How to prove supernaturalism?

From: Chris Cogan (ccogan@telepath.com)
Date: Thu Oct 19 2000 - 02:10:44 EDT

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    This is a follow-up of my post of a few nights ago titled
    "Supernaturalism's Basic Flaws," in which I argued that supernaturalism
    could not be proved because:

    A. It would exhibit no empirical evidence that we could not attribute to
    natural-world bases, that it had no empirically distinguishing features.

    B. That positing the supernatural as a means of answering philosophical
    questions either does not answer them (because of inherent failure or
    because of infinite regresses) or because any actual fact the supernatural
    might provide a basis for could also be provided by the natural world.

    I also pointed out that, by the over-and-above the natural world claims
    made by supernaturalism, it takes on an over-and-above the natural world
    burden of proof, just as I would if I claimed that a dead man was shot, not
    by a human being, but by God himself.

    Responses have been to remarks other than these central claims, so I'm
    still wondering if any Jones-type ID-theorists claim to be able to prove
    the existence of the supernatural, and, if so, what is the general nature
    of such a proof, and why does it work. How do you show that there is a
    known fact or set of facts that can only be attributed to a supernatural
    cause or basis?

    Just curious.

    --Chris



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