From: Steve Petermann (steve@spetermann.org)
Date: Sat Sep 13 2003 - 14:18:34 EDT
Howard wrote:
> 1. You cannot empirically distinguish between a) a universe with a real 14
> billion year history from b) one that is 6000 years old (or 6 minutes old)
> with a built-in appearance of having had a 14 billion year history.
>
> 2. You cannot empirically distinguish between a) a creation fully-gifted
by
> God with a robust formational economy (including the ability to evolve)
and
> b) the universe of materialism that just happens to exist and also happens
> to have a robust formational economy (including the ability to evolve).
Agreed.
> Does that mean that there is no way to evaluate the relative merits of
> propositions a) and b) in each example? No, it means that that evaluation
> must be made on criteria other than empirical -- theological, biblical,
> philosophical, aesthetic, ....
But what to you mean by <evaluate the relative merits>? Do you mean their
scientific or truth merits or rather what is extrapolated from those
positions say by their psychological or societal merits, or their systematic
elegance?
Steve Petermann
----- Original Message -----
From: "Howard J. Van Till" <hvantill@chartermi.net>
To: <ASA@calvin.edu>
Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 7:41 AM
Subject: Re: My daughter is a YEC
> One comment on a portion of this discussion.
>
> I take both of the following to be true.
>
> 1. You cannot empirically distinguish between a) a universe with a real 14
> billion year history from b) one that is 6000 years old (or 6 minutes old)
> with a built-in appearance of having had a 14 billion year history.
>
> 2. You cannot empirically distinguish between a) a creation fully-gifted
by
> God with a robust formational economy (including the ability to evolve)
and
> b) the universe of materialism that just happens to exist and also happens
> to have a robust formational economy (including the ability to evolve).
>
> Does that mean that there is no way to evaluate the relative merits of
> propositions a) and b) in each example? No, it means that that evaluation
> must be made on criteria other than empirical -- theological, biblical,
> philosophical, aesthetic, ....
>
> Howard Van Till
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