Backyard dinosaur

[Guest jackdm3]

Pascal's Wager - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Chucktshoes]

I have always disliked pascal's wager. When I was a nonbeliever it always rang hollow for the same reason it rings hollow to me today, God knows what is truly in my heart. One either believes or doesn't, there is no hedging of bets possible, you are either all in or you aren't.

This to me is part of a larger theological question/ debate. Does one really have a choice to know God or does He make that decision for us? The Calvanism / Arminiasm debate has been going on for about 500 years now so I don't think it is going to be decided anytime soon.

[BigK]

I meant, and should have said, "hedging one's bets", not meaning to point necessarily at you.

Half the Christians I've ever had in depth conversations with eventually admit to some degree of Pascal's Wager, as separate from doubtless belief.

- OS

I had not heard of Pascal's Wager until now. Interesting!

btw...I did think you meant me, but I'm glad you didn't and I apologize for the assumption.

[Oh Shoot]

I...

btw...I did think you meant me, but I'm glad you didn't and I apologize for the assumption.

No worries ... common usage is "you" for "one" as in "you never know/one never knows", and nowhere is verbal precision lost more often than on a net forum, which is why I do strive for it, but obviously often fail.

Of course I don't know your heart of hearts and couldn't presume to speculate.

best,

- OS

[Guest Jamie]

You should hope that we Christians are wrong, b/c there is no comparing a lifetime of what you refer to as "believing something that wasn't true" to the alternative: eternal pain of damnation.

Who said anything about Christians? I was speaking of religion in general.

I'm certainly not gonna pull the cork out of that "which religion is right" bottle...

J.

[Guest Jamie]

Whether it's this

or this

it all still ends like this

Wow... that takes over-simplification to new heights, especially concerning Atheism.

BTW... If I were Adam, I'd be wanting my rib back. I'd also probably be the first guy in history to have a snake skin thong.

J.

[brooksjr]

Would have been better if he'd left out that talking snake, though.

Women have gotten a bum rap ever since. I just always avoided talking snakes instead.

- OS

Evolutionists believe everyone in the world ultimately came from rock. I will take the snake.

[Guest Jamie]

Evolutionists believe everyone in the world ultimately came from rock.

And if I recall correctly, the Bible says God created Adam out of clay... and since clay is a form of very finely ground rock... ( Rotten rock is actually closer to correct... )

And I wouldn't mind having a talking snake as a pet. I think I'd keep him in an apple tree out in the back yard.

Sorry, folks... but no matter which side of the line you're on, you're fighting an unwinnable battle, with no positive proof one way or the other.

J.

[brooksjr]

And if I recall correctly, the Bible says God created Adam out of clay... and since clay is a form of very finely ground rock... ( Rotten rock is actually closer to correct... )

And I wouldn't mind having a talking snake as a pet. I think I'd keep him in an apple tree out in the back yard.

Sorry, folks... but no matter which side of the line you're on, you're fighting an unwinnable battle, with no positive proof one way or the other.

J.

+1

[Mike.357]

fighting an unwinnable battle, with no positive proof one way or the other.

thats why they call it faith

[Guest Jamie]

thats why they call it faith

Yep. But do keep in mind that "faith" and "delusional" aren't that far removed from each other.

J.

[enfield]

Silly me - I thought we were discussing fossils.

[Guest Jamie]

Silly me - I thought we were discussing fossils.

We are. Specifically, how they might have come to exist in the first place.

J.

[Mike.357]

discussing fossils.

when I was a little kid I could spend hours looking at the fossils that made up the stone that formed the walls of my grandparents driveway. Seems the stone was entirely fossils. Totally fascinated me. None were as big as the thing the OP referred to.

[Ebow1]

"What am I going to do with it?" he wondered to WMC. "If I keep it around, my wife might throw it at me."

I think that's the best line of the entire article.

[Mike.357]

I would definitely keep it, unless a large amount of cash was going to change into my hand for it.

I bet they turn his back yard into a dig. The pool will be on hold for a bit.

[Guest Jamie]

when I was a little kid I could spend hours looking at the fossils that made up the stone that formed the walls of my grandparents driveway. Seems the stone was entirely fossils. Totally fascinated me. None were as big as the thing the OP referred to.

My own grandparents lived in a house made of stone/rock... and I've spent many an hour wandering around it looking at the various fossils and imprints in some of those old pieces of granite or whatever they are. Most were just shells of some sort, but there were one or two more interesting critters to be found. I always wondered exactly how long they had been there.

When my grandfather died and my grandmother moved out, I wanted to sneak back and pull one of those rocks out for a keepsake. Didn't figure the new owners would much care for a hole in their house though.

Here's the house, for those that are wondering what the hell I'm talking about:

The pic is from Google Earth, btw.... much has changed in the 20+ years since I was last there.

J.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Jamie

[enfield]

I wouldn't mind finding some fossil ivory -- I need new grips on a few handguns.

[Guest Jamie]

No fossilized ivory here... just this stuff:

That black thing just to the lower left of the shark's jaws is a meteor... or meteorite... I forget which is the proper classification.

The picture was taken for a thread long ago on another forum titled "What is the oddest thing you own".

None of that stuff seems particularly unusual, based on what some of the folks there offered up.

J.

[Handsome Rob]

I wouldn't mind finding some fossil ivory -- I need new grips on a few handguns.

Seriously? Texas Knife Supply has bunches of mastodon Ivory, Walrus, Seacow & occasionally Hippo ivory too

This stuff's worth a look too. In the UK it's called Elforyn. I've used it on a few knife handles & it's the closest I've ever seen to antique ivory. Believe it or not, it's actually made from milk!

http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=587_604_605

Edited July 6, 2010 by robtattoo

[enfield]

Seriously? Texas Knife Supply has bunches of mastodon Ivory, Walrus, Seacow & occasionally Hippo ivory too

This stuff's worth a look too. In the UK it's called Elforyn. I've used it on a few knife handles & it's the closest I've ever seen to antique ivory. Believe it or not, it's actually made from milk!

Alternative Ivory

I know it's available, but I don't want to BUY it -- I want to get it free.

[G27]

Meteorite.

Meteors don't make it to the ground, meteorites do.

[Guest Jamie]

Meteorite.

Meteors don't make it to the ground, meteorites do.

Thanks... I just couldn't remember what the difference was.

And the one I have barely made it to the ground. What's inside that blast-fused glass casing is little larger than a BB. If it wasn't for it landing on a beach and fusing the sand, it'd probably never have been found at all.

J.

[Tim Nunan]

not to start a religious argument, I totally respect those that are religious. There is a lot of comfort in religion and the bible.

But how does the age of something like this play on the bible and the time span of creation?

Was once told God worked until he got tired and called it a day. :-)

[enfield]

Which brings us back to the topic of back yard fossils . . . .