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From: aeq@pucc-h (Jeff Sargent)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: empirical skeptics' basic assumption
Message-ID: <861@pucc-h>
Date: Thu, 19-Jul-84 13:16:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: pucc-h.861
Posted: Thu Jul 19 13:16:31 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Jul-84 02:34:21 EDT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Lines: 22

Many skeptics begin by assuming that the physical world as perceived by our
physical senses is real.  Where do they get this notion?  From the Western
Judaeo-Christian tradition!  It has been wisely pointed out that the Eastern
countries, in which major religious beliefs (as far as I know) consider the
physical world to be an illusion, did not develop science as the Western
countries did.	Why did the West beat the East into science?  Because the
Western Judaeo-Christian tradition views the world as real and as orderly,
and thus as having definite properties which can be discovered.  Numerous
scientists of a few centuries ago, who did the truly basic research which
led to science's present-day heights, believed that they were following in
God's footsteps, thinking His thoughts after Him, as they discovered the
properties of the physical world.  Even Einstein, while not a standard
Christian (or standard anything), yet had some belief in God based at least
partly on his observations of the physical world.

There is a fine irony in the fact that the basic assumption of many who deny
Christianity is firmly rooted in the belief system they are trying to deny!

-- 
-- Jeff Sargent
{allegra|decvax|harpo|ihnp4|seismo|ucbvax}!pur-ee!pucc-h:aeq
"...got to find my corner of the sky."