Religious people are more likely to say they’ve experience a miracle but they aren’t the only ones who do:
In a research article published in Review of Religious Research in July, sociologist Edwin Eschler comes to some unexpected conclusions about who experiences miracles—defined as “any experience in which a person believes an event or outcome was influenced by supernatural agents”:
For example,
➤ Well-educated and well-to-do people are just as likely to say they have experienced a miracle as poor and uneducated people—if they encounter an existential threat in life…
Yes, in a general way, religious beliefs and activities did correlate with a greater likelihood of reporting that one has experienced a miracle. But the sociology literature assumes that urbanization and other modern trends would reduce religious belief and acceptance of miracles. That wasn’t well supported. As he says in the paper, “greater cultural diversity as measured by urbanity was actually associated with higher odds of experiencing a miracle.”
News, “Common reasons for dismissing miracles are mistaken, study shows” at Mind Matters News
Use your sociology of religion textbook to prop the window open.
You may also wish to read: Why reasonable people think near-death experiences are real. Distinguished engineers Walter Bradley and Robert J.Marks sift through the evidence.
Educated and well-to-do people are just as likely to be part of the 57% who say they have experienced a miracle as poor and uneducated ones