Dembski on Miracles and Nature
I have written from time to time on the plausibility of miracles and what exactly should be considered a miracle. One such article was my relatively recent word study "<a href="http://thegenerallifeblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/defining-biblical-miracle.html">Defining a Biblical Miracle." I had recalled a great video by Dembski where he touches on the subject of miracles and nature but had not been able to find it until now! Turns out the 8-minute video is one in a series constituting an interview of Dembski by Dr Robert Lawrence Kuhn. Please note in particular the section from :36-3:30 where Dembski talks on miracles and criticizes the false dichotomy of natural vs supernatural:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Cn8NQL0rM?list=PLutjxyYic6vSm9Ao3sYcS4r2xdzRtNKI-&w=560&h=315]
To summarize:
- Dembski thinks a miracle is classically something which causes wonder and better described as something which we wouldn't expect to happen without God.
- Dembski thinks the term supernatural is a misnomer because in his view nature encompasses more than the material world. In other words, God and other things such as meaning and purpose are not separate from the natural realm though they may or may not be immaterial.