Editing Miracle (section)

{{short description|Event not explicable by natural or scientific laws}}
{{other uses}}
{{redirect|Miraculous|the animated television series|Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir}}
{{Paranormal|state=expanded|image=Virgin Mary of Akita Japan.jpg|caption= The [[weeping statue]] of [[Our Lady of Akita]]. The [[Holy See|Vatican]] has officially approved a 1970s [[Marian apparition]] in [[Japan]] as miraculous. The entire nation of Japan was able to view the tears of the statue of the [[BVM(RC)|Virgin Mary]] on national television.<ref>{{cite book |title= The Everything Mary Book: The Life and Legacy of the Blessed Mother |author1= Jenny Schroedel | author2 = John Schroedel |year=2006 |pages=137–38 |isbn=1-59337-713-4}}</ref>}}

A '''miracle''' is an event that is inexplicable by [[physical laws|natural]] or [[scientific law]]s<ref name="Miracle">One dictionary defines [https://web.archive.org/web/20140727005539/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/miracle?q=miracle "Miracle"] as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency."</ref> and accordingly gets attributed to some [[supernatural]] or [[praeternatural]] cause. Various [[religion]]s often attribute a phenomenon characterized as miraculous to the actions of a supernatural being, (especially) a [[deity]], a [[Miracle Worker (disambiguation)|miracle worker]], a [[saint]], or a [[religious leader]].

Informally, English-speakers often use the word ''miracle'' to characterise any beneficial event that is statistically unlikely but not contrary to the [[laws of science|laws of nature]], such as surviving a [[natural disaster]], or simply a "wonderful" occurrence, regardless of likelihood (e.g. "the miracle of childbirth"). Some [[coincidence]]s may be seen as miracles.<ref>{{cite book |last= Halbersam |first= Yitta |title= Small Miracles |publisher= Adams Media |year= 1890 |isbn=1-55850-646-2}}</ref>

A true miracle would, by definition, be a non-natural phenomenon, leading many writers to dismiss miracles as physically impossible (that is, requiring violation of established laws of physics within their domain of validity) or impossible to confirm by their nature (because all possible physical mechanisms can never be ruled out). The former position is expressed (for instance) by [[Thomas Jefferson]], and the latter by [[David Hume]]. [[Theologian]]s typically say that, with [[divine providence]], [[God]] regularly works through [[nature]] yet, as a [[Creator deity|creator]], may work without, above, or against it as well.<ref name="Miracles">[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/miracles/ Miracles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122025733/https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/miracles/ |date=2019-11-22 }} on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy</ref>