> Any legitimate form of scientific inquiry relies on experimental science. I
> do not see how you can circumvent the statement of Laplace that experimental
> science has no need for God. So long as the data collected by the
> experimenter is done by mechanical apparatus---whose function is governed by
> physical laws--then the statement made by Laplace is almost a tautology.
I agree, & would add that this is true for both experimental &
theoretical science. Whatever Laplace's beliefs were, his statement
that he "did not need that hypothesis [of God]" is a correct statement
about the way science _qua_ science functions. Christian belief may, of
course, serve as a motivation for doing science - but so may a lot of
other things.
George
-- George L. Murphygmurphy@imperium.nethttp://www.imperium.net/~gmurphy