*Alward: Inserting Miracles (to Kornform)
JAlw@aol.com JAlw@aol.com
Wed, 4 Nov 1998 12:21:55 EST (00910221715, 88151be8.36408d33@aol.com)
In a message dated 98-11-04 07:53:20 EST, you write:
<< In the
blood problem you insert an arbitrary miracle to "solve" the problem of the
magicians performing a like act when it was theretofore impossible to do so.
In the Judas problem an arbitrary miracle can be inserted (in like manner
:-))
to "solve" the second theretofore impossible death of Judas.
Can't you see the exact similarity of ad hoc reasoning in both cases? >>
===================
Joe Alward:
I DO insert a miracle, but it is not as "arbitrary" as you may think. In
saying that the author didn't tell us that Aaron reversed his trick--although
context of the plague stories makes it clear that he would have HAD to have
done so, I am not presenting a new, unprecedented act; Aaron had performed the
same miracle a minute before.
If, as Bell apparently is thinking of doing, we were to claim that God just
reversed the blood back to water at the end of Exodus 7:25, then that would be
truly ARBITRARY. With that kind of reasoning, almost ANY problem story could
be harmonized. Thus, my "miracle" is more consistent with context, and is not
a new type of miracle; it does not come as a complete surprise, as would
Bell's.
I've said before that the weakest part of my harmonization is the failure of
the author to tell us that each contestant reversed his trick. However, as
far as I can tell, my harmonization removes all questions. Bell's not only has
the problem of introducing a miracle which was not only not mentioned by the
author, but which was also completely arbitrary; furthermore, it still leaves
the unanswered the question of where the magicians found water to convert. Do
you think Bell's explanation is superior to mine? If not, then shouldn't
errantists' attention shift toward mine?
The most recent versions of my blood plague harmonization is found at
http://members.aol.com/JAlw/water_blood.html
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