Questions about Natural Law and Theology

[dspen2005]

[quote name='son_of_angels' date='Oct 24 2005, 06:16 PM']Okay, the voice of the Skeptic (especially through the philosophers Hume and, to a lesser extent, Kant) has been whispering doubts into my ear, though I hold to my faith as strong as I possibly can.

Nonetheless, it seems that the existence of God, since he exists, is not such that it must exclude the possibility of anything, since "with God all things are possible," and the fact that a being who is ACTUALLY all powerful would likewise be able to cause anything which he would will to occur, likewise for that thing to occur.  It seems a mystery to discuss the notion of Preference with God, because, as I know my preference exists within the limits of certain first motives and, if the Spirit is actual, divine inspiration.  Hence the Preference of God, like any form of preference (by the definition of the word) must have a Cause.  How can God, who is the entire causality of everything have an accident, namely preference, which is itself requiring of a Cause higher than himself, or does he?

Nonetheless,  it would seem that since God exists, anything which has the feasible reality to exist or to occur, or even that which does not, likewise may well occur, depending on the particular will of God.

Here is my question.  If science can explain empirically every phenomena in creation, barring perhaps a first cause or those things, like Math, which exist beyond empirical possibility,  is it then possible for us to conceive of a religious devotion to a God bound up in the stuff which any man with a microscope may thence worship? Is there any reasonable cause for prayer?

Considering that most scientists, and reason itself, would tell us that our realm of knowledge cannot stop growing except through our own deaths and destruction, will not every strange occurrence be eventually explained in terms of science/reason.  Moreover, considering that our mind itself is something sensible and affected by experience, is it not then likely that the notion of a "personal relationship" or even "inspired relationship" with God is false?

I do not believe the Holy Spirit is not at work within us, nor that miracles are impossible, but would any philosophy/theology persons like to respond to my plight.
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what i am getting from your question is a question about pantheism -- i may be reading it wrongly, though. (if so, please inform me of my misunderstanding).

Problem 1: It isn't just the First Cause that science cannot explain empirically -- it is also questions of certain brain functions that science cannot explain. From this, it does not follow that we can worship that which we see in the microscope, believing God to be "bound up in the stuff". This belief is pantheism -- belief that God is IN everything. Even if you could explain "everything" empirically through science, how would you, then, make the leap to worshipping it?

By what inference are you making the assertive question about explanations of everything in the terms of science and reason? NO. We can't assume that over time we will be able to do that -- because to do so would be to cast an unfair wrench into the discussion. We can't make inferences about things for which there is no paradigm for .

Are not our personal relationships experiential in nature? so, if our minds are appealing to the sensed-physical world, and the relationships therein, why would our relationship w/ God be false?

this is interesting... we should keep this convo going.