Card Tricks and Miracles

How would one be able to distinguish between a messenger from God and a false prophet? Both would obviously say they were sent by the divine. Both would probably make predictions. If one is vague enough or lucky enough some may even come true. The only way the meek could possibly tell the difference were if one could perform miracles.

This is mentioned in the bible quite often. False and real prophets would have public miracle castings all the time. Even Jesus would come to use them for vindication. During the ages depicted in the bible, miracles seemed almost commonplace. every generation had its prophet. Each prophet made sure to keep his believers on the edge of their seats with amazement.

Oddly enough, all of these magical events ended with the bible. It seems every religious text talks of miracles performed in a distant time, but none can be replicated today. Ever since biblical times people have been calling themselves messengers from God. Most with contradicting prophecies. But since the beginning of the age of properly recorded history, none could rise to carry the burden of proof required in the bible. How are the meek supposed to tell the difference?

When we search our times for miracle like events, however, something does come up. Magic is being performed all the time. From Penn & Teller to Siegfried & Roy amazement is delivered on mass. We are enthrolled as they turn water into wine and make animals disappear. What is their message? we ask, Who do they worship?

And so we reach a moment of inner reflection. Let’s imagine a person were to appear before us claiming a moral truth. To support his claim, he turns water into wine and parts a sea. Proving absolutely that he had magnificent abilities. Would these feats make his moral truth correct? Would we forgo reason and proper judgment of his moral claims simply because he has these powers? Any individual today, if taken back in time, could easily wow a biblical audience. No God needed. Would that make him morally absolute?

Most of the magicians of today have enough integrity to reveal that it’s all an illusion. No one is turning water into wine but making you think they are. Maybe they know they could never get away with it. Maybe they have no religious ambition. Whatever the case, these magicians have raised the bar for miracle work. In order for a prophet to convince a modern audience of his Gods power he must accomplish an even greater feat. Something spectacular. Perhaps the parting of a sea.

When boiled down, biblical miracles are as credible a source of evidence as the bible itself. All of them, of course, unverifiable. And from an age filled with miracles to one entirely devoid, we must ask: why? The cut off point seemed to coincide with the last chapter of the book. Today there are large cash prizes offered to anyone who can have their supernatural powers survive scientific scrutiny. Yet no one has claimed them.