Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
> Grassblade wrote:
>  > Do you disbelieve historians of centuries past?
>
> Of course I do. They may or may not be accurate, depending on their
> point of view. Do you think there are no histories with conflicting
> information in them?
The question was quite innocent, actually, just trying to figure out where you
draw the line of what you believe others tell you. E.g. Do you believe
reporters?
>
> What historians, *other* than biblical, do you base your entire life and
> view of the universe around?
I don't really count biblical historians as "historians", except maybe Luke.
With "historian", I was thinking more of end of middle ages to last century. I
should have spelt it out.
Can't think of any historian whom I cared about so much as to base my life
around. Except there's this chick I know... Ehr, never mind. ;-)
>
> Do you believe in Islam? How about Mormonism? If not, why not? Aren't
> those historical figures just as valid as the folks in the Bible?
I have no particular reason to disbelieve chronicles they may have produced. If
it contains some supernatural stuff, I'd likely raise an eyebrow, though.
>
> How about Jason and the Argonauts? Do you believe in that? Why not?
There may have been some grain of truth in that story actually.

> >> Here's a question for you: What would it take you to convince you that
> >> ESP is real? Would you consider yourself egotistical to ask to see an
> >> actual ESP experiment that succeeded? Or is just reading Doctor Mesmer's
> >> writing good enough for you? If you came across a book written in the
> >> 1700s talking about how there was this one guy who could predict what
> >> card was coming up next in the deck, would that convince you that ESP is
> >> real? If not, why not?
> > Depends if it was his deck or not, I guess. ;-)
>
> I'll take that as meaning there's nothing that would convince you.
> Again, why not? Why do you believe biblical historians, and not someone
> from just a few hundred years ago?
I didn't say that. If it was his deck I would look askance: there's plenty of
known tricks with cards. If it was my deck, or a deck from somebody that I was
reasonably convinced wasn't in league with him, maybe.

>
> >> Do you see how you're starting from the presumption that you know you're
> >> right? Do you see how each response you make implies that the God I
> >> would wind up believing in is the same one you believe in?
>
> > As opposed to atheists, who just know there is no God?
>
> Except I only "know" it in the scientific sense. I am confident, not
> faithful. I not only am confident your god doesn't exist, I'm confident
> that Shiva doesn't exist, that Zeus doesn't exist, etc.
It is my understanding that that would make you more of an agnostic than an
atheist, then.

<snip>
> >> In any case, I thought baptism got rid of original sin or something? Is
> >> the Pope really still being punished in this world for Original Sin? I
> >> thought believing in Jesus and/or doing the right rituals got rid of
> >> that original sin? That whole "Jesus died for our sins" isn't right? Is
> >> there anything one can do to stop being punished for Adam's "sin"?
> >>
> > That is correct. For Christians baptism gets rid of original sin.
>
> Then saying there's evil in the world that happens to Christians because
> of original sin doesn't make much sense.
Who said such nonsense?

>
> --
>    Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
>      It's not feature creep if you put it
>      at the end and adjust the release date.

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