The Real Ockham's Razor

The definition of Ockham's Razor that is typically used is logically incoherent. Instead, Ockham's Razor is really a guideline which suggests, as a general rule, when dealing with academia or politics or law, you should not attribute secondary causes to God. Generally speaking, God is seen as been the First Cause, Uncaused Cause and the Unmoved Mover. However, it is also generally understood that God works primarily through secondary causes which involve Angels, Archangels, gods and goddesses, metaphysics, natural laws, Natural Law, etc. It is perfectly appropriate to discuss and write about God in areas such as philosophy, theology, cosmology, quantum physics, ethics, morality, metaphysics, and cosmology. On the other hand, as a general rule, when you do not attribute ordinary causes to God, but rather, only Miracles. So, if I am trying to determine why it is that my car does not start, ordinarily I look to physical causes such as those inovolving the Battery, the Starter, or the Alternator, and not God. Once the Universe is set up, which it is, God only Acts Personally, and directly, through Miracles. The everyday reality which we face is ordinarily structured through the use of natural laws and Natural Law, not through any Direct Acts of God. Thus, it is a violation of Ockham's Razor to speak or write about God causing ordinary, everyday events. Ordinarily, when a person Prays, those prayers are anwered by an Angel, and Archangel, a Saint, or a god, not directly by God Himself. Additionally, when ordinary problems arise, such as unemployment, a power outage, a death of a person, car trouble, the theft of a bicycle, etc., such events are not attributed to God, at all, but rather the other causes, which are typically ordinary causes. Of course, it is perfectly appropriate to refer to God in poetry, music, literature, etc.

(C)Copyright 2011 by Anthony J. Fejfar