Revelation Religious upbringing/ Miracles Visions Religious Experience

nurture (conversion)
Features  the divine and  Being brought up  break the law of  seen in a dream,  an encounter with God/
supernatural disclosure  in a Christian home science trance, or religious an experience of God
to humans of love and  a supernatural sign/ ecstasy  a regenerative
 God’s unveiling of faithfulness wonder  presence of a divine experience
himself to humanity  to follow the  the only explanation is messenger  experience a change in
 communicating a divine teachings of a God  a religious message one’s life and/or
truth religion  impossible for human given to the visionary religious belief
 to follow the beings  can be visual  a strong desire to
practice of a (apparition) or auditory commit themselves to
religion God in a special way

Example(s)  special revelation  to baptize their children  biblical miracles like  St. Pauls’ auditory  St. Paul’s conversion
 the Bible (infant baptism) parting the Red Sea, vision on the way to took place in Damascus
historical events  teaching their children healing the woman Damascus  from Judaism to
like liberating the prayers, bible stories, with severe bleeding (encountered the Risen Christianity
Israelites from saints, and the church  healing miracles in Lord)  from a persecutor
slavery life in  taking their children to Lourdes (the  Marian Apparition in to an influential
Egypt church for attending miraculous spring) Lourdes preacher in
Jesus (his Sunday School & Sunday  a drug addict in Cenacle
incarnation; his Mass and preparing Community
words and deeds) them for other  be baptized
 natural revelation sacraments e.g. First  lead a new life
 the good of Communion and (overcame the
humanity Confirmation addiction)
 the vastness and  sending their children to  find a purpose in
complexity of the Catholic School where life
universe RE are taught in a
 the beauty of religious environment
nature

Why it might lead to the  the authenticity of the  Children are taught that  absence of a natural  vision can only come  If a person has such a
belief in God (His Bible (God speaks God exists since they are explanation from God vivid religious
existence)? through the OT and NT young  make belief in  God has acted on the  trustworthiness of experience that it
showing his character God seems natural earth the visionary converts them, and
and commands)  they simply believe what  Direct contact with  the details of the totally changes their
 the words and deeds of their parents/ teachers/ God vision life, then God must exist
the historical person of priests tell them.  Only an omnipotent  the messages of to cause the miracle
Jesus (He once existed  going to church and God can turn what is the vision
physically on earth and seeing so many people impossible into (compatible with
interacted with the pray to God and possible the Church
 people during his worshipping God is likely teachings)
lifetime) to make them think that  the changes to the
 the vastness and God must exist. behavior of the
complexity of the  having religious visionary
universe suggest that experience through
there is a need of an receiving different
omnipotent creator and sacraments and prayers
designer
Criticisms  cannot be  parents’ attempt to  witnesses can be  visions cannot be  A conversion
(Atheists/ Humanists) communicating indoctrinate children in mistaken communicating experience is only in
anything real (do not their faith  witnesses can tell lies anything real (do not that person’s head and
believe in God)  they aren’t being  miracles in the past believe in God) cannot prove to anyone
allowed to make the can now be explained  can be explained by else
choice for themselves by science (more scientific enquiry
advanced; more  mental
knowledge) illness/hallucinations
 the presence of evil  only exists in the mind
and suffering in the of the visionary 
world prove nothing
 all religions claim to
have miracles thus
miracles cannot prove
anything about any
one religion
Catholic Responses  Regarding special  It’ s better to experience  authenticity of the  thorough investigations  The radical changes in
revelation faith (even if you later Bible (what is written carried out by the the person can be
 insisted that what disagree with it) than to in the Bible must be Church on the moral observed.
is written in the not have experienced it true) character and mental
Bible must be true at all.  miracles authenticated state of the visionary
 faith by the Church are  the message agrees
 Regarding natural examined scientifically with the teachings of
revelation  God would have to the Bible and the
 cf. the design interfere very often to Church
argument prevent all the evil  the vision has had a
(moral evil) we cause, good effect on the
and this would visionary, and on
undermine our sense Catholics in general
of free will.