06 Mar 13
Originally posted by twhiteheaddoesn't anything proven to be real ceases to be supernatural or paranormal? or he has a very specific list of things to prove?
I came across this today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Z7KeNCi7g
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Randi
He offers a million dollars to anyone who can prove the existence of anything paranormal or supernatural. Any takers?
06 Mar 13
Originally posted by KewpieYes, they have to have a way of verifying the claim.
Read the Challenge rules. They won't accept religious or spiritual claims because they say that they are untestable. That money's been on offer since 1964.
They always have the person making the supernatural claim agree with the test they design. I think that's fair.
06 Mar 13
Originally posted by ZahlanziYes, that basically highlights the fact that a claim that something supernatural is real is self contradictory.
doesn't anything proven to be real ceases to be supernatural or paranormal? or he has a very specific list of things to prove?
However, this doesn't rule out the possibility that some things we label supernatural or paranormal are in fact real and natural. So for example, if it is possible to speak with the dead as some people claim, then that should be testable and if proven to happen would be a real, natural phenomena - and, I think, they would win the million dollars, and probably the Nobel prize too!
06 Mar 13
genuine "spiritualists",(witches, shamans,buddhas,etc.), have no interest in dirty money. The genuine ones dont come to your door offering bible lessons.
And even if you do find one , they can easily lose you at anytime if they desire.
the op is totally against the spirit of the overall message of genuine spiritual people.
i think that million would be better spent on something else
06 Mar 13
Originally posted by karoly aczelI reject 'the supernatural', 'the spiritual'.
genuine "spiritualists",(witches, shamans,buddhas,etc.), have no interest in dirty money. The genuine ones dont come to your door offering bible lessons.
And even if you do find one , they can easily lose you at anytime if they desire.
the op is totally against the spirit of the overall message of genuine spiritual people.
i think that million would be better spent on something else
Better breathing breaks barriers, bro. (Belligerent? Better behave ...)
07 Mar 13
1 edit
Originally posted by KewpieWhat if a believer prayed that her deity would cause a chair to levitate off the floor for a full minute?
Read the Challenge rules. They won't accept religious or spiritual claims because they say that they are untestable.
The prize money could be donated by the winner to missionary work, or could go toward the construction of a new church building, so it's not like the deity would have a spiritual excuse to refuse the request.
As a side note, I used to carpool to work with a Christian who would sometimes get on the topic of theology. More than once the fellow told me, "God will never do anything to prove His existence. He wants us to believe in him as a matter of pure faith." He would likely tell me that this is why a Christian would fail to get the chair to levitate.
07 Mar 13
Originally posted by karoly aczelThe guy in the op is specifically targeting people who charge for services such as communicating with the dead.
genuine "spiritualists",(witches, shamans,buddhas,etc.), have no interest in dirty money. The genuine ones dont come to your door offering bible lessons.
And even if you do find one , they can easily lose you at anytime if they desire.
the op is totally against the spirit of the overall message of genuine spiritual people.
i think that million would be better spent on something else
I wonder though why you think his money is dirty, and why you think a genuine spiritualist would be uninterested in it.
07 Mar 13
Originally posted by Paul Dirac IIThe difficulty with that though is that it effectively mean that God is unable to act at all. Otherwise we would be able to look back at death rates etc and find that there was a set of people (belonging to a particular religion, say) who were more healthy/profitable/longer lived/more law abiding/... than people outside the set.
What if a believer prayed that her deity would cause a chair to levitate off the floor for a full minute?
The prize money could be donated by the winner to missionary work, or could go toward the construction of a new church building, so it's not like the deity would have a spiritual excuse to refuse the request.
As a side note, I used to carpool ...[text shortened]... He would likely tell me that this is why a Christian would fail to get the chair to levitate.
The JREF million dollar prize is aimed more at people who claim to make their money though things like:
- Speaking to the dead
- Telepathy & telekinesis
- Fortune telling
- Water divining
- Alternative healing methods
- and other such stuff.
--- Penguin
09 Mar 13
Originally posted by twhiteheadIt's "unspiritual"-that's why a genuine one would be uninterested....prolly wouldn't come across the ad in the first place.
The guy in the op is specifically targeting people who charge for services such as communicating with the dead.
I wonder though why you think his money is dirty, and why you think a genuine spiritualist would be uninterested in it.
Those that offer their bogus services should be exposed .