How Skeptical Are You?

A supernatural event is a contradiction in terms. If an event happens it happens in the natural world, thus becoming a natural event.

quote:

---

Do you believe Earth is now, or ever has been visited by life from other planets?

---

The evidence indicates no, but I don't know.

quote:

---

Do you believe that there was a conspiracy to assassinate JFK, RFK, or MLK? If yes, please specify which one(s).

---

I don't know enough about the incidents to have an opinion.

quote:

---

Do you believe that Franklin Roosevelt knew that Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked, but kept the information secret in order to get the U.S. into WWII?

---

Same answer as above.

quote:

---

Are there supernatural forces working in the Bermuda Tiangle?

---

It is actually a myth that there is any greater incidence of crashes or sinkings in the Bermuda Triangle compared to elsewhere with similar weather patterns: bermuda triangle

1. No. I would think there would be some evidence of this.
2. No, the evidence seems to indicate no conspiracy
3. No, FDR did not know Pearl was going to be attacked on 12/7.
4. No, Logs have been examined from many areas around the world that indicate foul weather most often the blame for vessal disappearences. Burmuda Triangle statiscally was found to be no different.
All the opinion of a
Dyed in the wool skeptic.

That is possible, but then the question has to be change to mean something.

---

holmes
"...what a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.."(D. Bros)

Do you believe Earth is now, or ever has been visited by life from other planets?
I have no clue. Maybe.Do you believe that there was a conspiracy to assassinate JFK, RFK, or MLK? If yes, please specify which one(s).
I have no clue, but it's possible.Do you believe that Franklin Roosevelt knew that Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked, but kept the information secret in order to get the U.S. into WWII?
I have no clue, but from what I have read, the writing was on the wall.Are there supernatural forces working in the Bermuda Tiangle?
I have no clue, but I'd venture a guess at NO..

I don't think it can be changed to mean something because the word supernatural has no meaning, it's a null word that means exactly what the user means it to. It has no usefull connection to reality.

quote:

---

Looks like I'll be the most skeptical so far...

​

The answer to every single one of those questions is: I don't know, and almost everyone else doesn't either.

---

Well, I don't know whether you believe FDR knew about Pearl Harbor in advance, but I'm a little surprised that you don't know whether you believe it either. Your skepticism would make Decartes proud.

quote:

---

I don't think it can be changed to mean something because the word supernatural has no meaning, it's a null word that means exactly what the user means it to. It has no usefull connection to reality.

---

If it means what the user means it to, than it doesn't have no meaning. I don't see anything all that problematic about the meaning here. It seems to be something like "events that do not conform the rules that we ordinarily see operating in the physical world".

Do you believe Earth is now, or ever has been visited by life from other planets?nope. they know better.Do you believe that there was a conspiracy to assassinate JFK, RFK, or MLK? If yes, please specify which one(s).maybe as a publicity stunt.Do you believe that Franklin Roosevelt knew that Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked, but kept the information secret in order to get the U.S. into WWII?no. the translation didn't arrive in time.Are there supernatural forces working in the Bermuda Tiangle?nope. only the natural forces left by an old now-shifted axis.If you have any other out- of -the- mainstream theories, that I haven't mentioned, feel free to bring them up.

1) Don't know. Don't care.2) Don't know. Don't care.3) Don't know. Don't care.4) Don't know. Don't care.

1. alien visitations? NO...don't believe in aliens at all. I believe God created the stars, sun, and moon on day 4 for signs and for seasons--not habitation; the earth He created for habitation. The Bible also states He will roll up the universe like a scroll and make a new heaven and earth. Doesn't sound like aliens are in the plan. But if you DO believe in aliens, you should consider that a ship that can move at only 1/10 the speed of light will use a LOT of energy. I have also heard that colliding with dust particles is a problem at such speeds. So, if there ARE aliens, they most likely will never come here...since we cannot verify ANY planets outside our solar system, IIRC--meaning any life-supporting planets, if they do exist, are not exactly a hop, skip, and jump away.
2. conspiracy to kill JFK? Yes, he had managed to get an executive order through that would introduce a currency that would compete with the federal reserve notes. The bill is still in effect, but after his death it was quite ignored...you risk your life when you stand up to the central bank--The Federal Reserve, which, btw, is NOT federal at all (was it deceptively named?), but a privately owned corporation (foreign holders)!
3. Franklin Roosevelt stood down on Pearl Harbor day just to get into the war? I believe it! If not he, then high ranking military officials. But this is not something I've researched to my personal satisfaction.
4. Supernatural forces in the Bermuda Triangle? No!

Other theories:

1. I believe that 9-11 was an event planned and carried out by the US govmt in order to scare the daylights out of Americans and make the Constitution seem all the more out-dated (ran that Patriot Act through rather quickly, eh?) as well as to give us an excuse to invade two countries we would not have otherwise. I don't even believe there were ANY terrorists involved in THAT event and that Bin Laden is paid to make TV appearances just to assure us the threat continues.
2. I believe the IRS acts outside it's scope daily and mostly. http://www.taxableincome.net
3. The federal government has found ways around the first amendment: church incorporation and 501(c)(3). All public corporations, which churches are, are created, owned and can be controlled directly by the government granting charter. 501(c)(3) was promoted as an escape from taxes. Sign up for 501(c)(3) and you (the church) won't have to pay income taxes. But churches have NEVER had to pay income taxes...and because of the first amendment...the government can never tax churches. However, when you sign up for 501(c)(3) recognition you promise not to speak against the government. Huh? Wow! Read the first amendment again! Can the government do that? Yeah...cuz the church VOLUNTEERS to do this. But why do churches volunteer for such? Because they are encouraged to do so by accountants and lawyers. I wonder if the federal govmt is able to influence to any degree what gets taught in the universities? Nah...surely not!

I hesitate to say such things (and I'm holding back, really)...cuz I realize it makes me sound looney. Oh, well...too late, now!--TheLitAbE:
If a public official says it, if it's a politician quoted in the paper or on TV, if Dan Rather or Ted Koppel or NPR or ANY media says something that involves what the government should or should not do...I'm skeptical of it.I'm skeptical of evolutionary claims, too, and THAT'S why I come here...to discuss THAT....but this fun,too.This message has been edited by TheLiteralist, 03-26-2005 03:51 AM

I understood that's what your comment could have meant. When I said the sentence had to be changed so that it had meaning, that could have included dropping the word supernatural.I was assuming that the poster was trying to get at if some of the odd events which occured within the BT were caused by anything other than regular weather/mechanical phenomena, including intervention by aliens/extre dimensional beings/etc.BT theories certainly include aliens, and they would definitely count as "natural" phenomena, just as yet unknown natural entities.

---

holmes
"...what a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.."(D. Bros)

The records that would be needed to formulate a valid opinion on the FDR issue, simply are not out there... at least not to my knowledge.In that particular case I really don't know what to believe. While there seems to be some evidence he should have expected an attack from Japan at some time, I've seen nothing to indicate that he had reason to suspect any particular time and place. Though there are some troop movements which could have been luck or the result of someone with insight or inside info, and played an interesting game.Unlike JFK and some of the others, that one is actually outside of my belief (or gut feeling) range as well.

---

holmes
"...what a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.."(D. Bros)

But IF there was a conspiracy to let Japan attack Pearl Harbor, this is just the sort of thing we'd expect to hear.

• The government (or military) is suspected of conspiracy
• the government (or military) provided the story that "the translation didn't arrive in time."
• Therefore, we cannot rely solely on that story to draw valid conclusions.

If I am not too terribly mistaken, the idea is that the knowledge was well known, but purposely withheld (delivered "late") from the poor soldiers at Pearl Harbor.