Matthew Nalls

In 1841, Ludwig Andreas von Feuerbach published the work The Essence of Christianity.  This treatise aggressively and seemingly mercilessly critiqued and assaulted the essence of what Christianity stood for.  Although not the only religion targeted, Christianity fell under significant doubt and pressure as Feuerbach struck critically and systematically with experience as a philosopher.  Admittedly, Ludwig Feuerbach forges some strong arguments and states valid points.  Despite this, Feuerbach makes significant misconceptions and upholds incorrect contentions during his attack as well.  One of these incorrect contentions made specifically deals with faith and miracles.  Feuerbach states:

The miraculous act — and miracle is only a transient act — is therefore not an object of thought, for it nullifies the very principle of thought; but it is just as little an object of sense, an object of real or even possible experience.  Miracle is a thing of the imagination; and on that very account is it so agreeable for the imagination is the faculty which alone corresponds to personal feeling, because it sets aside all limits, all laws which are painful to the feelings, and thus makes objective to man the immediate, absolutely unlimited satisfaction of his subjective wishes (131, emphasis added).

Essentially, Feuerbach argues miracles are something of a “sugar pill effect on steroids.”  Also known as the “Placebo Effect,” the sugar pill effect occurs when an individual believes in an item or occurrence enough to the point he begins to experience or regard the item or occurrence as real or true.  This is the first misconception made by Feuerbach.

In stout opposition to Christian belief, Feuerbach holds miracles occur basically because man wishes them to occur (or believes they will occur like the Placebo Effect) so much to the point, in their minds or “imagination,” the miracle occurs. He states, “Miracle is an essential object of Christianity, an essential article of faith. But what is miracle?  A supra-naturalistic wish realised — nothing more….  Accordance with subjective inclination is the essential characteristic of miracle.  It is true that miracle produces also an awful, agitating impression, so far as it expresses a power which nothing can resist, — the power of the imagination” (128).

Unfortunately for Feuerbach, there is an essential flaw in his reasoning.  Miracles are performed through the grace and unquestionable power of the Holy Spirit, and only through the Holy Spirit.

According to Feuerbach’s reasoning, it is plausible to conceive the notion if one believes in an unreal thing enough, the thing is then real.  A “miracle,” defined by Feuerbach as “a thing of the imagination,” is the transportation from the “unreal” thing into a “real” thing.  Hence, Feuerbach argues since man felt and longed for Lazarus to rise from the dead, and Lazarus rose from the dead, man’s feelings are enough to serve as the catalyst for the occurrence of a miracle in their minds.  In contradiction to this notion, man simply does not hold the same almighty power as God does.  It is common knowledge a miracle is a supernatural act, an act that works around the laws of nature.  Man undoubtedly cannot work around the laws of nature, as all humankind is bound by them.  God, however, can work around the laws of nature and has worked around these laws before.  The laws of nature do not bind the Holy Spirit.  Hence, He is the one who performs miracles.  If man truly could work around the laws of nature and perform miracles if man literally felt like it enough, then innumerable miracles would occur.  The world would be a strikingly different place.

For example, if one living in a financially depressed or poor state whole-heartily wished for currency, and he wished enough, he would gain currency by which to improve his financial state. Every person in this state would easily uplift themselves into a better state. Likewise, the same would occur for a selfish person who, although living in a rich financial state, still desired more wealth, as long as he wished and felt for this hard enough.  Every person in this respective state would also easily uplift themselves into a better state. This applies to all wants of man.  Husbands, wives, and children would never die, like how Lazarus did not die.  The blind and deaf would always be healed through their own wishes.  The world would be a perfect place, for man could wish for nearly anything if he yearned for it enough.

Unfortunately, because man is in a broken, sinful state in which man experiences selfishness, hostility, and other qualities and furthermore is bound by the laws of nature, miracles cannot be carried out by mankind.  Mankind does not share the same supernatural power as the Holy Spirit.  This is why miracles are not a common occurrence, and in accordance why Feuerbach is mistaken when he declares miracles occur through man’s desires.  Patently, humankind cannot perform miracles unless miracles are performed through them only by the Holy Spirit, as seen in Acts 3:1-10 when Peter and John heal a lame man at the Beautiful Gate outside the temple.

With this, Feuerbach concludes two other interrelated points.  First, Feuerbach declares both faith and miracles to be inseparable.  Second, because both faith and miracles are inseparable, both are subjective as well.  This is where Feuerbach goes wrong.  For this example, it is essential to focus on the faith aspect of Feuerbach’s argument.  “Subjective” has come to mean emotional, non-reliable, or arbitrary knowledge or opinion.  While there is a subjective aspect to faith and desire, this “subjective” is not the kind of “subjective” Feuerbach attempts to portray it as.  He refers to subjective as meaning “imaginative” or “limitless.”  Here is also an objective part of faith Feuerbach avoids mentioning.

To differentiate the two, it is important to define both objective and subjective.  “Objective” refers to a statement or fact completely unbiased and unchangeable.  For example, the statement, “The wall is blue” is an objective statement, as the wall is genuinely blue.  “Subjective” refers to a statement dependent upon the personality or character of the speaker, as a subjective statement generally reflects his perspective or worldview.  A subjective statement cannot be verified through evidence.  An example of this is the statement, “The color blue is the best color.”  There is no way to prove with evidence why the color blue is the best color, as others may not even like the color blue.

In the New Testament, specifically in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, the word “faith” is used in two different ways.  These two different ways are objectively and subjectively.  This is where the difference exists, which Feuerbach avoids.  Objective faith requires an object.  Hence, objective faith is the faith in what one believes.  For Christianity, objective faith is the faith that is the content of God’s Word, His teachings, and His work.  Christianity is an objective faith as the value of belief is not how much one believes in something, but in what one puts that belief: the object of that belief.

Likewise, Christianity is also a subjective faith.  Subjective faith is the personal act of believing and is the faith that arises in one’s self when enjoyed in spirit.  Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  In this case, subjective faith is accurately illustrated as the writer of Hebrews describes faith precisely as the assurance and conviction (belief) in what one’s objective belief is, or in what one believes.  Thus, when Feuerbach states, “Faith is nothing else than belief in the absolute reality of subjectivity,” (126) he completely forgoes the objective part of faith.

Finally, Feuerbach makes one other essential misconception regarding faith and miracles.  Feuerbach states, “The essence of faith, as may be confirmed by an examination of its objects down to the minutest speciality, is the idea that that which man wishes actually is … he wishes for a world which corresponds to the desires of the heart, a world of unlimited subjectivity, i.e., of unperturbed feeling of uninterrupted bliss” (127).

Faith is not the notion that which man desires will actually come to pass.  The error made is a fundamental one.  Man is sinful.  Man tends to be greedy, prideful, or immoral.  Hence, man can desire worldly pleasures (i.e., money, drugs, power, sexual pleasure, alcohol, etc.) in the darker corners of his heart.  Despite this, many of these worldly pleasures will no longer be seen upon the second coming of Christ, yet many still believe.  If faith is the idea man’s desires will be made real, the question arises, “Why do many who still hold worldly desires have faith?”  The answer is, simply, faith is not the notion all of man’s desires will come to pass.  Therefore, Feuerbach’s idea of faith is flawed.

Along with strong arguments, Feuerbach makes strong misconceptions, as seen.  Unfortunately, unless searched through deeper, many of these misconceptions prove to be vital support to some of Feuerbach’s critical contentions and contentions made by others pitted against Christianity, as these misconceptions are not studied deeper but merely mistaken for truth.  Hence, it reminds one to be wary against such arguments made against Christianity and to search with focus into the reasoning behind such arguments.  A greater amount of validity combined with even an insignificant amount of invalidity will never forge a valid argument.