Comments on Critical Thoughts on Christianity, Science, and Beyond: FURIOUSnads...Good points. Would you mind checking...

Thanks for the comments.Future commentators: pleas...

2007-04-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the comments.

Future commentators: please be prepared to give reasonable justification for your claims. I am excited to have open, honest, and reasonable dialogue. Please be ready to give a defense of statements or assertions of "fact" that you make, as my intent is to make this a "thinkers" blog.

Thanks,
Emalman

No, thank you.I am done.

2007-04-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

No, thank you.

I am done.

Brian,One other thing. Cause and effect. God cause...

2007-04-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Brian,
One other thing. Cause and effect. God caused something to happen for His sovereign purpose (and His Why? is recorded in the Bible). The effect is that thing took place (or will take place). How does this violate the "Cause and effect" law?
Thanks,
Emalman

Brian,You said: They are all examples of belief in...

2007-04-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Brian,
You said: They are all examples of belief in violations of cause-and-effect, or belief in events or things that are, not just "not yet measured" but beyond the ability to be measured or observed.

Please explain why supernatural events would make the universe unexplainable. Why would one miracle, or many miracles, make the entire universe unexplainable? I understand how a miracle may be unexplainable, but how does that transfer to the entire universe?

Also, miracles are certainly observable and explainable. The miracles documented in the Bible were observed. The prophecies concerning Christ (which included miracles such as a virgin birth, resurrection) were explained (the why was given...the how was also given, in that they were performed by the power of God). In fact, prophecy itself is a miracle (knowing happenings before they occur). Please explain how an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God would cause the entire universe to be unexplainable. I understand your statement, but please elaborate on your explanation. I am looking forward to your response.
Emalman

Yes, you misunderstood.Any or all of these things ...

2007-04-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, you misunderstood.

Any or all of these things would render the universe (by which I mean everything that exists) to be beyond human comprehension:

Miracles, God, the supernatural, dualism, etc.

They are all examples of belief in violations of cause-and-effect, or belief in events or things that are, not just "not yet measured" but beyond the ability to be measured or observed.

Brian Moon:If I understand correctly, you assume t...

2007-04-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Brian Moon:

If I understand correctly, you assume that God in incomprehensible, and because He created the universe, then it must
be incomprehensible. On this point I would completely disagree. If you read the first chapter of the book of Romans in the Bible, it speaks to this:

Rom 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

Some great scientists (Boyle, Galileo, Pasteur) in history were creationists. Some great scientists now are creationists:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/bios/
In fact, being a creationist myself, I assume that the universe was created so that it can be understood by a rational man, because it was created by a just, loving, creative, sovereign, and certainly rational, God.

The other thing I can think you might have meant was the universe would be incomprehensible because of miracles...? But a good definition of a miracle would be supernatural intervention into the natural world. Now, why would a miracle be abnormal if the universe were incomprehensible (in the sense that it can't be understood)? A miracle wouldn't be a "miracle" if the entire universe was incomprehensible...it would be full of miracles, or incomprehensibilities. For example, resurrection from the dead. If people were randomly resurrected from the dead, then it wouldn't be a miracle. We wouldn't comprehend it, though, as it would be random and incomprehensible to us. Why would some be resurrected and some not? But rather, the miracle of Christ's resurrection has a reason:

Rom 1:4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord

The purpose for the miracle of Christ's resurrection was to demonstrate that He was the Son of God.

Another point about comprehending God: The Bible. Here God reveals what he sovereignly chose to reveal about his nature and attributes. Of course, the presupposition I am making is that the Bible is accurate and inspired by God. If you have questions about that, I would be happy to answer them.

Anyhow, please clarify if I misunderstood your statement.

The only other thing you might be

Where is it stated that science must only come fro...

2007-04-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Where is it stated that science must only come from a naturalistic worldview?

A non-naturalistic, or supernaturalistic, worldview is not scientific because it would be grounded in the assumption that the universe is not comprehensible to us.