[Villalo69]

If you go by the teachings of south park then yes but they also tech you to have a cat spray you in the face to get high sooo i wouldnt go by what trey parker and matt stone say but who i am to judge right?

[Joanna Lytton-Vasey]

Originally Posted by Villalo69

If you go by the teachings of south park then yes but they also tech you to have a cat spray you in the face to get high sooo i wouldnt go by what trey parker and matt stone say but who i am to judge right?

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, though I do agree that you don't seem to be in any position to judge anyone about anything at all. Have you even taken a few minutes out of your no-doubt busy schedule to read the helpful links that Didymus provided earlier? Really, I don't know why he bothers!

[Villalo69]

If you take the show south park seriously then yes

[Villalo69]

Yes i did see the links and guess what? Not a fact in sight just horrible unintelligent opinions and bullying...simply fear of anyone different from you

[Didymus Much]

Originally Posted by Villalo69

I am pretty sure gingers being souless is a south park reference not a bible reference

If you believe that gingers have souls, please present your evidence in the 4th thread of the list in my previous post.

[tomdstone]

Originally Posted by Elmer G. White

Please do not change the subject with your attempts at the Gish Gallop.

You brought up the subject of Quantum Entanglement and when I explained that it involved the probability of a mixed state, taking the phase angle into account, you claimed it was Gish Gallop. I suspect that you do not really understand the importance of the phase factor in a quantum state. I doubt that you have ever read the book "Mathematical foundations of Quantum Mechanics" by John von Neumann. Before you talk about Gish Gallop, why don't you try reading a few of von Neumann's books and a few books about his legacy ?

[tomdstone]

Originally Posted by Basilissa

And that was the biggest obstacle for him to be Saved.

Not at all. Quite the contrary. My understanding is that he was speaking lucidly about many things including Pascal's Wager as he was being converted to Catholicism.

[Elmer G. White]

Originally Posted by Elmer G. White

Yes. Assuming he was, (1) how does that make his (von Neumann) Faith better than that of others? (2) How many people of "lesser intellect" should we recruit to have as much intellect as his? (3) How many of those opposing testimonies do we need until he's proven wrong? Please give us an approximate number.

I ask you one more time to drop the compulsive name-dropping.

(4) Do you think that evidence is based on observations or the person presenting it? Please do not include any personal names of references to any names in your reply.
(5) Does the past history of a person matter in these cases? Jesus did not think so. Here's a verse from a well-known story.

Matthew 8:10
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Originally Posted by tomdstone

You brought up the subject of Quantum Entanglement and when I explained that it involved the probability of a mixed state, taking the phase angle into account, you claimed it was Gish Gallop. I suspect that you do not really understand the importance of the phase factor in a quantum state. I doubt that you have ever read the book "Mathematical foundations of Quantum Mechanics" by John von Neumann. Before you talk about Gish Gallop, why don't you try reading a few of von Neumann's books and a few books about his legacy ?

Dear Mr. Tomdstone,

I would still like you to answer the questions (1-5) I asked you. Your way of avoiding the questions and changing the subject with yet another name-drop (including some secular concepts of QM) is the thing that makes me suspect that your strategy is identical to the one depicted in 1 Timothy.

1 Timothy 6:3-4
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,


Yours in Christ,

Elmer

[Didymus Much]

Originally Posted by Basilissa

...And that was the biggest obstacle for him to be Saved. Smart people with their logic and rational thinking are the problem; believing the Bible with all your heart contrary to logic and rational thinking is the only solution...

Originally Posted by tomdstone

Not at all. Quite the contrary. My understanding is that he was speaking lucidly about many things including Pascal's Wager...

Yeah, I included more of Bas' quote, to show just how much of what people are telling you (with easily verifiable reputable sources) you flat out ignore (and then answer a question nobody asked).

...as he was being converted to Catholicism.

Again, he was never converted, as the testimony of all of those involved shows. If you fear death, as von Neumann clearly did, you believe something bad awaits you. Something has to cause that bad thing, so he believed in God (not an atheist). Yet he took absolutely no comfort from any given theology, despite several trips back to the buffet, as it were. That's an agnostic by definition.

His deathbed (or near-deathbed, I'm not positive of the timing of the whole affair, which is irrelevant to the matter) consultation with a priest was a rejection of both the Jewish and Protestant faiths, not an acceptance of the Catholic, else he would have had no fear of death.

And, a man as smart as he was would clearly recognize that Pascal offers nothing to him. If behaviour was sufficient for salvation, maybe, but it's irrelevant to Jesus; as Mark 16:16 states, belief is the thing.

He just didn't believe. He may have said the words "I believe" at the right times at the priest's prodding for the meaningless rite as he lay dying, but his behaviour reveals the lie. He was contemplating facing God's wrath, a fate that none of the True Christians™ worry about at all (nor would any Christian who truly believes).

So why are you still trying to claim him as a Catholic? You're making yourself, von Neumann, and the Catholic Church look dishonest (and the RCC doesn't need your help there, frankly).

[Thomas Taylor]

Originally Posted by Thomas Taylor

Hello Tommy,


Did you know that wine and brandy are two totally different things?
One is produced through fermentation and settling and the other is produced through, yes go on, think about it, fermentation, settling and then distillation.


I have not gone into any detail as I am going to wait for you to elucidate us all on the subject.


I pray you give a coherent and biblically correct response.


YIC
TT

At last something the genius, Tom d Stone, doesn't know. 3 days no response - in your face Stoner.


God wins once again.

[tomdstone]

Originally Posted by Didymus Much

So why are you still trying to claim him as a Catholic?

When someone calls for a Catholic priest and asks for and receives Catholic Extreme Unction and the last rites, Sacraments and prayers from a Catholic priest, it is generally understood that he is a Catholic.

[tomdstone]

Originally Posted by Elmer G. White

OK, how many "lesser human beings" would be required to make up for one von Neumann? 3? 5? 10? >54?

It would be a lot and it would depend on who those other people were. etc. George Koltanowski, who met his wife on a blind date, was a blindfold chess champion of the world. On December 4, 1960, in San Francisco, he played 56 chess games blindfolded, winning fifty, drawing six and not losing a single game.

[Alvin Moss]

Originally Posted by tomdstone

George Koltanowski, who met his wife on a blind date, was a blindfold chess champion of the world. On December 4, 1960, in San Francisco, he played 56 chess games blindfolded, winning fifty, drawing six and not losing a single game.

Duly noted. Did you know that on May 6, 1964 an Englishman named Roger Bannister was the first man to break the four minute mile?


But look, what does any of this have to do with Jesus? You have been getting farther and farther out ever since you got here. Do your attendants know you're out?

[tomdstone]

Originally Posted by Alvin Moss

But look, what does any of this have to do with Jesus?

It has to do with a question of pastor Elmer White. How many people are needed to equate with the knowledge, intellectual capacity, and skill of one great man.

[Basilissa]

Originally Posted by tomdstone

It has to do with a question of pastor Elmer White. How many people are needed to equate with the knowledge, intellectual capacity, and skill of one great man.

Wait, wait, wait, I'm seriously confused now.

Did you just actually said that one person can be considered to be more valuable than a bunch of other people?

So, to put it in larger perspective, there are groups of people who are more valuable and desirable than others?

Like, for example, Aryans and Semites?

[Dolores de Barriga]

Originally Posted by tomdstone

It has to do with a question of pastor Elmer White. How many people are needed to equate with the knowledge, intellectual capacity, and skill of one great man.

I suppose it depends which skill we look at.

There are some people who are fluent in a dozen languages yet cannot solve the equation 8x = 8.

There are other people who are stunning map makers but cannot sing.

There are other people who have an incredible green thumb but get lost on a route that includes more than three turns.

There are others who make a huge impact on humanity by dedicating themselves to serve others, but cannot cook even if their life depended on it.

Etc, etc.

Can you weigh one ability against another? Is a person who's really, really, really good at math better than a super linguist, or a heavenly cook, or a great gardener, or a brilliant music composer?

You seem to favor a single ability for reasons which escape me. I would never say that life of one person is more valuable or more important than "many others." I would have to read a biography of this Neumann guy to pinpoint his weaknesses, but according to his Wikipedia page he was a terrible, totally distracted driver, who caused numerous accidents. That really discounts him as not so smart in my eyes.

[tomdstone]

Originally Posted by Dolores de Barriga

There are some people who are fluent in a dozen languages yet cannot solve the equation 8x = 8.

I doubt it. I think that this is another lie among the many seen on this fraudulent site. I doubt you can back up your claim by giving us the name of one person who is fluent in 12 languages but cannot solve the given equation.

[Joanna Lytton-Vasey]

Originally Posted by tomdstone

I doubt it. I think that this is another lie among the many seen on this fraudulent site. I doubt you can back up your claim by giving us the name of one person who is fluent in 12 languages but cannot solve the given equation.

Miss De Barriga may not be a Christian, but she is not a liar and I see no reason why she (or anyone else here) should have to put up with your mindless abuse. I assume you are not familiar with Smith & Tsimpli's The mind of a savant: Language learning and modularity which describes just such a case?


An apology to Ms De Barriga would seem appropriate.

[Dolores de Barriga]

Originally Posted by tomdstone

I doubt it. I think that this is another lie among the many seen on this fraudulent site. I doubt you can back up your claim by giving us the name of one person who is fluent in 12 languages but cannot solve the given equation.

Originally Posted by Joanna Lytton-Vasey

Miss De Barriga may not be a Christian, but she is not a liar and I see no reason why she (or anyone else here) should have to put up with your mindless abuse. I assume you are not familiar with Smith & Tsimpli's The mind of a savant: Language learning and modularity which describes just such a case?

An apology to Ms De Barriga would seem appropriate.

I originally meant it metaphorically, but the example given by Mrs. Lytton-Vassey works perfectly as a more literal illustration.

An apology is not necessary, as making mistakes is part of the learning process.

You still need to explain, however, what is your reason to think that one type of intelligence or skill is better than others.

[tomdstone]

Originally Posted by I Man Rastafari

I will send you a friend request to show support for your attempts here but I would be dishonest if I did not warn you that many who have become my friends have been banned.

Thank you kindly for your friend request. About being banned, I have already received threats from the moderators about being banned, so if they do ban me I am sure it will not be your fault.