metadigital

continued here

Sure, if you throw out 99% of the story, that is what you get. You also throw out the "faith" requirement of these stories. It's not a miracle, it's just a metaphor. If you don't have a faith or supernatural requirement, then you just have a story about people walking through the desert with no facts to back it up. Or worse, a metaphor that is nothing more than simple morality tale. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Why are you telling me what I should or should not believe? Why can't it be a "simple morality tale"? You mean like you telling Hurlshot that the story is only a metaphor? However, I highly doubt anyone will take my comments as me telling them what to think. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You were taking issue with my stated beliefs; so I AM taking your comments as a direction that my beliefs are unacceptable. Flaming? There is no evidence for the Exodus. Period. In fact, there is evidence that it did not happen: the lack of any remains of hundreds of thousands of people leaving Egypt. We can trace the movements of small groups of people, even individuals, over thousands of years because of the lack of weathering and erosion etc. But I see you are having trouble expressing yourself, so I think I'll close the thread, myself.

To whom? To apparently everyone in this thread but you. As it is part of what we are debating. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> No, you posted an article about the validity of faith in God. Then, you asked a question about whether certain famous borderline historical/mythical figures existed. I posted a response explaining that it was highly proably that they did, but that the myths were decidedly improbable. Now you seem to be telling me that I have to either get in the faith boat and believe that in all of the mythical accoutrements, or jump out of the boat and not believe in the characters. I don't see why.

Sure, if you throw out 99% of the story, that is what you get. You also throw out the "faith" requirement of these stories. It's not a miracle, it's just a metaphor. If you don't have a faith or supernatural requirement, then you just have a story about people walking through the desert with no facts to back it up. Or worse, a metaphor that is nothing more than simple morality tale. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Why are you telling me what I should or should not believe? Why can't it be a "simple morality tale"?

To whom? Who said I was worshipping any gods?

Sure. I can. The story of Exodus is a metaphor about the transition of humans (the Hebrews) moving from a pantheon to a single God. The Hebrew God being one that is not confined to a geography (like Poseidon was God of the Water) or events (Poseidon was God of Storms); the Hebrew god can move through a desert as a burning bush. See? metaphor n noun a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable. ⇒a thing regarded as symbolic of something else. DERIVATIVES metaphoric adjective metaphorical adjective metaphorically adverb ORIGIN C15: from French m

At least 2 religions have Hercules and Odysseus. In those stories they often visit factual places iirc. Would you assume because there are stories about them, statues even, that they actually existed in any form that resembles the story? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's an equivocation fallacy; but for the sake of your argument, yes, I would assume that they actually did exist. Whether their existence resembles what we have in stories today is irrelevant.

Historically, there is no reason to doubt their existence. Even if the stories of their lives are exaggerated, there is enough archeological evidence to support the time and places as accurate. It makes little sense to completely fabricate an individual and spread the stories across the world and over the centuries. The odds are much greater that these individuals existed. Of course, over time you need to account for events being exaggerated or altered. Much of what we know about these figures was passed down through oral traditions. With Muhammad, the Qu'ran was completed 15 years after his death, so we have a much more accurate account of his life. Abraham and Moses (and I'm not a theological scholar so I could be wrong) is going to be less accurate because the written records available are written much later than their lifetime. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't think there's any archaeological evidence for the Exodus. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I know there is no archeological evidence for the Exodus. But that isn't what you asked; you asked if it was reasonable to conclude that Moses and Abraham ever existed. As there are three major faiths based upon Abraham, he probably did exist. Whether he tried to decapitate his son is a moot point; why he would want to, either because he thought god was buzzing his personal pager or not, is another completely separate question.

I play different games depending on how I feel. Sometimes I want to escape for a prolonged period of time (e.g. Turn-Based, like Civ), and sometimes I want a quick burst of adrenaline-fuelled distraction (e.g. FPS like Half-Life 2), and sometimes I want a good story to read and interact with, like Deus Ex. )

William Gibson FTW

Yeah, scheduled to see Spirited Away soon.

You didn't notice the subtle-but-everpresent rainbow in the latest Doctor Who series? ) I must also point out (as would be known by anyone who watched Queer As Folk would know) Russell T Davies's Dr Who fan credentials are unimpeachable.

Does pumping the fish oil out of the fish hurt them? When will our bloodlust be filled by Omega-3's? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It is the latest in ichthyoplasty; overweight fishie liposuction.

I am aware of the distinction between weak and strong atheism: weak is basically a strong form of agnosticism (there is no proof for or against a deity) versus strong (THERE IS NO GOD!!1!!one!!).

Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle. Excellent, non-clich

Alan Dean Foster's The Man Who Used the Universe.

Just in time for the release of NwN2 in Britain! :D

That'll be because your education has stagnated. IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, has your age as the divisor, so if you don't increase what you know as you get older, then your IQ will decline.

Quotas and such? I agree, as a white male, they're not "right". I fail to come up with something that works better in practice. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Best way to attack this issue is pre-empting it for future generations, methinks; i.e. engineer education for children to assist and accelerate the natural deprecation of the unwanted antisocial behaviour(s). Children are remarkably astute at detecting hypocrisy and generational changes in behaviour seem to be easier to implement than retrospective ones.

Yeah, they tried a spin-off show with Sarah Jane and K9 in the eighties, called K9 and Company, which died a silent, ratingless death. Not surprising considering that Russell T Davies is an outspoken hoosexual activist who came to prominence with the critically-acclaimed Queer As Folk.

Maybe if your PC didn't have such an ignominious reputation, then the NPCs wouldn't all be chasing you with lanterns and pitchforks ...

That doesn't qualify as "news". "

Hello Hanrahan. )

All right!