Read part 2: Anglican theologian John Milbank's forthright response to Stephen Law.
Read part 3: Law argues that Milbank's defence of religion is little more than pseudo-profundity.
Read part 4: Milbank argues that, when it comes to metaphysics, paradox is inevitable.
Hegel said: “God does not offer himself up for observation”. Many of us seem to think that claims about gods, and other supernatural phenomena, are claims about what lies behind a sort of cosmic curtain or veil. On this side of the veil lies the empirically observable realm, the realm, we are told, that is the proper province of the empirical sciences. But there is a further realm beyond the veil – a realm of non-natural or supernatural beings and forces. This realm, many suppose, is off limits to science. Science cannot adjudicate on what, if anything, lies behind this cosmic divide. Scientists should show some humility, and acknowledge there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in their naturalist philosophies. They should certainly cease claiming, as Richard Dawkins does, that science constitutes a significant threat to reasonable belief in God.
Law vs Milbank: Belief and the Gods - part 1
HEAD TO HEAD: Philosophy should side with science in the fight against religion.
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David Morey 2 21 January 2016
More interesting and thought provoking versions of transcandence are discussed in Roger Scruton's Death Devoted Heart and George Steiner's Grammars of Creation.
David Morey 2 21 January 2016
For more on the below try Don Cupitt's writings or Hilary Lawson's book Closure.
David Morey 2 21 January 2016
Of course religion and gods as human cultural creations remain fascinating and interesting and are part of our attempts to understand our selves and our world.
Voice of 18 January 2016
There is an important inner-faculty of man that science had always used and still uses,but she has not yet recognized its role in all acts of her inference and deductions to make laws and theories. This faculty is a mystery sense-organs that detects or senses the 'order' or 'consistency' factor that always exists between evidences and arguments, and the conclusions arrived at. When one get to know more on this mystery faculty, and its not yet realized and probed function-range, its role as an aperture to know beyond the veil of KNOWN 'knowing mechanism of sense-mind' becomes clear ! Yes, man indeed has this hidden sensing mechanism to know beyond the method of science; would love to share with those who are interested, a few links that delve-deep into man's special realm and mechanism of knowing beyond what Science is familiar with: http://philosopherskorner.blogspot.in/
This one throws bit light on the why question of existence, and the rationale behind pain and misfortunes in life: http://thewhyquestionofexistenceanswered.blogspot.in/
Comments are welcome !
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