The Definitive MADhouse Quote Page.

[_JohnStuartMill]

So does anyone think it possible that seeds and spores from this earth could some how escape gravity by wind or perhaps Volcanic eruption or even a meteor impact float out past the atmosphere and stratosphere into space and then survive long enough to make it to another sphere? I know its probably implausible with all the radiation and what with having to reenter an atmosphere... but... it's an interesting thought

Did you know you could reach escape velocity via wind?

Panspermia has been having a bit of a revival lately.

[_Darth J]

A poster going by the sobriquet "ldsfaqs" explains how the scientific method proves that the LDS Church is true because Ed Decker mischaracterized certain tenets of the LDS Church.....or something like that:

Yes, that's right. It's called the Scientific Method. Ever heard of it? I have definitively proven that anti-mormons are not the "smart-ones".
Unlike religious and spiritual claims, facts and data that people present are easily verifiable and comparable with other claims, and so is methodology, whether it is quality scholarship, or bigoted hit pieces.
Any actual objective person be they LDS or not can see on a claim by simple comparison if an anti-mormon data is fully accurate, or the LDS data is fully accurate.
For example, Jewish Anti-Defamation Leagues often put out statements condemning certain anti-mormon works. These works by the way, are no different than the things anti-mormons say all the time, so, it's not as if the works were especially immoral. They've condemned the most extreme Ed Decker and the least extreme Joseph Smith/Jesus Christ DVD put out a couple of years ago. There are other objective people out there, who have their own beliefs and views, who don't misrepresent or lie about Mormonism, and can see how anti-mormons lie.

Problem is, most people tend to be focused in one direction or another and having interests and lack of interest in one direction or another, and they don't sit back and objectively take and compare two sides using the scientific method. For example, those who have no interest in religion, or are already a part of a religion, they see that there was a "Priesthood Ban" in the LDS Church, and maybe a couple seeming racist or ethno-centrist quotes by an LDS leader, they then say to themselves and in public..... "Evil, the LDS Church is racist". Now, what went wrong here? They made a judgment without even seeing if there was more to the story, if the information was really the whole truth of the matter. Maybe at some point later they might learn a little more, but their objectivity is gone, and their bias is already set, so they see nothing else but racism. That's how most people do things..... Most people, don't use the scientific method. They don't see a claim, and they don't then seek out more information from all sides on the claim to see what is the actual truth on the issue, and THEN make a judgment.

I've been in various other religions, I've been a basic believing LDS, I've been an anti-mormon/anti-religion, and I've been a full and forever believer.
And what did I do during that entire process? I compared and contrasted perspectives, seeing what was and wasn't from one stage to the next.
You can't say I haven't proved that anti-mormons aren't the smart ones, because you haven't actually gone to the next stage of understanding to know and see how I can know and claim that.

During the period when I was interested in finally finding out what was really true, I had no interest or bias one way or another, I was only interested in the absolute truth. I would have been perfectly happy if the Church and other religions were false. So, after eliminating all other religions as potential reasonable candidates, I sat down, took an anti-mormon claim, and and took the LDS scholarship on the same subject, and saw clearly and easily each and every point where the anti-mormon omits important information, makes false statements and assumptions, degrades unfairly, is hypocritical, etc., thus I saw clearly that the anti-mormon isn't at all telling the truth. It's not just a couple of issues, it's almost every single issue and statement they make as I would very quickly learn. At the time, I did the same process with about 3 other issues, and the same pattern emerged. Anti-mormons did nothing but use a little truth to tell great lies, misrepresented statements and facts, omitted facts, etc.

Anyway, comparing data of two sides, seeing which is actually "smarter", telling the whole truth, is most certainly a "provable" exercise.
Not my problem if you don't actually use that ability and understanding when it comes to Mormonism. And if you think you do, you don't, because your contempt and bias is already strongly set, your glass is all FULL, and you don't see any other information and connections other than that bias.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/551 ... ge__st__40

[_bcspace]

In other words (ooooh; I used one of Joseph Smith's pet peeves...) bc knows nobody read his sentences from the third on.

No, I've learned the lesson few of you have learned which is that the more succinct one is, the less opportunity to hang one's self with too much rope.

Darth J had a recent episode in which he forgot exactly what it was he was arguing against and ended up creating an impossible argument against something else by the time he was through. I think the problem stems from a form of literary narcissism which causes one to lose focus.

[_Darth J]

In other words (ooooh; I used one of Joseph Smith's pet peeves...) bc knows nobody read his sentences from the third on.

No, I've learned the lesson few of you have learned which is that the more succinct one is, the less opportunity to hang one's self with too much rope.

Darth J had a recent episode in which he forgot exactly what it was he was arguing against and ended up creating an impossible argument against something else by the time he was through. I think the problem stems from a form of literary narcissism which causes one to lose focus.

I can't wait to see the link! Then my public humiliation will finally be complete!

[_Buffalo]

bcspace starts out strong with good logic:

I disagree. I think the Greek hippopotamus argument, and all others like unto it, breaks down in light of the fact that the plates were translated by the gift and power of God. Either the power of God rendered the text into English making a horse a horse, or the power of God showed Joseph Smith horses and he wrote "horses".

We also have to contend with elephants and asses. The list of possible substituted loan-shifted animals grows thin, especially when one also has to add in cureloms and cumoms.

But sadly succumbs to brain damage in the end:

Science has not precluded any of these. It is still quite possible to hypothesize real horses because there is no evidence against.

[_gramps]

It is like shooting fish in a barrel over there again. ;)

mfbukowski, the resident guru philosopher:

To me, this is really a backwards way of seeing it. The Bible is not science and not intended to be. Science teaches us the facts about the universe- according to the latest model that people have created which will be thrown out in the next 20 years anyway.

In other words, it's not that different than what you call "fiction". Both present a picture of the world drawn by humans who find these models useful for various purposes, but know that they are just that- transitory models built to explain whatever it is they want to explain.

Spiritual writings teach us about the MEANING of our lives and what is important to people- not about transitory "facts", but about principles which people have always found useful in defining their place in the universe.

If you want to discover the meaning of life, you go to the scriptures. If you want to find out how to build an airplane or a radio telescope you go to science.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/55463-secularist-dogma-final-refuge-of-the-unfeeling/page__view__findpost__p__1209040580

Of course, his own ideas may change in the next 20 seconds, so who knows if he still holds to this paradigm? ;)

[_Bond James Bond]

God rewrites the laws of physics at will.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/553 ... 1209041994

[_Bond James Bond]

On a thread concerning the global flood a poster responds to flood apologist:

Here, here! Far too many people have blind faith in what the scientists say. We have to understand; scientists are not, for the most part, objective.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/553 ... 1209042784

[_Bond James Bond]

More fun from the Global flood thread:

God has transported people in time. God has stopped the rotation of the earth for a battle. God has rained fire from heaven. Is all of this acceptable but a little water on the earth is too much? I think it is time for people to examine what they actually believe. I know it is hard but I think it is well worth it.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/553 ... 1209043035

[_Bond James Bond]

A global-floodist discusses matter:

You claim that Matter is eternal. That is dogma. Not fact.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/553 ... 1209043066