Firstly why should I believe in any religion at all?
The spirit realm may only be a figment of my imagination.
What proof is there of the supernatural?
Secular evidence for the existence of supernatural reality.
1. Observation
2. Chance and probability
3. Phenomena
4. Resource material
5. Definitions
1. Observation.
Observation is the action or process of closely observing or monitoring. When I observe an object or an event with one or more of my five senses, I perceive that this object or event is real. My record of this observation enables me to know that such an object or event existed in the past. This constitutes the first level of veracity.
Records of another person having observed details of an object or event which existed in the past constitute the second level of veracity. I can choose to believe or not to believe them.
If these records show internal consistency and external consistency, I will tend to consider them as reliable. Internal consistency is the lack of contradictory statements in the record. External consistency is the presence of descriptions which correspond with the times, names, places and events around about the time when the object existed or event occurred.
The degree to which I can consider such records as reliable is the degree I believe that such an object or event is real.
2. Chance and probability
Chance is the occurrence of events in the absence of any obvious design or cause.
Probability is the extent to which something is likely to happen or to be the case.
How do I estimate the probability of an event occurring at any point in time? This depends on the past history of occurrence of that event.
Take for instance, the rising of the sun within the next 24 hours. The probability is almost one in one. Why not one in one? This is because there is a very remote chance that an astronomic cataclysm may occur to our solar system. I maintain this opinion because I extrapolate from the observation that such events have been observed in other solar systems.
I know that the rising of the sun every 24 hours is the result of the rotation of the earth about its own axis. My question is how this rotation came about in the first place. Was it by chance or by design?
Scissors are used for cutting cloth and paper, consisting of two crossing blades pivoted in the middle and operated by thumb and fingers inserted in rings at each end. Scissors are not found in nature. They are the product of man.
If I have an attitude that I am not interested in the origin of scissors, the matter stops here. If, on the other hand, I have an attitude that I am interested in the origin of scissors, my next question is how did the first scissors come about?
I do not know the answer. I can only guess that some occurrence in nature gave the idea to a person who used it to modify two knives to act as the two blades of the scissors.
I can guess that the occurrence in nature happened by chance. I can also guess that the idea came to the inventor by chance.
By this form of reasoning, I can attribute the origin of the scissors to chance. By this form of reasoning, I can attribute the origin of any and every contrived object or process to chance.
As far as natural objects are concerned, I can also hold the opinion that all are the product of chance operating on previous objects.
Objects are made of matter. How did matter come about?
I choose to look at phenomena and see what they indicate.
3. Phenomenon
Phenomenon is a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause is in question. I would like to discuss two phenomena.
The existence of matter is a phenomenon. If I am of the opinion that matter existed from the infinite past, then I may find it pointless to continue this discussion.
However, is this opinion supported by evidence? I prefer to commence my inquiry from the starting point of reality. I could look at evidence from astronomy and physics.
Observational cosmology including findings from the Hubble telescope provided evidence for the expanding universe as arising from a point source some 12 to 14 billion years ago.
The ambient temperature of outer space is three degrees Kelvin, consistent with a big bang origin of the universe.
Moreover, the half-life decay of radioactive elements indicate the origin to be 12.5 to 14.5 billion years ago.
Thus it appears that scientific evidence supports the opinion that the universe started from a finite point (singularity) between 12 and 14 billion years ago. This is described as the Big Bang. Hence the opinion that matter existed from the infinite past is not supported by observed reality.
The next logical question would be what was it like before the big bang? I do not know the answer.
One possible answer is that there was nothing. But how can something as large and as massive as the universe arise from nothing?
Permit me to drop this discussion thread for the moment. I will come back to it later.
The next phenomenon is something completely different.
Some temple mediums have given uncannily accurate confidential private and personal details of the departed. Some have even spoken in the voice and accent of the departed.
One explanation is that this phenomenon has occurred by chance. However, the consistency of this ability in some temple mediums indicate that the likelihood of chance is extremely remote.
There are cases of children being able to recall events experienced by deceased individuals when they were alive. (Ian Stevenson)
One explanation is that this phenomenon has occurred by chance. However, the number of corroborated cases indicate that the likelihood of chance is extremely remote.
These phenomena are not explicable from the reality governed by our space-time dimensions.
However a reality outside the constraints of our space-time reality would be able to explain these phenomena.
I call this reality supernatural reality. It is conceivable that this extra reality existed before the Big Bang, some 12 to 14 billion years ago.
How do I explain this extra reality?
For my answer to how I explain supernatural reality, click here.
4. Resource material
Observational cosmology including findings from the Hubble telescope provided evidence for the expanding universe as arising from a point source some 12 to 14 billion years ago.
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1999/99-065.txt
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/age.html
The ambient temperature of outer space is three degrees Kelvin, consistent with a big bang origin of the universe.
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec97/880000587.As.r.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dp65co.html
The half-life decay of radioactive elements indicate the origin of the universe to be 12.5 to 14.5 billion years ago.
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2001/pr-02-01.html
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/age.html
Some temple mediums have given uncannily accurate confidential private and personal details of the departed. Some have even spoken in the voice and accent of the departed.
http://website.leidenuniv.nl/~haarbjter/shamanismtext.htm
There are cases of children being able to recall events experienced by deceased individuals when they were alive.
(Old Souls, the scientific evidence for past lives by Tom Shroder, published by Simon & Schuster, Rockefeller Center, 1230, Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. ISBN 0-684-85192-X © 1999 providing details of the work of Ian Stevenson)
http://www.merliannews.com/Books_6/Old_Souls_The_Scientific_Evidence_for_Past_Lives_by_Tom_Shroder.shtml
Scientific evidence for the six day creation.
http://www.geraldschroeder.com/age.html
To see answers to the questions that might be buggling you. Click here
No comments:
Post a Comment