Zach said...
Spencer7593 said:
"As you point out, the proposition held by naturalists is that the natural universe itself is all that exists, and that it exists eternally, without any external cause."
Spencer, you are using the term 'naturalists' too broadly here. There are two types of naturalism, metaphysical and methodological. You are describing metaphysical naturalism. Methodological naturalism, on which the scientific method is based, is pretty well summed up as 'testing and explaining hypothesis by referencing natural events'.
Methodological naturalism does not say the natural universe itself is all that exists. It merely constricts scientific experiments to having natural explanations. As a scientist, I cannot say 'my experiment worked because God willed it'. Does that mean God does not exist? Of course not. I just can't use supernatural explanations for scientific experiments. This in no way restricts or invalidates supernatural explanations - all it says is that they are not scientific.
I am not trying to put science here on a pedestal, above any religious/supernatural/etc explanation. I personally think that there are a great deal of questions and phenomena (you referenced several) that cannot be explained by methodological naturalism, and nor should they. Science does not have to exclude religion, and visa versa. I see no incompatibility here.
I really hope you respond, because the questions you raise are quite fascinating.
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