05 JUN 2012 by ideonexus

 Disproving Miracles

A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined. Why is it more than probable, that all men must die; that lead cannot, of itself, remain suspended in the air; that fire consumes wood, and is extinguished by water; unless it be, that these events are found agreeable to the laws of nature, and t...
Folksonomies: natural law miracle
Folksonomies: natural law miracle
  1  notes

By definition, it is a violation of the laws of nature. Where do we see this happen ever?

01 JAN 2012 by ideonexus

 Admit When You Don't Know

There are things that not even the best scientists of today can explain. But that doesn't mean we should block off all investigation by resorting to phoney 'explanations' invoking magic or the supernatural, which don't actually explain at all. Just imagine how a medieval man - even the most educated man of his era - would have reacted if he had seen a jet plane, a laptop computer, a mobile telephone or a satnav device. He would probably have called them supernatural, miraculous. But these dev...
  1  notes

It is more honest to admit ignorance, to admit that something is a puzzle, than to invoke the supernatural to explain it.

03 JAN 2011 by ideonexus

 Miracles Should be Investigated to Improve Upon Them

Now, it might be true that astrology is right. It might be true that if you go to the dentist on the day that Mars is at right angles to Venus, that it is better than if you go on a different day. It might be true that you can be cured by the miracle of Lourdes. But if it is true it ought to be investigated. Why? To improve it. If it is true then maybe we can find out if the stars do influence life; that we could make the system more powerful by investigating statistically, scientifically jud...
Folksonomies: science miracles skepticism
Folksonomies: science miracles skepticism
  1  notes

If there are miracles, then we should investigate them in order to figure out how to make them better, in order to figure out how to best take advantage of them.