| | <ref>"necessary": absolutely needed; essential; indispensable; inevitable; requisite</ref><ref name=dictionary>Definitions in footnote used in this article, unless otherwise attributed, are drawn from ''The Reader's Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary, including Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary'', 1966, The Readers's Digest Association, Pleasantville, New York. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 66-21606.</ref>) of [[methodological naturalism]], the doctrine which assumes ''[[a priori]]''<ref>"a priori": "'''1'''. ''Logic'' Proceeding, as an argument, from cause to effect, or from an assumption to its logical conclusion: opposed to ''a posteriori''. '''2'''. Prior to, and thus independent of, experience; innate. '''3'''. Previous to examination, or with insufficient examination. [< L, from what is before]" The Readers Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary (1966) p. 72b | a priori</ref> ("from the first" or "from the beginning") that there is no way to contact, detect, or otherwise [[Empiricism|empirically]] observe the [[supernatural]]. While most [[Philosophy of science|philosophers of science]] adhere strictly to this view and positively deny that any supernatural or [[Miracle|miraculous]] effects or forces are possible, a small minority of them also believe that the [[reality]] of [[existence]] includes ''invisible, supernatural and immaterial reality or realities'' and that there are other ways of knowing the supernatural besides empirical observation. | | <ref>"necessary": absolutely needed; essential; indispensable; inevitable; requisite</ref><ref name=dictionary>Definitions in footnote used in this article, unless otherwise attributed, are drawn from ''The Reader's Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary, including Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary'', 1966, The Readers's Digest Association, Pleasantville, New York. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 66-21606.</ref>) of [[methodological naturalism]], the doctrine which assumes ''[[a priori]]''<ref>"a priori": "'''1'''. ''Logic'' Proceeding, as an argument, from cause to effect, or from an assumption to its logical conclusion: opposed to ''a posteriori''. '''2'''. Prior to, and thus independent of, experience; innate. '''3'''. Previous to examination, or with insufficient examination. [< L, from what is before]" The Readers Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary (1966) p. 72b | a priori</ref> ("from the first" or "from the beginning") that there is no way to contact, detect, or otherwise [[Empiricism|empirically]] observe the [[supernatural]]. While most [[Philosophy of science|philosophers of science]] adhere strictly to this view and positively deny that any supernatural or [[Miracle|miraculous]] effects or forces are possible, a small minority of them also believe that the [[reality]] of [[existence]] includes ''invisible, supernatural and immaterial reality or realities'' and that there are other ways of knowing the supernatural besides empirical observation. |