Natural vs supernatural question

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In summary, the conversation was about whether natural and supernatural are mutually exclusive or not. The conclusion was that they are, but that there is a book that does a good job discussing the topic.
  • #1
raven1
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Hello
I was talking with someone bout natural vs supernatural when it relates to something such as ID and one thing that seems to be a hurdle is , are they mutually exclusive or not?
Is there a book or website that does a good job discussing it?
 
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  • #2
raven1 said:
Hello
I was talking with someone bout natural vs supernatural when it relates to something such as ID and one thing that seems to be a hurdle is , are they mutually exclusive or not?
Is there a book or website that does a good job discussing it?

supernatural –adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; abnormal.
So, natural and supernatural are, by definition, mutually exclusive.
 
  • #3
CEL said:
So, natural and supernatural are, by definition, mutually exclusive.

Supernatural composed of Super and natural, if we think super as excellent
Then it sounds somewhat like excellent nature,Therefore I would like to tell nature is the subset of the Supernatural
 
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  • #4
coverme said:
Supernatural composed of Super and natural, if we think super as excellent
Then it sounds somewhat like excellent nature,Therefore I would like to tell nature is the subset of the Supernatural

Super is the latin prefix meaning "above," and it's use in super natural literally translates to "that which is above natural," in other words..that which is not natural. The English use of the word "super" as being synonymous with "excellent" evolved from the same Latin root but now has a different meaning.
 
  • #5
junglebeast said:
Super is the latin prefix meaning "above," and it's use in super natural literally translates to "that which is above natural," in other words..that which is not natural. The English use of the word "super" as being synonymous with "excellent" evolved from the same Latin root but now has a different meaning.

A similar phenomenon exists for the greek prefix meta, meaning beyond. Metaphysics means beyond physics and is almost synonimous of supernatural.
 
  • #6
'The Master Game' by de Ropp is one of my favorites. He gives an engaging and reasonable discussion of the isssues. I also like 'Exploring the Crack in the Cosmic Egg' by Pearce.
 
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  • #7
I think "supernatural" means some thing that occurs out of the predictable magnitude of the human's imagination.
We generalize and predict what could happen or what suppose to happen, i.e. the brain-dead patient should never go out of his coma; nonetheless, it would be supernatural that one would recover from a diagnosed brain-dead status.
 
  • #8
raven1 said:
Hello
I was talking with someone bout natural vs supernatural when it relates to something such as ID and one thing that seems to be a hurdle is , are they mutually exclusive or not?
Is there a book or website that does a good job discussing it?


Yes, there is; it's a brilliant book by Richard Dawkins called The God Delusion. Pick it up!
 

1. What is the difference between natural and supernatural phenomena?

Natural phenomena are events or occurrences that can be explained using scientific principles and laws, while supernatural phenomena are believed to be beyond the understanding of science and attributed to divine or mystical forces.

2. Can natural and supernatural forces coexist?

This is a topic of debate and personal belief. Some argue that natural and supernatural forces are separate and cannot coexist, while others believe that they can work together or that the supernatural is simply an extension of the natural world.

3. How does science approach the study of supernatural phenomena?

Most scientists approach the study of supernatural phenomena with skepticism and the need for empirical evidence. However, some fields such as parapsychology and religious studies may incorporate the study of supernatural phenomena into their research.

4. Is there any scientific evidence for the existence of supernatural phenomena?

Currently, there is no scientific evidence that definitively proves the existence of supernatural phenomena. Some argue that certain phenomena, such as near-death experiences or extrasensory perception, may provide evidence, but these claims are still highly debated.

5. Can science ever fully explain supernatural occurrences?

It is unlikely that science will ever be able to fully explain supernatural occurrences, as they are often seen as beyond the scope of scientific understanding. However, as technology and research methods advance, it is possible that we may gain a better understanding of these phenomena.

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