As far as I can tell, it is simply an empty and meaningless term used to artificially justify assertions that could not be justified in any other way.

If this is not something you agree with, how do you define the word?

A word generally used to make bullshit sound credible

It's just one big cop out.

"It's supernatural - therefore I do not have to explain it".

Supernatural = Ignorance + Imagination squared.

It means "I have no empirical evidence."

I'm tempted to say "magic", but that doesn't really help. xD

I suppose when you get down to it, it refers to things perceived to lie far outside our normals means of explaining things. Ex: The heavens, gravity and diseases were often regarded as the workings of the supernatural prior to us gaining a more robust understanding of them.

I don't know if this epistemic-gap is necessarily the case with all purportedly supernatural things, but it certainly is rather pervasive.

(May 11, 2014 at 10:44 pm)MindForgedManacle Wrote: I'm tempted to say "magic", but that doesn't really help. xD

I suppose when you get down to it, it refers to things perceived to lie far outside our normals means of explaining things. Ex: The heavens, gravity and diseases were often regarded as the workings of the supernatural prior to us gaining a more robust understanding of them.

I don't know if this epistemic-gap is necessarily the case with all purportedly supernatural things, but it certainly is rather pervasive.

Anything that exists outside the natural realm. Supernatural entities would not have to follow natural laws. Supernatural events or beings can't be proven by science because science is the study of natural existence.

(May 11, 2014 at 8:27 pm)Kitanetos Wrote:

It's certainly a better story than the nonsense religions provide.