Even after modern science and medicine chip away at classic Biblical miracle stories, the belief goes on. They trust in God. Through prayer they overcome - and they know they didn't do it by themselves or just with medical help. All five major world religions, from Buddhism to Judaism to Christianity, have an oral and written history regarding miracles, according to a newly published book by Newsweek senior writer and religion editor Kenneth L. Woodward. He says that while different cultures experience different types of miracles, there are several criteria that seem to apply to all modern miracles.
Most modern miracles are unanticipated cures that take place at shrines.
They are divine signs that are private, not public events, forcing those who experience them to offer a personal testimonial - and making the burden of proof a weighty one, according to Woodward. Catholics believe miracles are healings that take place when there is no medical, scientific or natural reason for the cure. They will also say the miracle worker is God's instrument, someone who can intercede with the Lord on behalf of a human being, according to Spain. To be accepted by the Vatican as a true miracle, miraculous events are investigated and transformed into medical case histories. The Vatican, which has canonized 5,000 people, often spends years investigating a single miracle and relies heavily on medical testimony, even testimony from doctors of other faiths, to determine whether a miracle occurred.