In the interest of narrowing the scope of this discussion back to a reasonable level, I will here only respond to what seems to me the two most interesting posts in the above discourse.
By interesting, I in no way mean, “philosophically sound” since none of you so far have shown any concern for consistency in your own approach to the posed topic. By interesting, I simply mean, the posts which have seemingly taken the most time to think through the stated position, and arrive at some form of critique of a Theistic view.
I will answer Mr. Club29’s question (for the first time in this thread) from a uniquely Christian foundation. I will also respond to Mr. Reality Check, (who should know better than to make certain generalizations given the outcome of our last exchange).
I see no better way to begin than by directly confronting Mr. Club29’s explicit question:
[i]“If God existed, would we not have more scientific anomalies?”[/i]
In answer to this, I will quote from a lecture given by Werner Heisenberg called, “Quantum Theory and the Roots of Atomic Science.”
Looking back to the development of Greek philosophy up to this point one realizes that it has been borne from the beginning to this stage by the tension between the One and the Many. For our senses the world consists of an infinite variety of things and events, colors and sounds. But in order to understand it we have to introduce some kind of order, and order means to recognize what is equal, it means some sort of unity. From this springs the belief that there is one fundamental principal, and at the same time the difficulty to derive from it the infinite variety of things. - Lecture by Werner Heisenberg. You can read this lecture in the book containing a series of lectures by Heisenberg “Physics and Philosophy” pg. 36.
It is here that Werner Heisenberg clearly explains the ancient philosophical problem that I shall refer to as the “One and the Many.” (I bolded the relevant description in Heisenberg’s quote.)
With this paradox in mind, it is possible to say that in a timeless and eternal universe, that ALL actions are anomalies. Granted, there are some unusual patterns of anomalies, (like sasquatch, or the success of boy bands,) but these unusual patterns of anomalies are no more strange than the regular pattern of events that we’re used to. In other words, in relation to the “One,” all events are a part of the “many” no matter how “strange” the event may be.
There are hidden assumptions in Mr. Club29’s statement which need fleshing out for the sake of clarity. Re-stated Mr. 29’s question would sound like this:
“If some nebulous, unspecified, concept of a God WERE to have created everything, then why do we not observe more scientific anomalies?”
In light of the One and the Many, we can see that Club’s question poses no problem for the Christian, who says that God, through his divine providence is Lord over every aspect of life.
Such an imposing question may cause problems for some other religion, but as for the Christian, it is not a problem at all. In fact, it is only upon Christian presuppositions that the One and the Many problem can even be consistently addressed.
I love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! God being by nature One, and Many is on par with the supposed paradox described by Heisenberg. As Christian Theologian Cornelius Van Til explains:
“In God’s being there are no particulars not related to the universal and there is nothing universal that is not fully expressed in the particular. It goes without saying that if we hold to the eternal one and many in the manner explained above we must hold the temporal one and many to be created by God.” - Van Til in “Defense of the Faith” pg. 43.
Van Til goes on to say, (on page 44):
“All aspects being equally created, no one aspect of reality may be regarded as more ultimate than another. Thus the created one and many may in this respect be said to be equal to one another; they are equally derived and equally dependent upon God who sustains them both. The particulars or facts of the universe do and must act in accord with universals and laws. Thus there is order in the created universe. On the other hand, the laws may not and can never reduce the particulars to abstract particulars or reduce their individuality in any manner.”
Unity and plurality, (One and the Many) are equally ultimate in the Christian conception of the ontological Trinity. Thus can the Christian determine the legitimate role of universals and particulars, consistently tying together the one and the many.
But what of Mr. Reality Check’s objection? Why indeed would God need to “swoop in and fix something?”
As was the case in our former exchange, I assume at the outset that Mr. Check is intending to critique the Christian position, especially the doctrine concerning miracles, but has failed to explicitly state this to be so. This is a convenient oversight on the part of Mr. Check, since, had he indicated that his question were being asked to the Christian, I could immediately point out how ungenerous and demonstrably false his characterization of the Christian position was!
I’ll grant to Mr. Check that he was not including Christianity in his discourse, since I’m sure he’s knowledgeable enough in Christian theology to realize how inadequate such a critique would be when applied to the Christian concept of God, and his miracles.
As more knowledgeable individuals like myself and Mr. Check realize, such a position could NOT be applied to the Christian God, given the doctrine of the divine providential working of God in his Creation.
To the Christian, God is the final cause of all things from wind blowing trees, to wind parting seas! The Westminster Confession of Faith says it this way:
“God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.” - chapter 3, section 1.
(If any of you would like a further scriptural case of Gods complete sovereignty, please shoot me an email, and I’ll be happy to discuss with you the relevant scriptures!)
This being the case in Christian theology, all acts are caused by God. Any “miracle” would just be an unusual display of Gods providential working in nature.
If this is true, then why would God re-grow a mans arm, if God ordained for that man to lose his arm to begin with? “Unusual” workings of God’s will (miracles) happen for specific and explicitly stated reasons! One common reason, especially at the end of the Old covenant dispensation, was to give authority to the one performing the miracle.
John 10:37
“Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does, but if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father!”
Such is not always the reason for Gods unusual providential workings, but what must be remembered is that God is sovereignly in control and knows what is best for us.
Romans 8:28 says that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him!
Thus the Christian can be confident in prayers prayed in the will of Jesus, (in his name). Jesus especially teaches us this in the Sermon on the Mount when he shows his disciples the correct attitudes to have when praying. (Matthew 5:9) “THY WILL BE DONE!”
In Conclusion
It is clearly evident that neither Club29, nor Mr. Check’s arguments against the rationality of Theism apply to Christianity, and that being the case, I am not concerned with the conclusions they draw from their arguments, since it does not apply to the Christian God.
I look forward to any further discussion on this issue!
