Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site unc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!mcnc!unc!bts
From: bts@unc.UUCP (Bruce Smith)
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Compact Divine Intervention?
Message-ID: <6740@unc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 11-Feb-84 02:32:32 EST
Article-I.D.: unc.6740
Posted: Sat Feb 11 02:32:32 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Feb-84 01:06:51 EST
References: <6735@unc.UUCP>, <6737@unc.UUCP>
Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lines: 35

Byron says

-  The point is that the relative measure of miracles isn't a thing which
B  we humans can meaningfully judge.  The Big Bang miracle, in which the
Y  precise concurrent alignment of many, many small things is required so
R  that all those smaller processes will work correctly can't usefully be
O  compared to the immediate creation miracle where everything is set in
N  place as is.  I suspect the argument really begs the question and 
-  doesn't get us any further than we are already.
  
I've got to agree that it's hard to measure miracles, but we don't need to
assign numbers to things to compare them.  I don't see that the Big Bang
needed much "alignment" for things to "work".  The scenario runs something
like this:

		First: BANG!!!

		.  Things run according to "laws"
		.  of science for a few billion
		.  years or so.

		Now: Well, things have got to be in some state,
		     and it just happens they're the way they are.
		     (Nothing miraculous, they *could* have gotten
		     to be this way by "natural laws".)

The comparison with the "everything created 45 minutes ago" story is like
this way.  Both postulate creation.  Both agree pretty much on how things
work right now-- mechanics, heat, electricity, etc.  So far, they're even.
Now, the special creation theory needs to call all that "evidence" of history
a miracle, the other doesn't.  Sounds like a fair comparison to me.
_____________________________________
Bruce Smith, UNC-Chapel Hill
decvax!mcnc!unc!bts     (USENET)
bts.unc@CSnet-Relay (lesser NETworks)