We humans tend to classify everything...and I mean everything. If something doesn't have a clear explanation most people tend to get frustrated and keep trying to figure out an explanation. This is what Descartes would call cartesian. Descartes showed us that there has to be an explanation for everything and that everything can be classified into groups or a cartesian plan. Things that are said to be "miracles" such as bloody Theresa are nonsense to cartesians because everything has to have an explanation. They have trouble believing that a woman could be bleeding everywhere without any wounds and be able to survive without years of no food or water. This doesn't make any sense to cartesians, therefore they believe she is lying.
I myself am a very spiratual person and I believe that miracles can occur. I personally believe that there is something out there much bigger then us and some things don't need explanation. On the other hand I also love science and I love learning about how everything in life works, like our bodies, our minds, and all the things in our environment. These two things are quite contradictory but I feel I have a good balance of both in my life. In the case of Bloody Theresa, I found myself wondering what could be the cause of such bleeding but at the same time it didn't bother me that people were calling it a miracle. I feel that maybe this could be something spiritual that people will never be able to figure out with solid evidence. I personally wouldn't be bothered by the idea that this was a miracle but cartesians would say that there is no way she could be bleeding without a source and they constantly will try to find an explanation for this phenomenon. Although I am a spiritual person and don't always try to seek explanations I believe that Descartes made a huge contribution to science and helped make our world as technologically advanced as we are today.
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I totally agree with your post, it seems as though even when we humans aren't even trying to categorize something we do it out of habit, and are always curious trying to find where something will fit in. I also believe in "miracles" and think that there are things that go better unanswered or remaining a mystery. Especially after reading Anne Fausto-Sterling's book I believe that sometimes the Cartesian way of thinking causes more trouble than accepting the unknown when it defies what has been socially accepted for many years.
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