One of the most frequently touted evidences for God is the occurance of miracles. Scottish philosopher David Hume states in his 1748 book An Enquiry on Human Understanding, that "A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience as can be imagined".
In other words, a miracle is an event that violates scientific laws. David Hume further asserts that since these scientific laws are "established", the occurance of miracles are an impossiblilty. Therefore, it is not scientific (or even rational) to accept the existance of miracles.
With great respect to David Hume, I disagree with him. It is entirely possible to be a scientist, and believe in miracles.
On scientific law
Firstly in the realm of science, the word "law" has an entirely different meaning from what it is common understood. In everyday use, it is a legal set of rules that everyone has to follow. Unlike the legal term, a scientific "law" merely states what is generally observed.
For example, let's talk about Mendel's laws of genetic inhertience. His second law (aka the Law of Independent Assortment) states that each parent transmits a random copy of an allele. However, it is noted that while this oberservation is generally true (as it is a law), it does not always happen (due to the presence of epigenetics and self-genetic elements). Violating the scientific law just means an anomaly in the observations. It does not mean the laws no longer hold.
I suppose one could ask miracles do not occur more often. If they did, they would not be rare, and therefore would be called miracles.
A circular argument
Furthermore, the English poet Chesteron (1908) rightly points out the David Hume's argument is circular-- he defines miracles as impoosible to happen. Consider this:
1) Only scientific laws happen
2) Miracles cannot happen because they are by nature, unscientific.
3) Therefore, miracles cannot happen.
In other words, Chesterton points out that the assertion that miracles cannot happen because they simply cannot happen is an argument from dogma, rather than rationality.
Miracles aren't unscientific?
Yes miracles are one-time or rare events. So they aren't scientific as science investigates the repeatible and the general. However, they can be investigated-- through history (i.e. the historical method). So come and investigate Jesus Christ, the God who stepped into time and space, and who knows-- it could be heavenly.
References
Chesterton, G.K. (1908) Orthodoxy
For further reading
Bethinking
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