The Problem of Evil - Common Sense Atheism

Notes 175
7. By ‘signs and wonders’ I mean ‘‘visible’’ miracles, events that are on the
face of it contraventions of the natural order of things. (‘‘The raising of
a house or ship into the air is a visible miracle. The raising of a feather,
when the wind wants ever so little of a force requisite for that purpose, is
as real a miracle, though not so sensible with regard to us’’ (Hume, ‘‘Of
Miracles,’’ n. 1).) To use this biblical term in this sense is by no means an
anachronism. ‘‘Law of nature’’ may be a modern concept (it would have
been difficult indeed to explain to anyone in the ancient world what Hume
meant when he said that the raising of a feather by the wind might be a
violation of the natural order—if the wind did raise the feather, how could
it have wanted, to any degree, a force requisite to that purpose?; what could
that mean?), but people in biblical times were well aware that the truth of
certain reports would entail the existence of violations of the natural order,
for those reports are reports of things that ‘‘just don’t happen’’. See, e.g.,
the reaction of Porcius Festus, procurator of Judea, to Paul’s confession of
faith before King Agrippa (Acts 26: 24). Festus was a first-century man of
affairs, not a post-Newtonian philosopher, but his reaction to Paul’s speech
evidences a position that is as ‘‘Humean’’ as those differences from Hume
permit: it is more reasonable to believe that Paul is mad than it is to believe
what he says, for the kinds of things that Paul has described are kinds of
things that just don’t happen—and a learned man’s being driven mad by
his great learning is a thing that has been known to happen.
8. These words are from a manuscript that, as far as I know, is unpublished.
They are quoted in Robert Bartlett, England under the Norman and Angevin
Kings. I take them from a review of the book by John Gillingham. Here
is a second quotation from the book by the reviewer: ‘‘simple materialism
and disbelief in the afterlife were probably widespread, although they leave
little trace in sources written by clerics and monks’’. (No page citations are
given in the review.)
9. In the ‘‘American undergraduate’’ version, Russell went on to say: ‘‘Then
God will say to me, ‘Good for you, Bertie; you used the mind I gave you.
Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’ And you, young man, you he will
send straight to Hell.’’
10. This is the translation of the Jerusalem Bible. Here is a more literal
translation: ‘‘Do you believe that God is one? You do well. The demons
also believe, and they shudder.’’
11. Is there any evidence that A Christmas Carol was influenced by Luke 16? I
should like to know.
12. Wisd. 1: 16–2: 11. The phrase ‘‘they have made a covenant with death’’
occurs in Isaiah (28: 15), but in that verse, I believe, a different sort of
covenant is intended.
13. ‘‘For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists (hoti
estin) and that he rewards those who seek him’’ (Heb. 11: 6, RSV). Note