Monty, can we talk for a sec?

The BBQ Pit
1

Look, I know what Czar was “EXPLICITLY ASKING” in his GD thread (I’ll link in a minute; I’m at work and my server’s too slow right now).

He EXPLICITLY ASKED for proof that magic, as he defined it in his OP exists.

However, several folks then chimed in with posts that were, at best, claims that “those dumb pagans” don’t know any better, and that none of us would be willing to come in and defend our “claims.”

The interesting thing is that, AFAIK, the only person who claimed to be able to cast the sort of magic that Czar asked about was robgruver, and he hasn’t been back since jab’s pit thread that I can tell*.

Therefore, what Czar got was a whole bunch of people responding to a perceived attack on their religion, not because of his OP, but because of subsequent posts that appeared to be attacking it. Frankly, I stayed out of it because I certainly can’t do anything along those lines. The best I can do is make the occasional sock disappear, and that under completely uncontrolled and non-repeatable circumstances.

So, Czar, justifiably, gets frustrated with the “lack of response.” You then jump in with the following comment:

Implying, once again, that it is paganism that is under attack, and not someone claiming to have metaphysical abilities to directly affect the outside world. Not the same thing; definitely not the same group of people.

Once again, to my knowledge only one pagan on the board has made any such claim.* Such does not justify such generalizations as you make in the above post.

I read the thread. I know what he was looking for. I’m not it. I don’t know anyone who would claim to be it. The rest of my post, after pointing out that you were, once again, getting the pagans on this board mixed up with froot loops who believe they can do stuff with the “power of their mind” was my half-hearted attempt to answer the OP. Frankly, I can barely finish the final paper that’s due in 12 hours with the power of my mind.

*[sub]Hastur may also have made such a claim. However, I don’t believe he did. If so, amend all “one poster” statements above to read “two posters,” with all appropriate verb changes.[/sub]

2

First, Czar’s thread is here: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=69167

Second, please amend the statement:

with froot loops who believe they can do stuff with the “power of their mind”

to

with froot loops who believe they can do stuff like teleport or otherwise violate the laws of physics with “the power of their mind”

This is what I get for typing in a rush. I apologize to any of my fellow pagans whom I may have offended.

3

Please keep in mind that Czarcasm (and others) were trying very hard to maintain the separation between Paganism and “magic(k)”. If there was an implied attack on Paganism, it was Monty’s and Monty’s alone.

4

SPOOFE, honey, I know that. :wink:

Why do you think I’m calling him out? Whyinheaven do you think I stayed out of the damn thread in the first place?(I’ll check the thread when I get home; I think someone else made the same reference but since I’m not sure I don’t want to accidentally fling tar on anyone.)

Oh, and BTW the bolding in Monty’s quote is mine, not his. Sorry about that.

5

I would just like ot remind you, dogsbody, that what you inferred was not necessarily what was implied.

6

Thank you, Andros.

7

andros, kindly explain to me how the implication and the inferrence are different?

Clearly I have missed something, and I feel that I can trust you to explain to me, although Monty appears to feel that being condescending to me is the most efficient means of explaining himself.

I can guarantee my knee is not jerking. I don’t have a whole lot of emotional investment in things either way. However, it seems pretty clear that the “pagans” defending themselves are being accused, by Monty’s statement, of believing they can violate the laws of physics, etc. I’m not sure what else his “protest too much” crack is supposed to mean.

FYI, my reading comprehension is generally pretty good. As I mentioned above, however, I am in the middle of finals and my brain is very close to exploding, so I may very well be missing something. This does not, however, make me stupid. :rolleyes:

8

My comment in Czar’s thread was directed to one specific poster, whom I quoted, and that person did not seem to understand the fact that Czar had explicitly stated that she was interested in magic that could be tested, not in pagan beliefs; I simply asked that the terms “pagan” and “magic user (or believer)” not be used interchangably, since they are in fact two different things.
I also said I couldn’t do any of the stuff {b]Czar{/b] was looking for - kind of my way of adding my “no” vote to the OP.

Monty, in what way to you think I am protesting too much? Asking for clear definitions, or agreeing with the OP?

9

FYI-Making socks disappear with the aid of a clothesdryer does NOT count. :slight_smile:

10

But, Czar, if they only disappeared in the clothes dryer then it would be both controlled and repeatable, right?

No, my socks disappear right out of the drawer. Or the laundry basket…and once off my foot (That was a nylon, though, and I think it had one run too many. Don’t know what happened to the elastic band at the top, though).

:wink:

11

Wait, wait. What if you could not have socks disappear?

And if you can, could someone teach me the trick to that spell?

12

That trick is easy, but there’s one small side effect-your car keys keep disappearing.

13

That’s what makes him such an irritating person. You learn, eventually, to ignore him and pretend he doesn’t exist. Once you do, life gets easier.

14

::shuffling off::

15

Monty? Turning a perfectly reasonable thread into a pissing contest? Surely not!

16

I found a sock in my dryer at home that wasn’t mine or my SO’s - Czarcasm, if it turns out to be yours, I will be deeply disturbed.

17

I found a sock in my dryer at home that wasn’t mine or my SO’s - Czarcasm, if it turns out to be yours, I will be deeply disturbed. How’d you do it?

Although after reading the thread about mythological household beasts, I will probably just blame the Nyclonic Vortex.

18

[grumble] stupid server gnomes… couldn’t have been my fault…[/grumble]

Sorry. I will now retire in humiliation.

19

Yeah, I know. :rolleyes:
And to think I opened this thread on the small chance of discovering you had some fault, you Kieslowski-appreciating, Anniz-marryin’, Cornflake-Girl-lovin’ fellah with a Cinco de Mayo birthday [sub]Happy belated, btw![/sub].

20

Actually, my birthday is 4 May, not Cinco de Mayo.

But don’t let that stop you from thinking I’m faultless. :slight_smile: