RE: Fragility and tendentiousness

From: Alexanian, Moorad (alexanian@uncw.edu)
Date: Sat Sep 20 2003 - 10:31:40 EDT

  • Next message: Steve Petermann: "Re: Fragility and tendentiousness"

    What is wrong with the word “nonphysical” to describe that aspect of reality that is “truly beyond the reaches of science no matter how it [science] is defined?” [M. Alexanian, PSCF 54, 287 (2002) and T. Trenn, PSCF 55, 137 (2003)].

     

    Moorad

            -----Original Message-----
            From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu on behalf of Steve Petermann
            Sent: Sat 9/20/2003 9:06 AM
            To: allenroy; Dr. Blake Nelson
            Cc: asa@lists.calvin.edu
            Subject: Re: Fragility and tendentiousness
            
            

            Allen wrote:
    > 1. Do we know everything there is to know about how the natural world
    > works? Some say that the more we know, the more questions we have.
    >
    > 2. Since we don't know every thing there is to know about the workings
    > of nature, then we cannot determine for sure if an event is "natural" or
    > "supernatural"--i.e. a miracle. We cannot know but what may seem to be
    > supernatural in our limited understanding of nature, may actually be
    > natural in a complete understanding.
    >
    > 3. If it is proposed that God invented, designed and made the natural
    > existence, then, with our limited knowledge, we cannot say that God
    > functions naturally or supernaturally with the natural.
    >
    > 4. Therefore, isn't the entire argument of natural vs. supernatural
    > moot?
            
            
            I agree with your argument. See prior post:
            http://www.calvin.edu/archive/asa/200309/0365.html
            
            In fact I think it might be better to use another word instead of
            supernaturalism like, "anomalism" when referring to God's activity in events
            that are somehow different from those described by current science.
            However, it does seem from both personal experiences and scientific
            investigations(where anomalies are detected) that these anomalies are small
            events embedded in the fabric of regularity. They could account for emergent
            systems and possibly brain function but would not be a heavy handed
            mechanism. Question is, if this is true, what does that say to theology?
            
            Steve Petermann
            
            

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