inadequate responses that should be avoided

From some believers: "Miracles exist, but you don't see them because of your weak faith" — a personal accusation that doesn't answer the question. The question is about great miracles obvious to everyone, not about private spiritual experiences. "Miracles stopped because people no longer deserve them" — circular reasoning. Who said people in the past were better? The Quran and Torah are full of stories of disobedience and disbelief. "Don't ask for miracles, just believe" — silencing a legitimate question. The prophets themselves were supported by miracles.

From some atheists: "The absence of miracles today proves they never happened" — a logical leap. Something not happening today doesn't prove it never happened in the past. "Miracles are myths invented by the ignorant" — reductive oversimplification. Testimonies of miracles come from both educated and simple people throughout history. "Science has proven miracles impossible" — confusing the natural with the possible. Science studies natural laws, it doesn't rule on what can happen outside them.

The nature of the question and its dimensions

The question has several interconnected dimensions:

First, the historical dimension: Were great miracles actually more frequent in the past? Or does the method of recording and transmission make them appear so?

Second, the theological dimension: What is the purpose of miracles in the first place? And does this purpose still exist?

Third, the cognitive dimension: How do we define a "great, obvious miracle"? And are our criteria today different from the past?

Fourth, the scientific dimension: Has the advancement of science changed our ability to recognize miracles?

Serious positions in this debate

The classical position: miracles are connected to divine missions. Many religious scholars see that great miracles were connected to the establishment of divine messages. Moses needed clear miracles before Pharaoh. Jesus supported his mission by raising the dead. Muhammad came with the Quran as a permanent miracle. After the establishment of divine messages, the need for miracles of the same magnitude was no longer present. This doesn't negate minor miracles, but explains the rarity of major ones.

The evolutionary position: the nature of proof has changed. Others see that humanity has evolved in its way of receiving truths. In the past, sensory miracles were the strongest evidence. Today, with the development of critical thinking and science, rational and moral evidence has become more convincing. Sensory miracles today might be interpreted as tricks or illusions, while profound moral transformation or precise cosmic order might be more eloquent.

The psychological position: miracles exist but our perception has changed. Some thinkers suggest that miracles still occur, but our ability to perceive them has changed. The modern mind is trained to look for natural explanations for everything. What was seen as a miracle centuries ago, we search for scientific explanations today even if we don't find them. This doesn't mean miracles don't exist, but that our perceptual "glasses" have changed.

The pragmatic position: the wrong question. A fourth position says that focusing on "why don't we see great miracles" distracts from the more important question: how do we live a meaningful life? Miracles — if they occur — won't solve our existential problems. Mature faith doesn't depend on supernatural miracles, but on deep meaning and inner transformation.

Important observations in contemporary debate

─ Documentation has changed: In an age of cameras and the internet, any unusual event is examined and analyzed. This makes claiming miracles more difficult.

─ Expectations have changed: We expect miracles today to withstand scientific analysis, a criterion that didn't exist in the past.

─ Minor miracles continue: Many witness deep personal experiences, unexpected healings, amazing synchronicities. These might not be "parting seas," but they are miracles on a personal level.

─ The question of need: Do we actually need great miracles today? Or do other accumulated evidence (cosmic, intuitive, moral) suffice?

Where we stand in this debate today

The debate is ongoing and multifaceted. Serious believers don't deny the rarity of great, obvious miracles, but differ in their interpretation. And serious atheists don't settle for saying "there are no miracles," but discuss criteria of proof and perception. What both fair sides agree on: the question is legitimate and important, and answering it requires more than slogans.

For advanced reading

─ Intermediate level: criteria for miracles according to Hume and his critics
─ Advanced level: divine causality and natural laws
─ "Miracles and Natural Laws" family page on the website
─ "Miracles" by C.S. Lewis