Re: Natural Theology, Unguided Processes and Apologetics

Terry M. Gray (grayt@lamar.colostate.edu)
Fri, 12 Sep 1997 12:49:20 -0600

>Paul quotes approvingly Terry who said:
>
>>"So when I say that God is intimately involved in the governing of the
>>universe, I mean just that. Intimately. I tell my students that God's
>>involvement in the conversion of water into hydrogen and oxygen in a
>>hydrolysis reaction is NO LESS than his involvement in the conversion of
>>water into wine at the wedding of Cana."
>>
>
>OK - I get the point about providence, concurrence, etc., but I get a
>little nervous here at the implication that this is "all God does" in
>relation to the created order. God may be NO LESS involved in hydrolysis
>than in turning water into wine in Cana, but surely it's a DIFFERENT kind
>of involvement?
>
>Peter

I would argue that it's the same kind of involvement. I prefer to use the
words ordinary vs. extraordinary or regular vs. irregular. (I think this
is was Don Page was saying in citing C.S. Lewis.) The other argue has to
do with the end in view--miracles are for a particular redemptive
historical purpose, c.f. John 2:11 "This, the first of his miraculous
signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and
his disciples put their faith in him." This is not to say that God
ordinary/regular activity in the universe is not also meant to accomplish
something--but typically miracles are intended to confirm God's prophets
and to shock us into seeing things that we should have seen by his ordinary
work but wouldn't because of our sinful suppression of the truth.

TG

_________________
Terry M. Gray, Computer Support Scientist
Chemistry Department, Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
grayt@lamar.colostate.edu http://www.chm.colostate.edu/~grayt/
phone: 970-491-7003 fax: 970-491-1801