Final answer:
To consider an event as a miracle, it must violate natural laws and be supported by clear evidence. Verification issues and alternative explanations often lead to skepticism about such events. Therefore, miraculous events are generally not accepted by rational individuals without extraordinary evidence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Exploring the Concept of Miracles and the Supernatural
To consider an event as a potential miracle, two rigorous criteria must be satisfied: (1) the event must violate the laws of nature, and (2) there must be clear and indisputable evidence supporting that the event occurred as reported. In the absence of these conditions, it's scientifically and rationally challenging to attribute events to supernatural causes or laws of nature yet to be discovered. Events that currently possess no naturalistic explanation may find one in the future, so definitive claims of the supernatural need to be approached with caution.
Verification is a significant obstacle, as reports of miracles typically rely on witness testimony, which becomes less reliable as the claimed events grow more extraordinary. Moreover, it's difficult to conclusively eliminate all alternative explanations, such as deception, hallucinations, or advanced technologies, leaving skepticism as the more rational stance for many people.
Religious experiences often face similar scrutiny. While compelling to the individuals who have them, outside observers might view these experiences skeptically, given the myriad possible natural explanations. Rationality, coupled with a lack of concrete evidence, leads to the broad dismissal of claims of supernatural events by the non-believing populace.
In summary, the acceptance of a supernatural realm, deity, or supreme being based on miracle claims requires extraordinary evidence, which has yet to be universally presented or accepted.