Technology and the Concept of Anti-Nature

Miracles do not have to be viewed as inherently dubious, as often perceived by the monotheistic perspective. In ancient biblical contexts, miracles were considered natural wonders or ironically termed "acts of God." Early religions lacked philosophical sophistication, perceiving divine beings as intertwined with everyday life.

In early Jewish thought, God, along with spiritual beings, was thought to influence all natural occurrences, guiding them toward divine purposes. This belief is exemplified in the story of Job, where his friends assumed his suffering was due to personal wrongdoing. Furthermore, the divine realm was conceptualized as outer space, while the realm of the dead was thought to reside underground, termed "Sheol" by Jews and "Tartarus" by Greeks.

For the naive theist, the universe itself is seen as the miracle of divine creation, with scriptural miracles viewed as rare, impactful natural events, such as floods or prophetic insights. However, the enchanting perception of nature is undermined by science's continual exploration of natural processes. Contrary to Richard Dawkins's claim that dissecting the rainbow does not diminish the world's enchantment, the familiarity of nature can lead to disillusionment. This mirrors the individual journey from childhood wonder to adult skepticism.

As Martin Heidegger pointed out, modern individuals no longer find awe in mere existence. Instead, we adopt a pragmatic attitude towards nature, utilizing scientific understanding to manipulate and reshape our environment. This transition from wonder to skepticism reflects a broader societal alienation from the untouched natural world.

Our reliance on technology reinforces a perception of superiority over nature, suggesting that we don't require a supernatural creator because we have become creators of "anti-nature."

Here lies another interpretation of the miraculous. While the supernatural may oppose the natural in a metaphysical sense, there exists a dichotomy between artificial constructs and the natural world. As intelligent beings, we dominate the realm of artificiality, creating language, moral codes, and technologies that reflect our human ingenuity.

These creations, while natural in their own right, are unnatural in that they challenge the indifferent and chaotic aspects of the universe. By viewing nature negatively, we civilized beings inject purpose where none existed, leaving a legacy that could both uplift and threaten the planet's ecosystems.

If human "progress" can be mistaken for a destructive force against nature, we must consider another definition of "miracle." Here, miracles do not stem from benevolent divine interventions but arise from humanity's desperate attempts to overshadow nature with our achievements, cultures, and technologies that often harm our planet.

Science, in particular, serves as a source of the miraculous. Our rationality empowers us to craft technologies that allow us to defy nature. Through our understanding and creativity, we achieve a godlike status compared to other species, creating environments that, while antinatural, are remarkably miraculous in their own right.

Natural disasters like volcanoes or hurricanes are no longer perceived as miracles because we understand their mechanisms. Instead, the true miracle lies in a clever species' ambition to manipulate the world for its own purposes, creating an alternative reality.

The Mocking of Human Intuition by the World's Inhumanity

A second interpretation of the miraculous arises from scientific advancements. In the archaic view, miracles represented supernatural intrusions into the natural order, inspiring awe due to the perception of nature as familiar and ordinary.

Contrary to Hume's strict empiricism, ancient peoples explained natural regularities by attributing them to human-like agents. Even in Hume's time, many scientists were deists who believed that natural laws stemmed from a divine plan, infusing nature with purpose.

The evolution of modern science marks a significant departure from these ideas. With the rejection of personifying nature and deism, scientists became more objective, stripping natural laws of their divine significance. In this shift, they discovered a universe that defies human intuition—a vast, inhuman expanse that cannot be grasped by our evolved minds.

We have delved into the depths of matter and space, revealing a cosmos filled with black holes and other alien phenomena that challenge our understanding. This monstrous universe, indifferent to human existence, renders the miracles of monotheism obsolete. Why rely on divine interventions when the universe itself is a chaotic miracle?

The miracles attributed to deities, such as healing or divine judgment, were intended to signify a benevolent force guiding natural events. Science has since dismantled the need for such hypotheses, revealing a world governed by objective, impersonal forces.

Instead of isolated wonders affirming a divine presence, we now recognize the strangeness of nature's godless indifference. The miracle of Jesus's resurrection, once seen as a testament to our escape from mortality, is now overshadowed by the tragic understanding that morality and justice are mere human constructs, mocked by the vast, uncaring cosmos.