RE: Kline article in PSCF

Keith B Miller (kbmill@ksu.ksu.edu)
Wed, 3 Apr 1996 07:37:28 -0600

Jeff posted:

>The position that I think is dangerous philosophically is just the
>reverse: that God cannot interject into the natural order and that
>natural law cannot be violated. I am uneasy about talk of a "seemless
>web" of natural law in science that cannot involve God in any way other
>than in secondary causation. I see no problem with having God have
>providential oversight and secondary causation and also having the
>ability to interject via primary causation whenever he wants to.

I am uncomfortable with the distinction between primary and secondary
causation. I personally see no distinction as it relates to the
accomplishment of God's will in the physical universe. Many of the events
described in scripture as the actions of God were accomplished through
natural processes. Most answered prayer is accomplished through natural
processes. I think we get in trouble by viewing certain of God's actions
as more "direct' than others. For me "special creation" is not any more
special than God's use of natural process.

Keith

Keith B. Miller
Department of Geology
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
kbmill@ksu.ksu.edu
http://www.ksu.edu/~kbmill/