Walter Hicks asked: "Why is it valid for scientists to assume that all
unknown phenomena must be explained by "God acting within the limits of
natural causes", but invalid for anyone to suggest that perhaps God may
have had a direct hand in it? The Bible seems to suggest that God is not
shy about interacting with His Universe."
My own position on this is that AS A SCIENTIST it is incumbent upon me to
follow the foundational principle of methodological naturalism. I believe
it was Dickinson who defined this in PERSPECTIVES some years ago as
seeing science as a game -- a game in which we try to explain the data
always as consequences of natural causation. AS A PHILOSOPHER, i.e. when
not "doing science," I see no reason not to allow for the possibility of
direct supernatural (nonnatural causation) intervention of a deity. Or --
even for the direct (natural causation) of an external intelligence. If
there were any reasonable evidence that an external (non-supernatural)
intelligence existed, and SETI may someday provide this, then AS A
SCIENTIST I would have to allow the possibility that this intelligence,
of one similar to it, did and does intervene in the world. So far, IMHO,
that "reasonable evidence" does not appear to exist.
John Burgeson (Burgy)
http://www.burgy.50megs.com
(science/theology, quantum mechanics, baseball, ethics,
humor, cars, God's intervention into natural causation, etc.)
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