The St. Thomas More Society recently honored Antonin Scalia with its “Man for all Seasons” award.  In his acceptance speech the Supreme Court Justice had some choice words for non-believers who reject a priori (aka atheists) the possibility of the miraculous.

Ministry Values reports

Although the sophisticated may deride them as simple-minded, committed Christians should have the courage to embrace their faith he said. “It isn’t irrational to accept the testimony of eyewitnesses to miracles”  Scalia said.

“What is irrational,” he said, “is to reject a priori, with no investigation, the possibility of miracles in general and of Jesus Christ’s resurrection in particular — which is, of course, precisely what the worldly wise do.”

Scalia cited the 10-year-old case of a priest in the Washington archdiocese who was said to have the stigmata. Statues of Mary and the saints appeared to weep in his presence. Reporters for The Washington Post did a story and were unable to find an explanation for the strange phenomena.

“Why wasn’t that church absolutely packed with nonbelievers,” Scalia asked, “seeking to determine if there might be something to this?”

The answer was obvious, he said with disdain: “The wise do not investigate such silliness.”

Many militant atheists take this line.  Prove it to me; I am not interested in your proof.

This type of a priori rejection of proof is what turns the skeptical into the closed minded atheist.  I can think of no sadder fate than that of a person who has abandoned the search for truth.