Except -- how was the coffee cup formed in the first place? The problem
with the thought experiment is that it assumes that something "man-made"
is not "natural," that we humans are something "other" than nature.
This is a viewpoint that is basic to the Abrahamic religions: people are
above or apart from the rest of nature.

Obviously this is not true. Obviously the cup was formed from
components by some process. This process is different from the process
used to destroy the cup, but that does not make it something apart from
nature. Obviously, at least within the scope of the thought experiment,
humans counter entropy.

Nothing's ever that simple, but it seems to me that this property of the
universe, this 'tendency toward organization', might be the underlying
basis for the beliefs in "a higher power."

Excellent. Thanks for adding a thought-provoking post to this thread.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"