Fr. Longenecker on Miracles and the Shrous of Turin

"The Scottish philosopher David Hume famously disbelieved in miracles. He used a kind of Occam's Razor to cut through any suggestion of a miracle. He argued:

'By definition, a miracle goes against our very regular and extensive experience of how the world works. Therefore, on the basis of experience, the probability that a miracle has occurred must always be less than the probability that it hasn't. Because it is rational to believe what is most probable, we never have a good reason to believe that a miracle has occurred.

"So - 'The alternative to the miraculous answer is always to be preferred because it will always be more probable.'

"In other words, 'Miracles are impossible therefore miracles don't happen.'

"As more and more scientific research is completed on the Shroud of Turin, however, Hume's argument becomes more and more strained.

"The toss up is this: The Shroud of Turin is either the burial cloth of Jesus Christ on which is recorded evidence of the resurrection OR it is a forgery OR it is just a mysterious artifact for which we do not yet have a natural explanation."

In a recent commentary, Father Dwight Longenecker (parish priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Greenville, SC) reflected on the challenges facing the choice of other than the miraculous as an explanation for the Shroud.

To access Fr. Longenecker's complete post, please visit:

Standing on My Head: David Hume and the Shroud of Turin (3 AUG 17)

Background information:

Dwight Longenecker - Catholic priest and author