David Clounch wrote:
If the answer is no, then how much science can you teach without any
metaphysical context?
Let me phrase it differently. Can you teach science without any
metaphysical interpretation at all?
David
No you can't teach any science without any metaphysical context. Of
course the metaphysical context may be implicit and not stated or even
thought about very much.
In Ethiopia my parents as teachers had to combat the idea that the
supernatural directly caused events. Similarly our nurses had to teach
that a child had stomach problems because of water impurities... and
not because a dead ancestor was offended. Teaching science just does
not work if the pupils think that events, especially bad events are
largely caused by the supernatural which must be placated.
This is one of the reasons that I affirm "MN" ie. as if Naturalism. In
science God and the supernatural may not be allowed to appear in
scientific explanations. Of course in metaphysics or theology one
might well have conclusions supported by scientific methods and
mathematics.
Of course none of this should be taken as inferring that I deny that
occasionally demonic activity does certainly seem to occur.
Dave W
To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Mon Nov 2 12:56:46 2009