http://rpodle6.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/the-powers-and-principalities/ Reflections from a Dazed Sojourner Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:14:45 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://rpodle6.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/the-powers-and-principalities/#comment-88 W. Foster Eich, M.D. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:12:43 +0000 http://rpodle6.wordpress.com/?p=153#comment-88 As a physician (and therefore,if not a scientist, at least a "scientifically learned person"), and also an Episcopal minister, I thoroughly endorse what you have said. The supernatural world is not subject to experimental test, tho there may well be (anecdotal) observational evidence. Certainly we cannot "prove" God's existance, but it seems to me that, while it is possible that the universe could have happened by chance, it is highly unlikely. It would require me to believe that 1. the big bang was a cosmic, statistical accident, with no particular cause (possible, but unlikely); 2. THe laws of physics were pure coincidence (possible, but unlikely) 3. There just happened to be about 23 amino acids whose structure matched up with patterns of RNA, which in turn matched up with patterns of DNA, so that life could exist (possible, but come on, now!) 4. since these conditions existed, the right combinations of RNA just happened to come into existence somewhere by accident, along with the right amino acids, which then spontaneously began to convert energy and to reproduce (possible, but get real!) 5. After a long chain of lucky random mutations (and, of course, many, many more unlucky variations) the complex life forms we know developed in a long but finite time. (Possible, but are you kidding?) Unless there are a plethora of universes (and there is no evidence for that) the probablity that the universe is unplanned seems to me pretty close to zero. I do believe evoloution was God's method of creation, but it seems to me incredible that this chain of unlikely events could have occurred in a mere 20 billion years--and only about 5 Billion on earth, and most of it in the last 100 million years or so. That science cannot study the supernatural is not evidence against its existence, it is only evidence that science has limits. I can live with those limits, but "more things there are in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than your philosophy has dreamt of." (Hope I got that quotation right!). Blessings, Foster + As a physician (and therefore,if not a scientist, at least a “scientifically learned person”), and also an Episcopal minister, I thoroughly endorse what you have said. The supernatural world is not subject to experimental test, tho there may well be (anecdotal) observational evidence.
Certainly we cannot “prove” God’s existance, but it seems to me that, while it is possible that the universe could have happened by chance, it is highly unlikely. It would require me to believe that 1. the big bang was a cosmic, statistical accident, with no particular cause (possible, but unlikely); 2. THe laws of physics were pure coincidence (possible, but unlikely) 3. There just happened to be about 23 amino acids whose structure matched up with patterns of RNA, which in turn matched up with patterns of DNA, so that life could exist (possible, but come on, now!) 4. since these conditions existed, the right combinations of RNA just happened to come into existence somewhere by accident, along with the right amino acids, which then spontaneously began to convert energy and to reproduce (possible, but get real!) 5. After a long chain of lucky random mutations (and, of course, many, many more unlucky variations) the complex life forms we know developed in a long but finite time. (Possible, but are you kidding?) Unless there are a plethora of universes (and there is no evidence for that) the probablity that the universe is unplanned seems to me pretty close to zero.
I do believe evoloution was God’s method of creation, but it seems to me incredible that this chain of unlikely events could have occurred in a mere 20 billion years–and only about 5 Billion on earth, and most of it in the last 100 million years or so.
That science cannot study the supernatural is not evidence against its existence, it is only evidence that science has limits. I can live with those limits, but “more things there are in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than your philosophy has dreamt of.” (Hope I got that quotation right!). Blessings, Foster +

]]> http://rpodle6.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/the-powers-and-principalities/#comment-87 dwhitsett Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:50:36 +0000 http://rpodle6.wordpress.com/?p=153#comment-87 Excellent article Bob...I have recommended it on my blog. Dwight Excellent article Bob…I have recommended it on my blog.
Dwight

]]> http://rpodle6.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/the-powers-and-principalities/#comment-86 Powers and Principalities « Whitticisms Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:36:28 +0000 http://rpodle6.wordpress.com/?p=153#comment-86 [...] Powers and Principalities Let me recommend an excellent article by Robert Odle regarding the supernatural.  You can read it here. [...] [...] Powers and Principalities Let me recommend an excellent article by Robert Odle regarding the supernatural.  You can read it here. [...]

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