RE: Evidence??
January 9, 2015 at 10:30 am
(This post was last modified: January 9, 2015 at 10:31 am by watchamadoodle.)
I'll give this a try.
Assuming nature is non-deterministic, then supernatural agents (God, angels, souls, etc.) would be guessed by observing an apparent intention to non-deterministic behavior.
Probably we would need to observe non-deterministic behavior until we form a hypothesis about the intentions of some supernatural agent. Then we would set-up an experiment to test that hypothesis.
For example, imagine a slot machine built-on quantum mechanical randomness so that it would be non-deterministic (assuming QM is truly non-deterministic). Then if we think that God cares about orphans, we could promise God that any winnings from the slot machine would be donated to the local orphanage. Then we feed money into the slot machine for a long period of time and see if we win or lose.
Of course we would need a very good understanding of the personality and goals of the supernatural agent. Christians often argue that God doesn't like taking tests, or that God's ways are not our ways, etc.
This reminds me of the Bible story about Gideon:
Assuming nature is non-deterministic, then supernatural agents (God, angels, souls, etc.) would be guessed by observing an apparent intention to non-deterministic behavior.
Probably we would need to observe non-deterministic behavior until we form a hypothesis about the intentions of some supernatural agent. Then we would set-up an experiment to test that hypothesis.
For example, imagine a slot machine built-on quantum mechanical randomness so that it would be non-deterministic (assuming QM is truly non-deterministic). Then if we think that God cares about orphans, we could promise God that any winnings from the slot machine would be donated to the local orphanage. Then we feed money into the slot machine for a long period of time and see if we win or lose.
Of course we would need a very good understanding of the personality and goals of the supernatural agent. Christians often argue that God doesn't like taking tests, or that God's ways are not our ways, etc.
This reminds me of the Bible story about Gideon:
Quote:Very unsure of both himself and God's command, he requested proof of God's will by three miracles: firstly a sign from an angel in Judges 6:16, and then two signs involving a fleece, performed on consecutive nights and the exact opposite of each other:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, 37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.” 38 And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 40 God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.
—Judges 6:36–40
