Quote by C.S. Lewis
For this reason, the question whether miracles occur can never be answered simply by experience. Every event which might claim to be a miracle is, in the last resort, something presented to our senses, something seen, heard, touched, smelled or tasted. And our senses are not infallible. If anything extraordinary seems to have happened, we can always say that we have been the victims of an illusion. If we hold a philosophy which excludes the supernatural, this is what we always shall say. What we learn from experience depends on the kind of philosophy we bring to experience. It is therefore useless to appeal to experience before we have settled, as well as we can, the philosophical question.
Summary
This quote explains that the question of whether miracles occur cannot be answered solely by relying on personal experiences. Miracles are events that are perceived through the senses, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. However, our senses are not always reliable, and what may appear extraordinary could simply be an illusion. The interpretation of these experiences depends on the philosophical beliefs we hold. If we reject the existence of supernatural phenomena, we will always attribute such events to illusions. Therefore, it is pointless to rely on personal experiences without first examining and deciding our philosophical standpoint.
Topics
Christianity
By C.S. Lewis
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