Scott,
***Then why doesn't God cut out the middleman, and save us already!! Is God a fan of soap opera's? Do you think God sits back with a cold one and watches the human drama play out before is holy eyes. I don't know, but it all seems too much like an after school special.***
As Alan would say 'Things Are'. Okay, I won't use that 'logic' exactly, but I will use a derivative of it. There is perhaps a certain 'fact of the matter' scenario that plays itself out that requires God's involvement in the world, but not to the point to where God takes over the show.
I like to think of God as an organizing principle to the world that causes certain events to be timed and occur in a certain manner such that God's will is done. What decides God's direct actions in the world, in my view, depends on a delicate balance of naturalism versus teleological direction. For example, the world moves naturally (i.e., probablistically) to certain critical points, and then when reaching criticality the system is more easily influenced by the effects of teleological direction (prior to then the system is more affected by high probabilities of natural direction). In this manner God organizes the world and aids in the overall direction of the world.
If someone prays to God, I believe that God hears those prayers and when the system is vunerable to freer movement, God influences the world such that the prayer is answerable.
Warm regards, Harv |