# Miracles and Methodological Naturalism

**URL:** <https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/miracles-and-methodological-naturalism/352>\
**Category:** Side Conversation\
**Created:** [June 7, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/miracles-and-methodological-naturalism/352 "2018-06-07T22:16:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 7

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**Author:** ![swamidass](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/swamidass/32/3_2.png) [@swamidass](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/swamidass)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 4:04am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/miracles-and-methodological-naturalism/352/7 "2018-06-08T04:04:37Z")

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> [@Patrick](#):
>
> Science takes the position that miracles haven’t occurred, don’t occur, and never will occur. The well known miracles that you claim as having occurred is based on belief without evidence. Belief without evidence is not supported by science so any claims are considered unsubstantiated and untrue until evidence is provided.

That is not actually correct. Rather, it is that science does not consider miracles. The hypothesis of miracles is not allowed from the get go. It is begging the question, circular reasoning, therefore to argue it teaches or finds that there are no miracles. That is a trivially absurd argument.

As the non-theist Eugenia Scott of the NSCE correctly explains

> Because creationists explain natural phenomena by saying “God performed a miracle,” we tell them that they are not doing science. This is easy to understand. The flip side, though, is that if science is limited by methodological [naturalism] because of our inability to control an omnipotent power’s interference in nature, both “God did it” and “God didn’t do it” fail as scientific statements. Properly understood, the principle of methodological [naturalism] requires neutrality towards God; **we cannot say, wearing our scientist hats, whether God does or does not act.**  
> [Science and Religion, Methodology and Humanism | National Center for Science Education](https://ncse.com/religion/science-religion-methodology-humanism)

Science is silent on God. Science is silent on miracles. Do not mistake silence, however, for denial. Silence is not absence.

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