Support for a Young Earth? Scientists Baffled by Preserved Dinosaur Blood Cells [Psalms 85:11]

CNS News ^ | 6/15/2015 | Garrett Haley

[BroJoeK]

tacticalogic: "You speak as if scientists can and do turn off their humanity, like flipping a switch, when they put on that lab coat."

I am certain you know, or at least should know, the technical term for it is "methodological naturalism", which, yes, does literally mean: we put on our naturalism coats at work, but take them off to go home for prayers with our family before dinner.

Methodological naturalism is starkly contrasted to philosophical naturalism -- also known as ontological naturalism, or metaphysical naturalism.
In philosophical naturalism we never do take off our scientific coats, never say grace at dinner, and indeed never even go home, since home is a product of traditional values which we gave up to embrace philosophical naturalism.

You just must "get" the concept of methodological naturalism in order to understand where today's science came from, and what it should be now.

[tacticalogic]

You just must "get" the concept of methodological naturalism in order to understand where today's science came from, and what it should be now.

I "get" methodological naturalism, and understand the difference between that and philosophical naturalism.

Methodological naturalism results in a protocol that requires observation and testing. This disallows consideration of supernatural causes because they cannot be observed or tested.

Earlier, you posted:

Is it valid to assume that every physical process has a natural explanation, or more to the point: only natural explanations? That's not a scientific question, it's a philosophical and/or theological question, which presumably people who study those subjects are better prepared to answer.

Let's look at the converse of that. Is it philosophically/theologically valid to assume that no physical process has a natural explanation?

[BroJoeK]

tacticalogic: "Let's look at the converse of that.
Is it philosophically/theologically valid to assume that no physical process has a natural explanation?"

Well, first, as I noted in post #96 above, it doesn't seem that either philosophy or theology is contributing much of value these days.
One seems to have fallen into a logical black hole, the other remains focused on gay marriage, so there's not so much we can get from them.

But the Bible itself does not deny the existence natural processes or laws, it only insists that God is their creator, rules over them, and on occasion over-rules them for His purposes.
So natural-science studies natural processes, steers clear of anything supernatural.

Do you disagree?

[tacticalogic]

Do you disagree?

Not at all. In fact this:

But the Bible itself does not deny the existence natural processes or laws, it only insists that God is their creator, rules over them, and on occasion over-rules them for His purposes.

appears to reinforce the assertion I made earlier with regard to processes and events - divine intervention is an event, not a process.

[BroJoeK]

tacticalogic from post #97: "Maybe it's just a quibble over semantics, but I see a flaw in that argument based on a failure to distinguish between events and processes."

I think I'll go with option A: "quibble over semantics", FRiend.

;-)

[blackpacific]

Once you have been held by the Christ Child, nothing else matters.

However, the study of Nature, our sister, is fascinating.

[blackpacific]

Classic philosophy along the lines of Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle still exists, in small pockets. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California is a prime example. The students at TAC study the great minds, and dissect the sick ones. From there they go on to careers in many different fields. Intellectual freedom and an intact sense of wonder are distinguishing differences of TAC graduates.

[BroJoeK]

blackpacific: "Classic philosophy along the lines of Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle still exists, in small pockets."

An old friend did some work on Aquinas.
Perhaps you've seen it?

[blackpacific]

It would be hard to abridge that text.

[BroJoeK]

"Two years before he died, St. Thomas Aquinas — probably the greatest teacher the Church has ever known — was asked by his assistant, Brother Reginald, to write a simple summary of the Faith of the Catholic Church for those who lacked the time or the stamina to tackle his massive Summa Theologica.

"In response, the great saint quickly set down — in language that non-scholars can understand — his peerless insights into the major topics of theology: the Trinity, Divine Providence, the Incarnation of Christ, the Last Judgment, and much more.

"Here, then, is not only St. Thomas’s concise statement of the key elements of his thought, but a handy reference source for the essential truths of the Catholic Faith."

[blackpacific]

Thanks for the info. St Thomas, by the way, knows EXACTLY how old the Earth is, whether many of the dinosaurs had feathers or scales, and I am sure he has had long conversations with Job. But I don’t say that as a natural scientist, only qua human.