Re: methodological naturalism - origin of the term?

From: D. F. Siemens, Jr. (dfsiemensjr@juno.com)
Date: Fri Aug 29 2003 - 00:32:55 EDT

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    On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 18:11:35 -0400 George Murphy <gmurphy@raex.com>
    writes:
    >
    > Dave -
    > I don't see why MN has to rule out all forms of vitalism.
    > _Elan vital_ or
    > something equivalent need not be "supernatural," just a different
    > kind of natural stuff
    > from the things found in non-living entities & requiring a more
    > general set of natural
    > laws to encompass both inorganic & organic entities.
    > I am not as nervous as some about the term "provisional
    > atheism," recalling that
    > in the first centuries Christians were sometimes called "atheists"
    > because they didn't
    > believe in the deities that the pagans worshipped. & if it's a
    > question of whether or
    > not I believe in the god who insists on leaving his fingerprints all
    > over the evidence,
    > I am /a/ that particular /theos/.
    >
    > Shalom,
    > George
                          
    >

    George,
    While it's true that vitalism is not necessarily supernaturalism, the
    forms I have encountered have insisted that there is something
    "different" with living things at lest closely akin to a soul. I think it
    would be difficult to study Aristotle's sentient soul within strict
    naturalism, let alone the rational soul.

    To call any view atheistic is prejudicial in Christian circles. It was in
    the popular mind during the period of the early church, when essentially
    any one who was not polytheistic was considered atheistic. Earlier, the
    epithet was applied to Socrates to prejudice the jury. You may, in face
    to face encounter, disarm the term. But it is not intended to be neutral,
    and you may find that some of your interlocutors are convinced that you
    are bound for hell. On the other side, you believe that God intelligently
    designed the universe he created, but you have to watch the terms because
    of ID, AiG, ICR, etc.

    You know what they are doing and discount the effort as foolish. But you
    are in the minority. At least half of those who label themselves
    evangelical believe in recent creationism.
    Dave

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