[Waddlie]

Lily wrote

I can't do either this comment or Choob's any justice right now-- I have spent the better part of the day trying to make sense out of the biggest mass of faked statistics any human has ever had to deal with. I don't think I can deal with any more problems right now.

I liked McGrath's insistence that science can only go so far-- but at the end of the day we still have to organize our lives in some fashion. How we should do so is another question and it is not one that science can answer. This is hardly a new insight but I liked the way McGrath (himself scientifically educated) approached it. I think I will reread the lecture with your criticisms in mind and see what else I get out of it.

As far as Kuhn is concerned, there is a bit I want to say about him (or, rather about his ideas as (mis)appropriated by some philosophers and apologists)-- but I will write a message about that later. I will say for now that I understand how seductive the notion is that we are all speaking from our different "paradigms" and that we are talking past each other in trying to settle issues of science vs faith. However, this move comes at a cost that I am not willing to pay. Particularly when applied outside of science--to cultures, religions, etc. it seems to me that this kuhnian misappropriation removes our ability to bring critical judgment to bear on them. Thus, who am I to object to genital mutilation? Polygamy? The death penalty? Etc.

But I digress. I must do a little more reading and a lot more thinking.