Are you quite certain of the fourth card? Because when it comes to make the switch, there is a sleight of hand that is used, and no fourth card required, it is much simpler to just work with the three cards. If they do pick the queen correctly, the dealer simply takes another card, and is supposedly turning over the card they picked with it, which in fact if it was the queen, he simply uses the card in his hand now to switch places with what was the queen, making it appear the card he still has in his hand was still the one he had originally. Hope this reads right and makes sense.
I hope that they and nobody else took advantage of the person with Down’s Syndrome, and let them play for fun. I never took any money from anybody, it was strictly for entertainment.
Same here, with heavy emphasis on Randi. Had a chance to talk to him once over the phone when I was just ordering a book at the time. Little did I know while they were processing my order, the next thing I hear is, “Hello, this is James Randi.” He was every bit the hoot I imagined him to be. He autographed my book as well.
I first seen Randi on an old Bob Barker show when he was testing a guy for psychic abilities by moving a pencil. Then later, I seen him on the Tonight show staring Johnny Carson, and that’s when I bought his book Flim Flam. I haven’t been right since. I’m thankful for Randi and the many others that rid me of my superstitions. I too, was already sort of on my way to atheism, but Randi just put me on the fast track, and I got there a hell of a lot quicker than I would have without him.
Not when I researched this about a year or so ago, just thought it would be fun to pit God, since I don’t think it had been done. Just wanted to do it for the entertainment value. You might want to spend a bit more time on SD before doing a OP in the Pit though. Tuff crowd, and it’s easier just to reply to posts there until you get the feel of that group.
I’m intrigued, does this mean that God puts the onus on you if the conversation is to occur?
In other words, he rings you up, but unless you accept him, no actual conversation will actually occur.
My pastor, who knew me from adolescence and into my 20s, used to counsel me to work on my connection to God, to accept the charges as you put it.
I trusted this pastor, and he was truly a great guy, but what he was telling me to do was meditate through prayer to god.
I followed his advice, but all I ever felt was a dialog with myself. Contemplative meditation is what I was doing.
When I believed, I never felt right asking God for anything other than advice, and I was always amazed to hear people say they prayed for good fortune, success at sporting events, and even to find lost car keys. I would ask for the good health of others, but I didn’t even think God intervened in such matters. Pastor would smile at me, and assure me that God was active and that he frequently intervenes.
My pastor knew how much I was struggling to hang on, because we talked about it often and his advice was always along the lines of, “you are resisting, you need to ask Jesus to come into your heart, keep praying and you’ll find God.”
Yeah, something like that, but my post was meant to be an amusing metaphor that has more to do with effort and struggle in life than communication with or acceptance of a divine being.
In my life, the good things that have happened have certainly been rewarding, but spiritual growth has always come from overcoming adversity. So if I’m hoping to gain some kind of insight or come to some kind of realization, it’s going to cost me.
Put more simply (and tritely):
God helps those who help themselves.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
I think that vengeance is to be left in the hands of God because he is the only one who knows for sure if someone does know what they’re doing. It doesn’t mean that I have to let someone continue to mistreat me. I can just stay away from them.
