----- Original Message -----
From: "Baardwijk, J. van DTO/SLBD/BGM/SVM/SGM" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, September 03, 2001 4:59 AM
Subject: RE: Contradiction Problems????
> > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> > Van: Doug [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Verzonden: Monday, September 03, 2001 12:24 AM
> > Aan: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Onderwerp: Re: Contradiction Problems????
>
> > Doesn't it depend on your personal beliefs whether or not fairies and
> > unicorns are transcendent? As far as truth, good etc. being something
> > other than arbitrary cultural constructs, since you are so keen on
> > needing evidence - facts and figures - to support an argument, can you
> > provide us with some?
>
> Something similar has been bugging me for several years now. How can a
> scientist believe in the existence of a God? Any good scientist holds that
a
> statement is only true when there is scientific evidence to prove it.
That's a false statement. I don't know how many times I have written the
quote from sci.physics:
"The most important step in the development of science was when it was
decided that it wasn't about the Truth."
I have also written, many times, that the purpose of science is to model,
predict, and allow us to manipulate empirical phenomenon. There is no way
to prove or disprove various metaphysical suppositions or systems, such as
idealism, realism, Kantiasm, existentialism, phenomenology, or logical
positivism.
>Yet, scientists like Dan also believe in the existence of God, even though
there
> is no scientific evidence to prove that God exists.
>
> So, how can a scientist believe in God when he is trained to only accept
> that what is scientifically proven?
>
Because I have never been taught that? Lets see, I had 4 undergraduate
years and my PhD took me over 5 1/3rd years. The only time metaphysics came
up at all, as far as I recall, was in discussions of the metaphysical
implications of QM in my Foundations of QM class. How is science taught in
the Netherlands? Do they really teach metaphysics in your physics chemistry
and biology classes, or have you not taken much in the way of science in
college?
Dan M.
