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From: martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Martillo)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Math and Faith
Message-ID: <456@ihuxt.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 1-May-84 20:55:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxt.456
Posted: Tue May  1 20:55:50 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 2-May-84 06:27:19 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 24



Modern physicists and consequently all of modern scientists make a great
leap of faith when they assume the universe can be described
mathematically.

I as a physicist do not find this leap of faith difficult because I
believe in a God who ordered the universe.

But if I did not, I would have great difficulties because Goedel
demonstrated that all mathematical systems are incomplete, inconsistent,
or insufficient.

Cohen went further and demonstrated that some statements are independent.

Since the universe clearly works, I would have to be dubious of
mathematical description of the universe if I did not believe in God.

Why should I require scientific proof of God's existence, when I cannot be
sure science works because my mathematical system is incomplete?

Perhaps, the incompleteness of math shows that the universe has enough
space that God and science can coexist.