My take on the E vs C issue

[Dan From Smithville]

The naive fool is one who thinks there must
actually be mermaids.

Hold on. I was just presenting at the annual SPCBF (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Bigfoot) meeting that is co-sponsored by the Children of Alien, Demon, Mermaids of America Council and the Chupacabra Breeders Association and there are mermaids. There would not be associations with big names if there weren't.

I really enjoyed the presentations on lap Chupacabra breeds and how they are gaining in popularity. I am thinking of getting one of those myself.

While relaxing in the spa with several mermaids at the meeting after party, I had a chance to discuss some of the issues with them. They do not understand how it is that so many sightings of mermaids are misunderstood. They cannot see how that is not proof they exist. So many sightings must mean that what people think they see is real. Come on. The mermaids were telling me that despite all these numerous sightings of them over the years, the biggest barrier that they see with people accepting their existence is the complete lack of evidence that they exist.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

That's a cop-out.
Some encounters could be genuine, then?

Sure. How would you know? Surely you have an answer.

 

[Goodman John]

Well this discussion took an interesting turn!

 

[Audie]

Sure. How would you know? Surely you have an answer.

COULD be. Folks from Missouri say, "Show me".
That is generally taken as a sign that they
are down to earth common sense folks
are not into a lot of wild eye woo woo.

 

[Audie]

Well this discussion took an interesting turn!

You have some idea of what to do with the
op besides saying "oh dear" and talking about
something else?

 

[Jose Fly]

That's a cop-out.

No, it's called being rational. I'm not going to reach broad conclusions based on extremely limited, indirect accounts.

Some encounters could be genuine, then?

I don't know. Again, I'd have to know the specifics of each case.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

There are simply too many incidents that occur, every day, to arbitrarily dismiss it!
On this thread, I was specifically referring to posters here who state they have regular dialogue with their spirit guides, gods, or other invisible entity. And this is only 1 forum; multiply this by thousands, and the number is huge! By just those who are willing to reveal it!! There are many more, I'm sure, who aren't comfortable discussing it.
Then there are those who've claimed to have seen Bigfoot, the kraken, ghosts (especially ghosts**), shapeshifting reptilians, chupacabras, Elvis or Michael Jackson (today, at walmart), UFO's.....no doubt that many of these are fraudulent at times, but I wouldn't lump them all together! Only a näive fool would do that....

**The following accounts include many people known for their rational thinking:
THE HAUNTED WHITE HOUSE — American Hauntings .....and that's just one "ghost". Those familiar with or working at the White House claim there are several:
White House Ghost Stories

But since the dead are dead -- they "are aware of nothing, Ecclesiastes 9:5"; their 'thoughts have perished, Psalms 146:4' -- there's definitely something going on, to betray people's trust!

Why are all these types of web pages so poorly designed?

 

[Goodman John]

You have some idea of what to do with the
op besides saying "oh dear" and talking about
something else?

Well, considering I AM the OP....

I was throwing my 2 cent's worth into the ring, fully expecting a full-court press against my post. I had no idea it would turn to the probability of the existence of Mermaids !

 

[Dan From Smithville]

COULD be. Folks from Missouri say, "Show me".
That is generally taken as a sign that they
are down to earth common sense folks
are not into a lot of wild eye woo woo.

Yeah. Let's just go with that and not look deeper.

 

[Audie]

Well, considering I AM the OP....

!

Exactly. If you dont know what to do
with yourself, how are we supposed to?
(other than to say "oh dear" and go on to
more pressing matters, like, you know,
mermaids.)

 

[tas8831]

Hey, that reminds me....you never answered my question. The posters on here, who claim to speak w/ their gods, or spirit guides, or similar invisible entities. Do you think they are lying? Or delusional? Drunk? Or what?

I've got a bunch of questions you've scampered off from. Shall I dig them up for you?

 

[Shad]

Taking a page from the Manichaeans and Gnostics, I think the physical realm (the universe as we know it) was created following a cataclysmic battle in the spiritual realm between God and Satan. In his defeat, Satan created the physical realm in which to escape God for a time. By 'create' I don't mean 'creation as in the Book of Genesis, but creation most likely the Big Bang. Remember we're talking about spiritual beings and for them time essentially doesn't exist, so it's entirely likely that we're looking at billions of years of evolution and not *poof* here's a bunch of animals and people.

Time does exist for "spiritual beings" but you use time reference in your explanation. You contradict yourself.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Hockeycowboy: Some encounters could be genuine, then?


@Jose Fly : I don't know. Again, I'd have to know the specifics of each case.

Well, that’s fair enough. Leaving the possibility open that some claimed supernatural encounters could indeed be fact.

 

[Bear Wild]

Well, considering I AM the OP....

I was throwing my 2 cent's worth into the ring, fully expecting a full-court press against my post. I had no idea it would turn to the probability of the existence of Mermaids !

I am not sure if there is enough evidence for mermaids but selkies on the other hand there is no doubt they exist!

 

[Bear Wild]

Hold on. I was just presenting at the annual SPCBF (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Bigfoot) meeting that is co-sponsored by the Children of Alien, Demon, Mermaids of America Council and the Chupacabra Breeders Association and there are mermaids. There would not be associations with big names if there weren't.

I really enjoyed the presentations on lap Chupacabra breeds and how they are gaining in popularity. I am thinking of getting one of those myself.

While relaxing in the spa with several mermaids at the meeting after party, I had a chance to discuss some of the issues with them. They do not understand how it is that so many sightings of mermaids are misunderstood. They cannot see how that is not proof they exist. So many sightings must mean that what people think they see is real. Come on. The mermaids were telling me that despite all these numerous sightings of them over the years, the biggest barrier that they see with people accepting their existence is the complete lack of evidence that they exist.

I would not consider a Chupacabra if I were you. There have been to many unprovoked attacks reported in Texas. There have also been pictures posted on the scientific journal the "National Inquirer" showing deadly attacks. The last picture of an attack was against one of the visiting aliens. You may want to consider a rabbit instead.

 

[Milton Platt]

Taking a page from the Manichaeans and Gnostics, I think the physical realm (the universe as we know it) was created following a cataclysmic battle in the spiritual realm between God and Satan. In his defeat, Satan created the physical realm in which to escape God for a time. By 'create' I don't mean 'creation as in the Book of Genesis, but creation most likely the Big Bang. Remember we're talking about spiritual beings and for them time essentially doesn't exist, so it's entirely likely that we're looking at billions of years of evolution and not *poof* here's a bunch of animals and people.

Along with Evolution, it's my position that Satan- as the creator of this world- had to monkey around with what would eventually become Man in order to make him 'work'. Buy this, I mean placing souls in those bodies. Early Man had no clue what was up, but after thousands of years he started to figure things out.

So sure, I'm all for the Big Bang- and I'm all for Evolution. But at the time I look for the CAUSE of these, and I see an extra cook in the kitchen, and that extra cook is in a sense a Creator.

Good drugs, dude........

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Well, considering I AM the OP....

I was throwing my 2 cent's worth into the ring, fully expecting a full-court press against my post. I had no idea it would turn to the probability of the existence of Mermaids !

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to derail your thread. I will stop.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I would not consider a Chupacabra if I were you. There have been to many unprovoked attacks reported in Texas. There have also been pictures posted on the scientific journal the "National Inquirer" showing deadly attacks. The last picture of an attack was against one of the visiting aliens. You may want to consider a rabbit instead.

I think that Chupacabra have gotten a bad reputation, because they are used in Chupacabra fighting. Especially in Texas. Really, any mythological, cryptid species can be dangerous if they are abused and mistreated. People think rabbits are cute, furry and safe, but take the Rabbit of Caerbannog. Nothing cute or safe about it.

National Inquirer you say. Well now, if a respected science journal like that is presenting evidence of the dangers of Chupacabra ownership, I might have to reconsider. Neighbor had a two-headed cow they did a report on once. Real nice pictures too.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

There are simply too many incidents that occur, every day, to arbitrarily dismiss it!

It's not actually arbitrary at all....
It's dismissed on the grounds of having no evidence at all, the nature of the claim making the thing extremely implausible as it oftenly involves magic (= suspension / violation of natural law) and the fact that there's more religions then cultures in the world, all of them making mutually exclusive claims.

We know for a fact that humans have a tendency to engage in superstitious beliefs and the invent them out of thin air. We have literally observed religions being born.

We understand human psychology and how it deceives people into thinking something magical happened etc etc.

It's the very opposite of arbitrary!

It is, on the one hand, because there isn't a single rational reason to accept it (which in itself is already enough to dismiss it rationally) and on the other hand, we have all that evidence and explanation and experience with precedents to inform us that this is what people do: invent religions and believe in them.

On this thread, I was specifically referring to posters here who state they have regular dialogue with their spirit guides, gods, or other invisible entity. And this is only 1 forum; multiply this by thousands, and the number is huge! By just those who are willing to reveal it!! There are many more, I'm sure, who aren't comfortable discussing it.

I don't think it's surprising to find many people on this forum who claim to have experiences like that. This place is bound to attract theists who are rather serious about their religion. People serious about their religion tend to say stuff like that.

I think they talk to an imaginary friend or simply against themselves.
I actually do that to. Some kind of self-pep-talk right before a presentation or gig or something.

Everybody has the experience of talking to one-self. Theists tend to confuse the inner self with some spirit guide of sorts, it seems to me.

And then, off course, there are also psychotics who literally are having auditive hallucinations.
It's like they say: "if you talk to god, then you're a theist. But if god talks back, you're a schizofrenic"

Then there are those who've claimed to have seen Bigfoot, the kraken, ghosts (especially ghosts**), shapeshifting reptilians, chupacabras, Elvis or Michael Jackson (today, at walmart), UFO's.....no doubt that many of these are fraudulent at times, but I wouldn't lump them all together! Only a näive fool would do that....

I lump them together because all of them are at their core the same type of claim:
- unfalsifiable
- bare assertion thus with no evidence
- expected to be taken at face value
- all of them implausible right out the gates

Religious claims of the supernatural, aren't any different.

**The following accounts include many people known for their rational thinking:
THE HAUNTED WHITE HOUSE — American Hauntings .....and that's just one "ghost". Those familiar with or working at the White House claim there are several:
White House Ghost Stories

But since the dead are dead -- they "are aware of nothing, Ecclesiastes 9:5"; their 'thoughts have perished, Psalms 146:4' -- there's definitely something going on, to betray people's trust!

Uhu, uhu.

 

[tas8831]

Hockeycowboy: Some encounters could be genuine, then?


@Jose Fly : I don't know. Again, I'd have to know the specifics of each case.

Well, that’s fair enough. Leaving the possibility open that some claimed supernatural encounters could indeed be fact.

Sure!

For those desperate to BELIEVE, "could be" = absolutely is!