Re: [asa] JDEP

David wrote:

> I don't see why "this phenomenon seems to complex to have evolved by
> natural processes and appears to bear the marks of design" should close off further
> inquiry into other causes of the phenomenon, natural or otherwise.
>

I think I see what you are saying. I notice that it is difficult to say
anything on this subject without stepping on a land mine, and so
we should read each others comments carefully because of that.

As scientists, like Iain said, we in effect must pursue the natural
explanations exclusively, because we have no way to directly
measure the supernatural.

I think the main pitfall with saying "this is too complex" is that
it could also be "we have not been clever enough to figure it
out (at least yet)". I note however, that you included the word
"seems". This does bear admission to the fact that what may
appear complex today, may have a simple answer tomorrow. The
only qualm I have is that it appears to me to be a qualitative opinion.
We can perhaps agree on some lower bound of likelihood, but
someone else may drop the bar further, so I'm not sure there
an objective baseline, though some explanations for the baselines
appear more credible than other. As long as we otherwise go
about our daily business with only a view changed, it may be
ok, though I'm a little concerned that a "vested interest"
could begin to take hold.

Yet, even there, that "vested interest" runs both ways like a double
edged sword.

As Christians, this is a paradox we face, because we do
believe in God, we depend on His Grace, and put our trust
that life does have meaning and purpose. Yet as scientists,
we are committed to studying the natural world and everything
in it. So in a strange way, nothing is sacred, and we go in
our business probing and picking at everything, and not
saying "God" anywhere. Maybe it is like the book of Esther,
where I think God is mentioned at most once, and the king
is mentioned all the time (probably more than 100 times).
Our lives center on that "king", yet the real King is
always quietly there in the background. Hence, due to our
commitment as scientist (that vested interest you might say),
it is easy for us to lose sight of God. I guess it is God's working in
the events in our lives as seen through the eyes of faith.
And maybe it is the absence of a (TM) stamp that makes God
so "visible", in my opinion.

by Grace we proceed,

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Received on Fri Sep 1 15:11:39 2006