>Now, what does all this mean? I think you are right in that it would
>be inappropriate for the Naturalist to say "these unknown naturalistic
>mechanisms MUST exist". Its undecidable whether they exist, a hard
>pill for the committed Naturalist to swallow especially in view of the
>suggestion from algorithmic information theory that the issue may
>be forever undecidable. However ;-), it is *not* inappropriate for
>the Naturalist to say "the only mechanisms that science can entertain
>are naturalistic mechanisms" (my paraphrase of methodological naturalism).
>
>But its also inappropriate for the creationist to try to take advantage
>of this and say that undecidability is somehow evidence of God's
>intervention. Undecidability is undecidability :-).
[...snip]
>After having said all this I should probably also add that Yockey's reaction
>to a God of the Gaps explanation would be equally derisive. The absence of
>evidence for chemical evolution cannot be taken as evidence for creation.
>IMHO, the best approach is to point out the mistakes of ones opponents
>rather than to commit the same mistakes.
Lack of evidence or evidence against a competing theory doesn't constitute
evidence in favor of your theory. I completely agree with you there.
However, natruralists will sneer at and deride any "God of the Gaps"
proposals as a disreputable strategy employed solely by Christians for
sneaking philosophy into science. Then, they turn around and invent their
own fig leaf to sneak their philosophical views into science. My point is
that if naturalists want to write in the textbooks and popular press that it
is POSSIBLE that natural causes could be responsible for the origin of life,
they should also write that it is POSSIBLE that supernatural causes could be
responsible for the origin of life. The issue is undecidable based on the
current state of scientific knowledge and their public discourse should
reflect this fact. Either both proposals are valid propositions or both are
out of bounds.
__________________________________________________________
"Looking back, there's a thread of love and grace
Connecting each line and space I've known" -David Meece
==========================================================
Eddie Gene Olmstead, Jr. Chemistry Department
Asst. Professor of Chemistry Gordon College
Email: olmstead@gordonc.edu 255 Grapevine Road
Phone: (508) 927-2300 Ext. 4393 Wenham, MA 01984