# fighting ignorance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 13, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177 "2006-03-13T15:58:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/41 "2006-03-14T20:52:58Z")
> [@](#): > > i have a roomate who was born jewish and blieve’s in kabala and i have seem him do these same things that uri did and much much more. What, your roommate bends spoons by pressing on them with his thumbs, too? If he put all that effort into studying Kabbala and that’s all he got from it, he should be demanding his money back. Any sufficiently stubborn five-year-old can bend spoons by pressing on them with his thumbs. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/42 "2006-03-14T23:41:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What, your roommate bends spoons by pressing on them with his thumbs, too? If he put all that effort into studying Kabbala and that’s all he got from it, he should be demanding his money back. Any sufficiently stubborn five-year-old can bend spoons by pressing on them with his thumbs. I hope we haven’t stumbled on **mswas** ’s roomie here. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/43 "2006-03-14T23:46:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What, your roommate bends spoons by pressing on them with his thumbs, too? If he put all that effort into studying Kabbala and that’s all he got from it, he should be demanding his money back. I just hope he doesn’t bend spoons on the sabbath. Spoon-bending is hard work. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/44 "2006-03-15T21:05:49Z")
> [@screwball321](#): > > > [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > > > Similarly, demonstrations of “magic” and spoon-bending serve to draw people in, the first step in getting them to buy seminar tickets and books and whatnot. > > i can see where you are coming from. but, why do it only for a small gain? What, bend spoons for the big bucks? Are people willing to pay top dollar to have their silverware mangled? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/45 "2006-03-15T21:16:21Z")
> [@](#): > > I hope we haven’t stumbled on mswas’s roomie here. Um, I don’t get it. What does **mswas** have to do with anything? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/46 "2006-03-17T20:47:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Um, I don’t get it. What does **mswas** have to do with anything? He was very into the Kabbalah, and at times claimed mystic powers, like being able to see auras. He never claimed to be able to bend spoons, though. Just a little joke. ---
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/47 "2006-03-17T21:13:17Z")
i got the ?z, that you? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/48 "2006-03-20T15:37:20Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > He was very into the Kabbalah, and at times claimed mystic powers, like being able to see auras. He never claimed to be able to bend spoons, though. > > Just a little joke. He also claims to be Jesus Christ. And God. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/49 "2006-03-22T01:30:13Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > He also claims to be Jesus Christ. And God. Too bad I’m on the opposite side of the country from him. I could use the free wine. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/50 "2006-03-24T16:15:58Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Too bad I’m on the opposite side of the country from him. I could use the free wine. Just open a Pit thread started by a right-wing poster. They’ll hook you right up. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177/51 "2006-03-24T18:46:45Z")
We seem to have finished discussing Cecil’s column, so I’ll close this thread. Those wishing to comment on the column are free to start another thread. bibliophage moderator CCC [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance/348177.md?page=2)