Proofs of the Supernatural (was Re: (UA) Survey Time)

[Gregory Paul Stolze]

At 07:22 PM 2/18/99 -0500, Kevin Mowery wrote:

>	The proof of a Supreme Being?  It merely has to manifest itself to the
>world at large - no moments of insight, no manifesting to only prophets;
>undeniably, to everyone - and say "I exist."  For a Supreme Being, not that
>difficult.

Douglas Adams once posited God saying "I refuse to prove that I exist,
because proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."  I'm more
inclined to think it should be "without faith YOU are nothing."  But I
don't want to be pushy about my religious beliefs, just reasonable.  (I
wonder how many people who otherwise might have a comforting and useful
faith have been driven off by frothing, aggressive, would be "evangelists"?)  

For a while, I thought that the laws of thermodynamics proved the existance
of an organizing principle to the universe, but then I learned about the
anthropic principle.  So now I just believe because it makes me happier to
belief, and I believe that happiness has to have some intrinsic value.

To make this somewhat more germaine to the list, I sometimes feel that my
religious convictions are an important element of my writing, but I'm not
sure I can articulate just HOW right now.

-G.
1899 Phrenologist: Your son has the sloping forehead of a sexual deviant:
better put him in an asylum.
1999 Gene Therapist: Your fetus has the "date rape" gene.  Better abort.