Jon posted, in part: "However, I think there is a need for a word to
describe specific actions by God in the world contrary to creaturely
processes. Bill Payne's favourite is the floating axe head, another
would be the resurrection of Jesus. Any suggestions?"
My own favorite is the Cana wedding event. To answer your question, I use
"supernatural" for such actions. In that sense, I also use "supernatural"
to describe what I do when I perceive two or more courses of action I
maight take, and decide among them, and do one of them. If I did not
assume this, I would have to assume determinism, absence of free will,
etc.
Of course, if demons ar such exist (I have my doubts), they would also be
capable of s/n actions.
I define a s/n action as breaking into the causal chain of events by some
intelligent agent.
I don't have any particular word to distinguish betwwen the category of
agent. Perhaps we could just use the terms:
s/n(g)
s/n(h)
s/n(o)
as standing for supernatural intervention by God, a human or "other."
s/n(o) would have to have subcategories, perhaps.
Burgy (John Burgeson)
www.burgy.50megs.com
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