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To: Dimensio
It's simply offering the best naturalistic explanation for observed phenomena based on deduction and consistent testing.

Am I mistaken, or is it incorrect to say that science seeks 'natural explanations'?

I think science is all based on the concept of 'cause and effect'. Science is looking for causes of effects. It could even be a 'supernatural' cause, assuming you had evidence of such. That would still be 'science'.

For example, if 'God' were to show up in the sky over New York, and explain that the bible is specifically true, then that would be 'scientific' evidence of God's 'supernatural' existence.

I'm beginning to think the entire thing with these folks is certain words scare them, so they'll argue with those words no matter what, even if they believe the words are in fact true.

'Evolution'. 'Natural Explanation'.

409 posted on 07/11/2002 9:31:21 PM PDT by Dominic Harr
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To: Dominic Harr
Am I mistaken, or is it incorrect to say that science seeks 'natural explanations'?

No, science seeks natural explanations. That is its scope, that is one of its limitations.

I think science is all based on the concept of 'cause and effect'. Science is looking for causes of effects. It could even be a 'supernatural' cause, assuming you had evidence of such. That would still be 'science'.

It wouldn't be science if you involved the supernatural, because by definition science only deals with the natural.

For example, if 'God' were to show up in the sky over New York, and explain that the bible is specifically true, then that would be 'scientific' evidence of God's 'supernatural' existence.

No, science could only account for any natural phenomenon that accompanied the event (such as the methods by which 'God' was seen and heard, if they involved light waves and vibrating molecules or if they somehow involved manipulating the chemical reactions within the brains of the observers to create the sensaion of seeing and hearing) and it could only forumlate a hypothesis for a naturalistic reason for the event. That does not mean that the supernatural isn't really there or even that science is discounting the supernatural, it is just that science does not deal with the supernatural. Explanations regarding the presence of 'God' that went into supernatural elements would not be scientific -- but that would not necessarily make them false.
449 posted on 07/12/2002 6:53:34 AM PDT by Dimensio
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