Well, this is an interesting thread. I read the last page, then the 2nd last, then clicked back 5 pages and read through to the end, but then clicked back 10 pages. And it's completely over my head.
But I'll add my $0.02 anyway...
Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
You're conflating belief with knowledge. Theism/atheism describes belief. Gnostic/agnostic describes knowledge.
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I read this bit about theism/atheism gnosticism/agnosticism from a couple of days ago and thought "I know I've seen a funny picture about that on the internet somewhere" A picture is worth a thousand words...
And then there's today's telephone conversation...
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarchHare
Flood myths were likely part of the oral tradition in ancient Mesopotamia (among other regions), with specific details and characters changing across cultures over many centuries like a giant game of telephone.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
No. NOT LIKE TELEPHONE! The analogy is bankrupt because it puts forward the idea that changes which occur within the transmission of ancient myths is always unintentional, and often prone to produce nonsense. People took these stories far too seriously to allow them to change or develop incidentally.
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I don't think the analogy is bankrupt, because I suspect in most games of telephone, someone subverts the system and uses it to further an agenda, which in most cases the end-game is either flatulence based humour or embarrassing romantic declarations. Not all changes in the telephone game are accidental.
But I think that might be your point.
Anyhow, neat discussion.