The World of Religions No. 62 – Nov/December 2013 –
On the subject of miracles, I know of no text as profound and illuminating as the reflection Spinoza offers us in chapter 6 of the Theological-Political Treatise. "Just as men call divine any science that surpasses the scope of the human mind, they see the hand of God in every phenomenon whose cause is generally unknown," writes the Dutch philosopher. Now, God cannot act outside the laws of nature that he himself has established. If there are unexplained phenomena, these never contradict natural laws, but they appear to us as "miraculous" or "prodigious" because we still have a limited knowledge of the complex laws of nature. Spinoza thus explains that the wonders reported in the Scriptures are either legendary or the result of natural causes that are beyond our understanding: this is the case with the Red Sea, which is said to have opened under the effect of a violent wind, or the healings of Jesus, which mobilize resources still unknown to the human body or mind. The philosopher then engages in a political deconstruction of the belief in miracles and denounces the "arrogance" of those who thus intend to show that their religion or their nation "is dearer to God than all others." Not only does the belief in miracles, understood as supernatural phenomena, appear to him as a "stupidity" contrary to reason, but also contrary to true faith, and which would be detrimental to it: "If, therefore, a phenomenon occurred in nature that was not in conformity with its laws, one would have to admit of necessity that it is contrary to them and that it reverses the order that God established in the universe by giving it general laws to regulate it eternally. From which we must conclude that belief in miracles should lead to universal doubt and atheism.
It is not without emotion that I write this editorial, because it is my last. I have been running Le Monde des Religions for almost ten years. The time has come to hand over the reins and devote all my time to my personal projects: books, plays, and soon, I hope, a film. I have had great joy in this exceptional editorial adventure and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your loyalty, which has allowed this newspaper to become a true reference on religious matters throughout the French-speaking world (it is distributed in sixteen French-speaking countries). I sincerely hope that you will continue to remain attached to it, and I am happy to entrust the reins to Virginie Larousse, the editor-in-chief, who has an excellent knowledge of religions and a good deal of journalistic experience. She will be assisted in her task by an editorial committee bringing together several personalities with whom you are familiar. We are working together on a new formula that you will discover in January, and which she herself will present to you in the next issue.
Best wishes to everyone.
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