I always boasted about turning a Jesuit priest into my "anal whore".
The truth though it was really only that one time. Before he committed suicide.
I had to come up with a new lie about how I was related to Compo from 'Last Of The Summer Wine' after that to impress my school-friends.
Sad now I think of it! (I used to recall to friends how he was my great uncle who had abused me whilst we travelled down a country lane in a bathtub on wheels.)
Quote: DaButt @ February 22 2009, 1:38 AM GMTRather than deflecting the focus onto God, I'd like to see some proof that any person has ever bent a spoon or moved an object with his mind. But there simply is none, because it has never been done.
Likewise, I'd like to see some proof that Jesus walked on water and healed the sick. However, I'm broad-minded enough to accept that it MIGHT have happened. Weird shit happens, all the time.
My intention wasn't to deflect the focus onto God, only to highlight the point that people who believe in the wonders of God are - by definition - believers in the paranormal. That can't be denied. A third of the world's population are Christians. They all believe in a magical being with special, magical powers. Hence, every one of them - uncomfortable as the notion is - believes in the paranormal, because God is a paranormal being. They also believe in extra-terrestrials, because God wasn't born on this planet. They also believe in telepathy - communicating with another consciousness via the power of thought, because that's what prayer is.
However, tell them about a little pathetic spoon-bending and most will laugh. That makes no sense to me at all.
Quote: Lee Henman @ February 22 2009, 3:33 AM GMTHowever, tell them about a little pathetic spoon-bending and most will laugh. That makes no sense to me at all.
Because it's lower-level magician nonsense.
Quote: Lee Henman @ February 20 2009, 8:21 PM GMTFor quite a while I had the entire school convinced that I could bend spoons with my mind. In actual fact I'd tried it a few times at home and did have some success - but could never replicate it at school, so I'd just bend the cutlery with brute force when people weren't looking. It went on for years until I got pissed off with the whole thing and told everyone I'd been having them on. They didn't believe me. The lie had grown into a monster, which culminated in Mrs Ferguson (a very strict and entirely-unpleasant teacher), pulled me out of class and forced me to stand in front of her own class (a group of about 40 kids) and "perform". I found out later that she'd been telling the kids that the paranormal was nonsense, and one of the kids had mentioned me, so her plan was to humiliate and debunk me in front of everyone.
Anyway, she'd got a load of paperclips and put them into a jar so I couldn't touch them. She said if there was one bent paperclip in the jar after I'd held it, she'd write an article in the school rag announcing her belief in the paranormal. What actually happened was all of the paperclips bent. Maybe it was the pressure of the moment and all the kids rooting for me or whatever, but something major happened in that sealed glass jar about 20 seconds into me holding it. I gave it back to her and she opened it to much laughter in the class. She sent me back to my class, and ten minutes later I was called to the deputy head's office and hauled over the coals for "playing a cruel trick" on Mrs Ferguson.
And before anyone asks, no I can't do it anymore. It was strictly confined to my teen years, when I was extra-freaky. I've since read up on the subject and it's actually quite a common thing with troubled kids - although most hide it instead of showboating like I did.
Bizarre story that ain't it? But true!
Thank you for sharing this story! It was very brave of you. There are many things that we can't explain...yet. So did your teacher write an article in the school rag or did she renege on her promise? I hate when adults do that to children. She sounds like a horrible sore loser and a shrew to boot. Maybe you could send her a gift in the nursing home. A jar of bent paper clips 
Quote: Marc P @ February 21 2009, 4:23 PM GMTA reverse kind of thing. I entered a poem in the school house literary competition under a friends name and when his name was announced as the winner he had to go and collect his prize.
Brilliant 
Reminds me;
My schoolmate won 3rd prize in a county-wide handwriting competition, for which he received a certificate and a book token.
The certificate congratulated Peter Bunn on his achievement. My mate's name is Peter Burn.
Quote: DaButt @ February 22 2009, 6:16 AM GMTBecause it's lower-level magician nonsense.
Whereas Jesus was a regular David Copperfield?
Quote: Little Jersey Devil @ February 22 2009, 6:29 AM GMTThank you for sharing this story! It was very brave of you. There are many things that we can't explain...yet. So did your teacher write an article in the school rag or did she renege on her promise? I hate when adults do that to children. She sounds like a horrible sore loser and a shrew to boot. Maybe you could send her a gift in the nursing home. A jar of bent paper clips
Hah - I sometimes wonder why I'm so candid about this type of stuff, it always brings me heat.
To answer your question there was no article written and she treated me like a leper for the rest of my time at school. And anyway a while later I convinced everyone it was a trick anyway - I was sick of being seen as a liar / weirdo. Quick word of advice - if anything strange ever happens to you, ie you see a ghost or a ufo or whatever...it's probably best to say nothing.
Quote: Lee Henman @ February 22 2009, 12:25 PM GMTWhereas Jesus was a regular David Copperfield?
Mark 3:24
And Jesus stood on the runway
And looked into the throng
And asketh them
Where has thy Jumbo Jet gone?
Quote: Lee Henman @ February 22 2009, 12:25 PM GMTWhereas Jesus was a regular David Copperfield?
I haven't said a word about the "miracles" of Jesus and God, because I don't believe they ever took place. So why do you keep bringing up the subject? The fact that people believe in a God whose existence has never been proven is not a carte blanche excuse for every kind of crazy, unverifiable nonsense that one might come up with.
Quote: DaButt @ February 22 2009, 12:38 PM GMTI haven't said a word about the "miracles" of Jesus and God, because I don't believe they ever took place. So why do you keep bringing up the subject? The fact that people believe in a God whose existence has never been proven is not a carte blanche excuse for every kind of crazy, unverifiable nonsense that one might come up with.
I bring them up because it's an important point. I'm trying to say that while it's perfectly-acceptable to believe in the Big Magic Pixie In The Sky, people who believe in other aspects of the paranormal are ridiculed. I couldn't imagine you talking to a Texan priest and telling him he's a liar.
Quote: Lee Henman @ February 22 2009, 12:45 PM GMTI couldn't imagine you talking to a Texan priest and telling him he's a liar.
Your perception of American Christians is way off base. Catholic priests are not of the fire-and-brimstone, fanatical variety. That's more in line with Baptists.
I've had many discussions with the most fervent of believers and they've all been quite civil. As long as you don't mock them or their beliefs ("Big Magic Pixie In The Sky" is probably a no-no) you're not likely to wind up in fisticuffs if you tell them you don't share their views on religion.
Quote: Lee Henman @ February 22 2009, 12:45 PM GMTI bring them up because it's an important point. I'm trying to say that while it's perfectly-acceptable to believe in the Big Magic Pixie In The Sky, people who believe in other aspects of the paranormal are ridiculed. I couldn't imagine you talking to a Texan priest and telling him he's a liar.
Well there's people who literally believe in a God who made the world from nothing in 7 days and created loads of loaves and fishes (a mixture of Paul Daniels and Jamie Oliver?) And there are those who believe these are interesting stories with significant meanings but never happened.
With aliens you either believe or you don't. It's a bit silly to not believe in the existence of aliens, but believe in their cultural significance.
I think I've met quite a few biblical literalists, e.g. those who believe the word of the Bible to be literally true. You could divide them into 3 groups the deeply foolish (or ignorant), the mentally unablanced and the very, very sad. Forcing your self to believe something you know makes no sense I guess is upsetting.
Most seriously relgious people I know don't care if the stories are true, it's the interpretation that matters.
N.B. I'm an aetheist who believes in religion.
As for aliens it just always seemed odd to me. FLy a 1000 yearlighters using technology beyond our comprehension just to shove a finger up some one's anus.
Do they lack anuses of their own and find ours fascinating?
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ February 21 2009, 9:34 PM GMTMmmm. I think believing that there is alien life is pretty realistic. I'm not talking about alien abduction stories and UFO sightings, but the belief that it's unlikely that the life on this planet is the only life in all the universe. It seems a pretty logical conclusion to make that there is a huge possibilty there are other lifeforms out there somewhere. Nothing to do with paranoia and fear - more to do with probablity.
Sorry I meant the whole Carl Sagan, Alien abductin malarky. Statistically it's a near certainty there's life amongst the stars.
The paranoia I meant was in the essential theology of alien abduction stories.
e.g. Monotheism=belief in divine purpose of life, equlaity of all before the creator, concept of an after life and deeper significance to individual life. Pretty good stuff I'd say.
Alien abduction theories=Distrust the government, fear an invader you are helpless before, the world is a scary paranoid place. Not so good I'd say.
Both religion and alien abduction theories are religions e.g. sets of belief in the absence of veirifable evidence. I don't follow either, but I feel safer and more cofrotable knowing others follow one more than the other.
Oh Gawd
Quote: Huge Bear @ February 22 2009, 9:53 PM GMTOh Gawd
I'm hardly around these days so I have to save up my posts.
Quote: DaButt @ February 21 2009, 6:59 PM GMTa belief is not necessarily a truth.
Nor is science.
Quote: Aaron @ February 23 2009, 12:04 AM GMTNor is science.
Science that conforms with the laws of physics and mathematics is as close as you can get to absolute truth.
