From: Alexanian, Moorad (alexanian@uncw.edu)
Date: Wed Sep 03 2003 - 10:17:16 EDT
I believe mathematics is a creation of man and the fact that it is the
language that describes the physical aspect of nature successfully
corroborates that both man and nature are created by God.
Moorad
-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Debbie Mann
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 9:58 AM
To: Asa
Subject: RE: Van Till's Ultimate Gap
I tutored my step-son last night in probability. I've tutored him before
in
Calculus. Every so often in the process, we get to a point where he sees
the
wonder in the math as I do. "And that just happens?" To which I reply,
"Isn't it cool how it all works together?"
I studied projective geometry for my masters. It is great fun. It is
possible to do many neat 'party tricks' with it. It is the third
possibility, with Euclidean being the first and elliptical the second.
Stepping beyond Euclidean was fundamental for Einstein.
The math in this universe alone is a miracle. It is phenomenal, amazing
and
I absolutely believe it was created by a great mind. It didn't just
happen.
-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On
Behalf Of Iain Strachan
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 1:49 AM
To: Josh Bembenek; asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: Van Till's Ultimate Gap
I think Stephen Hawking alludes to the "ultimate gap" very clearly in
the
last page of "Brief History of Time", by asking questions such as "Why
does
the universe go to the bother of existing at all?" "What is it that
breathes fire into the equations?" "Why is there something rather than
nothing?". His book concludes famously with the statement that if we
knew
the answer to these questions, then we would truly know the mind of God.
Though Hawking is an atheist, I think he is perhaps making the point
that
there are some things for which we may not expect to find a naturalistic
explanation. It just IS, and from there we enter the realm of
philosophy/theology/metaphysics, or whatever. The maths tells us HOW,
but
it doesn't tell us WHY.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Iain .G.D. Strachan
There are 10 types of people in the world ...
those who understand binary and those who don't.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Josh Bembenek" <jbembe@hotmail.com>
To: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 6:42 AM
Subject: Van Till's Ultimate Gap
> Just a quick thought that I'd like some feedback on. Many on this
list
have
> expressed dismay over IDers usage of God's "hand-like" action as a
magic
> wand to use whenever scientists don't understand a particular
phenomena.
I
> agree that it is fruitful to point out that God never ceases to act in
> sustaining Creation and that such rhetorical strategy implies
unintelligent
> creation when natural mechanisms are found to account for such
phenomena.
> However, I wonder if this same problem exists for the fully-gifted
creation
> viewpoint? What makes us think that the origin of space time and the
> derivation of matter, energy and all of the universe is simply a gap
in
our
> understanding that some future naturalistic discovery won't elegantly
> explain, again making the "God Hypothesis" obsolete? Perhaps I should
> remember some discussion of this in some article, but its not coming
to
me.
> I don't care to defend my idea by trying to give any explanation for a
> naturalistic origin of space-time. Besides for those here, isn't it
> sufficient enough to hypothesize that a naturalistic explanation is
out
> there awaiting our discovery instead of "jumping the gun" and
prematurely
> attributing creation to the act of God before all explanations are
fully
> explored? The Big Bang Hypothesis is younger than evolution isn't it?
I'm
> not looking for a drawn out debate, just some thoughtful
considerations.
>
> Josh
>
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