The long debate in Western Culture

I think Paul pretty clearly endorses the view that God reveals Himself through His Works as well as His Word. Studying His Works yields the same benefits as studying His Word: primarily it helps us to see and stand in awe of His amazing beauty, and as a practical consequence it improves the quality of our lives.

Absolutely, one of the things we are exhorted to meditate upon are the works of God...

Psalm 145:5
On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

Clearly one of God's works is the created space/time universe and all the creatures here below. It is a great good brought to humanity to develop good science which serves our neighbor.

Problems begin when people think that all there is to know is empriical - not only is this self-refuting philosophically, it is a blasphemous category fallacy to say "there is no God" because I cannot "directly measure him" with a scientific instrument. A prime example of this fallacy is found in Dawkins quote:

Richard Dawkins, in The God Delusion, tells of his exasperation with colleagues who try to play both sides of the street: looking to science for justification of their religious convictions while evading the most difficult implications--the existence of a prime mover sophisticated enough to create and run the universe, "to say nothing of mind reading millions of humans simultaneously." Such an entity, he argues, would have to be extremely complex, raising the question of how it came into existence, how it communicates--through spiritons!--and where it resides

In other words, if a being is beyond your little brain, and you do not know his physical address, then this being cannot exist. It amazes me that such great minds remain so small.

I like the phrase that Schaeffer used: the only thinkable thing. This is the whole deal with ID vs. evolution and whatnot: Evolution is taught to everyone as "the only thinkable thing". Why? Who gets to decide what is and is not thinkable? This is the question that Dallas Willard is addressing. Anyways, keep on keeping on, Reid. Hope the family is well.