Hume and Wiles Comparison

Hume and Wiles Comparison

1. Hume is Atheist, Wiles is Christian

   • Hume assumes there is no God able to violate natural laws
   • Wiles assumes there is a God that chooses not to intervene.

2. Hume starts from Empiricism, Wiles starts from Christianity

   • Hume assumes that the religious believer is required to believe in miracles, and that since miracles is the least likely of all events, religion is irrational
   • Wiles starts from Christian belief: God can be understood without his requirement to be active in the world and violating it's laws

3. Hume's approach is realist, Wiles approach is anti-realist

   • Their view on recorded miracles
     • Hume: Miracles recorded in holy books (Bible) are literal descriptions of false facts
     • Wiles: Much of the Bible is symbolic and mythological
   • Their view on miracles themselves
     • Hume: focuses on the evidence available for a miracle
     • Wiles: Focuses on whether God's intention can be expressed