In this paper, a candidate necessary condition of a miracle is introduced: the direct restriction. The direct restriction holds that all miraculous effects have direct non-natural causes.

Philosophers have made numerous and varied attempts to analyse the concept of a miracle. To the end, an assortment of necessary and sufficient conditions for the truth an instantiation of a miracle have been offered. In this paper we discuss one of the most common of these conditions - the violation restriction. This restriction holds that all miracles involve a violation of a law of nature.

I TACKLE THE LIMITED QUESTION WHETHER THERE IS AN APPROPRIATE PROCEDURE FOR SUPPORTING (VIOLATION) MIRACLE CLAIMS. I DON’T ASK WHETHER THAT PROCEDURE WARRANTS BELIEF IN MIRACLES. RELYING ON VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS FOR RATIONALLY ADVANCING A (VIOLATION) MIRACLE CLAIM, I URGE THAT G ROBINSON IS WRONG IN MAINTAINING THAT MIRACLE CLAIMS ARE A "MATTER OF WHIM"; RATHER THEY RELY ON A DEFINITE METHOD. FURTHER I URGE THAT M DIAMOND IS WRONG IN MAINTAINING THAT MIRACLE CLAIMS BRING BOTH SCIENTIFIC INQUIRIES TO A PREMATURE (...) END AND SCIENTIFIC AUTONOMY UNDER THREAT; RATHER MIRACLE CLAIMS PRESUPPOSE THOROUGH AND UNIMPEDED SCIENTIFIC INQUIRIES. (shrink)