From: Howard J. Van Till (hvantill@chartermi.net)
Date: Tue Jul 22 2003 - 14:44:57 EDT
>From: <richard@biblewheel.com>
> It seems perfectly consistent and rational for God to create a universe that
> follows natural laws and then to directly mold creatures that would operate
> within the laws of that universe. It doesn't really seem much different than
> an artist preparing a canvas on which to paint.
> I just don't see any inconsistency.
We will have to agree to disagree here.
> Also, your suggestion that God could do
> everything through "brute-force miracles" seems rather ugly to me, and out
> of character with Him.
But now you arguing in my style. If it is within God's character to employ
coercive form-conferring action, why not use that approach consistently?
> As to why God would go through all the "trouble" of fine tuning: This is
> exactly the opposite of how I see it. Fine tuning looks like the *supremely
> elegant* solution to the formation of His cosmic canvas. God doesn't have to
> run around micro-managing every quark.
Then why micromanage the formation of life forms?
> They simply follow the laws He
> established in the beginning. It also allows us to *learn* about God and His
> creation.
Agreed. But why teach one thing via the formational history of inanimate
structures and another thing through the formational history of life forms?
> Imagine living in a universe where God does *everything* through
> non-sequitory miracles! That would be mad-hatter universe.
Agreed again.
> But that still
> can not be used as an argument against His direct intervention if such were
> *necessary* to accomplish His Will (as might be the case in the formation of
> Life).
I don't care to open the topic right now, but once the door to direct
intervention (coercive divine action) is opened, all manner of difficult
theodicy questions pop up.
For now, let's just agree to disagree, each now understanding the other
better than before.
Howard Van Till
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