John Smith wrote on Apr 11^th, 2014 at 7:48pm:



Name them, then.

John Smith wrote on Apr 11^th, 2014 at 9:03pm:

True. I think in the 20th / 21st century, there's stronger evidence that 'John smith' existed than there is that Jesus existed, Siddhartha existed and, even Socrates and Plato existed.

Soren wrote on Apr 11^th, 2014 at 10:51pm:

Soren wrote on Apr 11^th, 2014 at 10:58pm:


Besides, It is not heresay ... heresay is what you would get if someone I had never met wrote about me in 80 yrs time based solely on stories he had heard . Heresay is what you might write about me.

The records of my birth and my parentage on the other hand, exist.

Soren wrote on Apr 11^th, 2014 at 11:29pm:



you are getting pretty desperate now, even by your standards. 

Yadda wrote on Apr 10^th, 2014 at 6:37pm:


Jews read the Talmud not the Torah and when they say they read the Torah they actually mean the Talmud.

And Jews are not the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They're descended from Jacobs brother Esau(Edom).

It says in the Jewish Encyclopaedia that "World Jewry is Edom."

Quantum wrote on Apr 11^th, 2014 at 11:44pm:


does it matter?

Quantum wrote on Apr 11^th, 2014 at 8:12pm:

Yes, everything does have doubt surrounding it and sometimes (especially where articles of faith are concerned) whether the evidence pushes left or right (or even not at all), does not detract from the believer's sense of truth on the matter in question.

I characterise this species of conviction as 'the art of being certain', requiring the acceptance that doubt is ubiquitous and indestructible, yet believing anyway, without that faith being belligerent and blind.

These convictions, like most others, are usually not up for debate, nor open to scientific inquiry (and nor are they defended by irrational argument) and yet still impart a truth value to the believer. A fortuitous paradox, if you like, that resonates deep into the human psyche because its utility is innate and universal.

Soren's "Juliet's Balcony" (I assume its original) is an excellent example of this : "There is a Juliet balcony in Verona that tourists like to look at. We all know it's not actually the balcony but we do go and visit it (I know I did) because it lets us think of the truth of the drama more concretely. Like a relic or an icon, it fixes the mind on the contemplation of the truths of the drama."

"Doubting in this context is trivial because it distracts from the truth of the drama."

Yes, doubt is ubiquitous and indestructible plaguing every conviction, yet, like the 'reality' of imaginary numbers, it's dubiety can be set aside - we can suspend our incredulity - in order to apprehend a greater truth.