Science is founded on a few basic assumptions. For instance, if I put an jar over a candle 100 times and each time the candle goes out, then assuming that the universe is controlled by consistent natural principals, I can fairly safely bet that on the 101 try, I will get exactly the same result. If, however, there exist a supernatural entity capable of arbitraily rewriting the rules of the game at a whim, then all bets are off and on the 101 try, the candle might miraculously continue burning (like the bush in Genesis).

I feel quite certain that I can duplicate the results wherein the candle goes out. I am also fairly confident that you cannot demonstrate the contrary (without resorting to subterfuge), regardless of how hard you pray (or to which Deity).

So we are left with either a God bound by the laws of his own creation, which would suggest he isn't omnipotent and thus not really God, or else he simply chooses not to interfer with the natural laws of his creation, in which case he's pretty much irrelavent to scientific inquiry.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Espritch on 2002-05-24 13:12 ]</font>