Rocky

It's only 19 days until 4/1/19.

I bet Stephen King could make that story sing!

Ummm... "rational thought" is about the last thing people who are needing to be persuaded actually take heed to. The resources for learning persuasion are numerous, here is one. Perhaps one of the most significant resources of our era is the seminal research of Robert Cialdini, emeritus professor of social psychology and author of Influence. But I digress.

Looks like Raf abstained from posting on Sunday this week.

Yelling doesn't make it so. But thanks anyway. Define quantitative and qualitative evidence Quantitative: Numerical or statistical information (data), which often comes from surveys, surveillance or from administration records. Qualitative:Descriptive information, which often comes from interviews, focus groups or artistic depictions such as photographs.

Btw, by definition, Kata, witnessing instantaneous healings would be qualitative, not quantitative proof, if anything. Quantitative evidence has to do with numbers... which might be related to what Raf said.

Easter is after Tax Day this year.

And the photo IS of the same David Craley that edited the Way Mag.

I don't need your apologies. If you're going to post remarkable claims, it is your responsibility to provide the links and the back up documentation. Full stop.

Where's the documentation that he was "born without a brain?"

Figure it out. If you can't figure it out, don't bother telling people to do some convoluted search process.

Indeed, Thomas Paine, one of the most influential of the Founding Fathers, was a Deist. He took a lot of crap for his essay on the Age of Reason. Because it undermined the superstition that dominated religion in that era.

I prefer to try to read to infer what the writer is trying to communicate. If I was teaching a class on English grammar, I'd agree with you. OTOH, did you go on Quora to ask the writer of that question for clarification? Did you post some snark there too about the grammar?

Why don't you just post the YouTube link here?

Maybe I'm dense, but I read the question, even with the commas, as that it was only a subset of atheists who believe that Jesus never existed.

As you seem to have noticed, I used an "I" statement (I don't see how...). Just claiming it WAS germane doesn't automatically make it germane. It's also not a great leap to recognize that I was implying that I had never become FB friends with him but simply referenced HOW I came to understand that he's on FB. Thanks for the clarification. I never implied that I trust FB friend suggestions. I don't recall ever having met Craley. But obviously am familiar with his name.

I don't see how that's germane to the question or the response. But thanks for letting us know how you feel. Also, my point is that if Thomas wants to know what's up with Mr Craley, he could go ask him himself.

He's on Facebook. FB, from time to time, suggests I friend him.

It also just occurred to me that both... sitting through 40 years of boring twig fellowships AND listening to those tapes and transcribing them are failures of imagination. IOW, whoever has done either of those things can't IMAGINE anything better to do or think about. Are the things of God really that boring?

Somebody who had nothing better to do with his/her time. Can you imagine sitting through 40 years of twig fellowships teaching/listening to the same old dull, well-worn "teachings" delivered by the same old dull, boring "leaders?"

Perhaps if DG was indeed highly successful, he was able to retire and devote time to what he thought was a calling. I never met him... and don't care to do so now.

"God knows who else..." reads/hears only what they want to? Pretty much EVERY one (in the world). Therefore, Dude, again: YOU are responsible for making your message clear to the reader. Don't blame the reader for not understanding your message. Try to figure out a different way to get your message across. I understand your expression of frustration. Please try again to make your message more clear to your intended audience.

I know, I was replying (directly) to TLC.

Stated another way, "which purpose I apparently did not make adequately clear to readers." It is my view that responsibility for clarity of communication resides almost exclusively with the writer... not that I think you were being rude.