During a heated debate, the renowned intellectual Christopher Hitchens boldly positioned himself as the ultimate devil's advocate for the Catholic Church, particularly in the context of miracles. This stance sparked a thought-provoking discussion on the evolving relationship between faith and skepticism within the church. One cannot help but ponder whether the traditional role of challenging beliefs and advocating for critical examination, as embodied by the devil's advocate, is gradually fading within the institution. The question arises: Is the Catholic Church shifting away from this longstanding tradition due to the escalating challenges in substantiating miraculous events in the modern age?
As society progresses and scientific advancements shed light on phenomena that were once attributed to divine intervention, the credibility and plausibility of miracles have come under increased scrutiny. The rise of empirical evidence and rational inquiry has led to a more critical approach towards claims of miraculous occurrences. This shift in perspective raises important questions about the role of miracles in contemporary religious discourse and the extent to which they continue to shape faith and doctrine within the Catholic Church.
One intriguing aspect to consider is the evolution of miracles as depicted in the Bible. As the narrative progresses, we observe a notable increase in the frequency and magnitude of miraculous events: it is evident whem you count on the old testament vs the new one.
This phenomenon raises the question of whether miracles served as a convenient narrative device employed by the biblical writers to elucidate phenomena that defied their comprehension. It is conceivable that many occurrences attributed to divine intervention in ancient times might have been natural events or misunderstood phenomena: it is especially possible to Jesus's resurrection. The transition from attributing every unexplained event to the direct hand of God to more mundane occurrences like seeing religious figures in everyday objects like toasters could be viewed as a shift in human perception and interpretation of the divine: who could argue rationally that a blur is not Jesus?
This transition may reflect a progression in human understanding and a reinterpretation of the supernatural in more relatable and accessible terms.
Throughout human history, people have looked to divine powers to explain the mysterious, the miraculous, and the unexplainable. But as science advances, it seems that the "need" for miracles is shrinking, or at least our perception of what qualifies as a miracle has changed. A humorous image circulating online captures this shift perfectly, showing a decline in God’s “miraculous powers” over time, set against the rise of science and technology.
The image’s graph marks notable “miracles” attributed to divine intervention in the past: creating the universe, flooding the planet, causing plagues, walking on water, curing diseases like syphilis, and, in the modern day, the appearance of religious figures on toast. It humorously suggests that as human knowledge has grown, the miracles ascribed to divine power have become less grand and more... mundane. The result? Science and medicine have started to fill the gaps once left to divine mysteries.
The "God of the Gaps" Concept
This image highlights a concept often referred to as the "God of the gaps." In short, when humanity doesn’t understand something — like disease, natural disasters, or even the origins of life — we tend to attribute it to God or another supernatural force. In ancient times, the thunder was a message from the gods; lightning, divine wrath. Disease was a punishment, and natural disasters were signs of an angry deity.
Over time, science has provided explanations for many phenomena that were once shrouded in mystery. We now understand that lightning is caused by static electricity, earthquakes by tectonic plate movement, and diseases by pathogens. With each scientific breakthrough, the “gaps” where we used to place God have shrunk, shifting the source of awe from divine mystery to natural law.
The Case of Syphilis: From Punishment to Penicillin
One of the most interesting inclusions in the image’s chart is “curing syphilis,” a disease that devastated populations centuries ago and was often considered a form of divine punishment for moral transgressions. Syphilis was feared and stigmatized, and without an effective cure, it was a mystery that seemed to carry a moral judgment along with it.
But as science progressed, the discovery of penicillin in the 20th century revolutionized medicine and made syphilis treatable. A disease that was once mysterious, incurable, and considered perhaps even divine retribution could now be cured with a simple course of antibiotics. What was once a matter of fate or divine judgment became something we could control, cure, and prevent.
Miracles in Modern Times: From Seas Parting to Toast Sightings
The image humorously notes that, while once we looked for miracles in the parting of seas or the curing of incurable diseases, today’s “miracles” often appear in far less dramatic forms — like the occasional apparition of a religious figure on toast or a shadow resembling a saint. These occurrences, although cherished by some as signs of divine presence, reflect a shift in the scale of miracles over time.
Science and medicine have effectively demystified much of what ancient people would have seen as miraculous. Today, we know how diseases work, how to prevent and cure them, and why natural phenomena occur. As science and understanding advance, the miraculous — or what we need from the miraculous — seems to retreat into more personal or symbolic realms.
Does This Mean There’s No Place for the Divine?
Some might interpret this trend as diminishing the role of God in the modern world. However, others argue that understanding the workings of the natural world can deepen spiritual beliefs rather than replace them. For many, the awe and wonder of scientific discovery and the vast complexity of life and the universe still leave room for a sense of divinity or purpose.
The "God of the gaps" may be shrinking, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that spirituality is fading. Instead, it may mean that spirituality is shifting, moving away from literal interpretations of divine intervention toward a broader, perhaps more metaphorical understanding of faith, purpose, and existence.
Conclusion: Science and the Evolving Nature of Miracles
The image’s portrayal of God’s “miraculous power” diminishing over time serves as a lighthearted reminder of how human understanding has evolved. Science continues to fill in gaps in our knowledge that were once attributed to divine power, and as a result, what we consider miraculous has changed.
Today, the miraculous may not be found in parting seas or instant cures but in the advancements of medicine, the marvels of technology, and the everyday miracles of human resilience and discovery. For some, the scientific journey itself is a kind of miracle, revealing the intricate workings of a universe far more complex and awe-inspiring than we ever imagined. And in that, perhaps, there is still room for both science and faith to coexist — not in competition, but as different lenses through which we seek to understand our world.
Independent Researcher and writer at Amazon.
Know more: https://linktr.ee/jorgeguerrapiresphd
About Jorge Guerra Pires
Jorge Guerra Pires has been writing and teaching biological systems modeling for beginners since his Ph.D. During his doctoral studies, he launched local courses at the University of L’Aquila, where he completed both his master's and Ph.D. Since then, he has maintained a YouTube channel, blogs, and other forms of knowledge dissemination and discussion, with a strong online focus.
Jorge Guerra Pires is passionate about biology, mathematics, programming, and anything that challenges his intellect. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of L’Aquila/Italy, recognized in Brazil by the University of São Paulo (USP) in bioinformatics. He has completed two post-doctorates, one at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) and the other at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). Additionally, he earned a dual master's degree from the University of L’Aquila and the Technical University of Gdansk/Poland. His undergraduate degree is in Production Engineering from the Federal University of Ouro Preto.
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