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I was reminded, a few months ago, that we once discussed microwave ovens. Mike recited the internet myth that microwave ovens leak radiation. I linked the real story. AFTER that, Mike said that the link confirmed that microwave ovens are a radiation danger. I summarized the danger- according to the link (an official source) , microwave ovens may leak an inch or so past the case. So, unless you drape yourself across a microwave oven while it's running, you're safe from a radiation leak. I thought of that when he was running his lines recently on how well he grasps science.

It's worse than "you can't put it under a microscope." He was presented with evidence that would have knocked a professional linguis on his a$$, and his response was "no, sorry, the interpretation was only a paraphrase and not a translation." Like, the fact that an actual language was produced by someone who didn't know the language was a phenomenon that didn't impress A LINGUIST! That would be like me not reporting on a play because the performance was interrupted by the shooting of a President in the balcony. What-what-WHAT? Now, I am no longer on speaking terms with the teller of this tale because of chiropteral expulsion distortions of reality, but it seems to me we can start fact checking this story by verifying the occupation of the one person, aside from the teller of the tale, whose identity we do have: The linguist. Unfortunately, we don't have a full account. Just a likely last name. Oh, and his profession. Oh, and where he worked, along with an estimate of when. Fluent in 13 languages! That's bloody impressive. A linguist actually verified a firsthand example of glossolalia producing a language and failed to recognize the significance of the event in his professional field. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

I've spoken to Mike on the phone. For what it's worth, he only had one voice. :) Hey, back on the topic of Ralph Dubofsky's horses hit story about SIT, anyone have his father's name or the years he taught at CCNY? I tried googling "least competent linguists imaginable," but nothing came back. Ditto for "linguists who wouldn't recognize a Nobel Prize winning paper falling into his lap." Zero results.

In Power For Abundant Living (PFAL), Wierwille said he saw unbelievers manifesting more abundance than the believers. Was he talking about spiritual abundance? If so, how was that possible?

Here is a great example of HOW to think vs WHAT to beleeeve. This is what it means to doubt. There is no risk in doubting, questioning. Beleeef is a liability. (It might even cost you $787.5M for spreading beleeef.) I had the same impressions and questions when I read this story. And the same kinds of questions for the withered hand healing in India and for the rabbi teaching the bastard Jew bar mitzvah and so many others. One hundred years ago Bertrand Russell, when asked about the greatest existential threat to mankind, he answered, "Credulousness." (I'll find the clip and post it.) -- Because we are in the doctrinal sub, I'll bring up doubting Thomas, again. I think the author of John had a problem with Thomas for reasons we can never know for sure. I don't take the same traditional lesson that most religious leaders propagate. Thomas found out something. He found TF out!! Of all the apostles he was the only one who who was rewarded for questioning, doubting, endeavoring to find out. His reward? A profound disillusionment, understanding and awareness that left him speechless -- because, what could he possibly say? He didn't have to believe, he knew, he found out.

Yeah I don’t believe that there is no good outside of God and religion. There is plenty. I experienced years of my neighbors and coworkers and community members treating me better than “believers” did. I truly look at my faith as personal and a motivator for me. Not as a club to beat others with.

The issue for me was not the use of Darwin's name. It was the implication that godless = goodless. The implication that unless someone believes in God, he has no interest in anything but himself. THAT's what horses hit. We have plenty of things to live for, plenty of causes we deem greater than ourselves. We just don't worship them.