# Polycarp did you forget to take you pills? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 3, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640 "2003-12-03T03:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![WaryEri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea666f/32.png) [@WaryEri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WaryEri)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/441 "2003-12-06T03:10:08Z")
Meaning no disrespect, could you give a heads up on when you’re going to publish this bio post? I’m as curious as anyone, and while wading thorugh 9 Messiah-free pages hoping for a name wasn’t a complete waste of time thanks to the high quality of discussion around here, I’d kinda like to know when and where to expect the big unveiling. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/442 "2003-12-06T03:10:48Z")
I suppose the next question to address is, “What kind of a nutjob do you think you are to believe that you and you alone know what God has planned?” I’d have to point out that I’m in pretty good company – Hal Lindsey, the Left Behind co-authors, and folks from Luther to Billy Graham have written in extensive detail about what’s supposed to happen in the Last Days. Uh, maybe I need to back off from claiming membership in that group…. 😉 I don’t feel like I’m off the wall in suggesting that a sequence of quite natural events will occur that _will be seen in retrospect_ as something comparable to the Second Coming – not the “End of the World” scenario but the return of a Jesus figure who will teach as He taught, and call people to proper behavior toward each other. I make no apologies for the kid’s website no longer being up – I’ve sought for copies of it, archived or something. I suspect strongly his family insisted it be taken down, as it reveals stuff that they might not appreciate having public knowledge. As for why I and so far I alone have this hunch – I read the website, I drew some conclusions from its contents, and realized what his real identity (as a human being, member of a family) probably was. So it doesn’t surprise me to find it gone these five years. I used my insight as to what he could bring to bear on the problems he saw as needing change, given who I think he is, and therefore arrived at the conclusions I did. But what he said he had as a dream, a vision of the future he wanted to see, and what his father said in response, suggested to me that he would end up being the person to call us to our best selves, when he reaches full adulthood and decides to undertake making his dreams real. “Biography” post follows. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/443 "2003-12-06T03:13:42Z")
“Is Jesus returning again-quite likely not” sad. (Yes, He is.) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/444 "2003-12-06T03:20:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*“Is Jesus returning again-quite likely not” > sad. > (Yes, He is.) \*\* You know, you’re quite welcome to get pissed off at me for saying things that contradict your beliefs – but at least do me the honor of disagreeing with what I said – which is not what you quoted. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/445 "2003-12-06T03:20:44Z")
That’s not what he said, **vanilla**. He said, “Is this guy Jesus Himself come back? Quite likely not – though ‘with God all things are possible.’” ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/446 "2003-12-06T03:26:56Z")
Finally. I’ve been waiting for the reveal with 'bated breath. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/447 "2003-12-06T03:48:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > **I make no apologies for the kid’s website no longer being up – I’ve sought for copies of it, archived or something. I suspect strongly his family insisted it be taken down, as it reveals stuff that they might not appreciate having public knowledge.** Try [www.archive.org](http://www.archive.org) . They have an enormous number of web pages from long ago archived. (click on “web” at the top, and go to the “wayback machine”, and enter the URL in there) ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/448 "2003-12-06T03:57:36Z")
So **Poly** would you say my post from a couple of pages ago would be a close approximation of what you’re saying? > [@](#): > > \*\*When Jesus V1.0 was around, he wasn’t generally accepted to be the Messiah. Note that both Christ and Messiah are titles not proper names. Something about his life, however, was remarkable enough that it caused some people to become his disciples. Over time his disciples came to believe he was the Christ, the Messiah they were waiting for. This was a heterodox view, given that they were Jewish. So a few years down the road the author of Matthew writes his tome to make the arguement that Jesus fulfilled the role of the Messiah from prophecy, albiet not in the Orthodox way that people expected. > > As IzzyR could tell you, the arguement didn’t convince all of the Jews. Nor will it ever. > > I think Polycarp’s emphasis on the phrase “fulfill that role” is important. What he seems to be saying is that this new guy _if_ he is able to accomplish what he had as his goal on the now defunct website will have a great effect on the world. Such an impact, in fact, that in the future people will be writing books to demonstrate how he fulfilled the role of the Second Coming of Christ from New Testament prophecy, albiet not in the Orthodox way that people expected. > > As Scotticher will probably tell you 40 years hence, the arguement won’t convince everyone. > > It may be a crazy idea, but it’s certainly no more looney than the idea that Jesus is gonna appear in a ball of fire in the sky, whisk away the believers and lay waste to the rest of us. I’d go so far as to say it’s more rational. (Assuming that I’ve interpreted Poly correctly.)\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/449 "2003-12-06T04:03:44Z")
Arrrggghhhh!!! I returned from work, saw that Poly had posted and read ravenously through it waiting for the reveal only to find one final tease. What the hell, I’m going to guess Sean Ono Lennon. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/450 "2003-12-06T04:09:00Z")
Oh! That’s a good guess **Diogenes**. Except he’s not blonde. THough Iguess he could have dyed his hair… ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/451 "2003-12-06T04:31:13Z")
Well. This pretty much sums it up for me. > [@](#): > > _if there is an active God_ You don’t sound real convinced that there is a God, period, let alone one who is “active”. [now opting out of this discussion, as one thing I have learned in Great Debates is that there’s no point in trying to convince agnostics that a God exists Who cares about His creation] > [@](#): > > Main Entry: 1ag·nos·tic > Pronunciation: ag-'näs-tik, &g- > Function: noun > Etymology: Greek agnOstos unknown, unknowable, from a- + gnOstos known, from gignOskein to know – more at KNOW > Date: 1869 > > : a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and prob. unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god Sean Lennon was born in 1975; wouldn’t he be too old? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/452 "2003-12-06T04:36:32Z")
DDG, no offense, but I think you need to re-read the paragraph. Or read the paragraph part the small line you quoted. He’s establishing his parameters (that there is an active God), not stating that he’s unsure. I think classifying **Polycarp** as an _agnostic_ is as ridiculous as classifying me as a Fundamentalist Christian. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/453 "2003-12-06T05:35:49Z")
Diogenes writes: > [@](#): > > Please tell me how you can calculate a difference between “confidence” my car will spontaneously levitate 11 feet in the air or that a baboon will fly out of my ass? Well, I am pretty confident that if my car levitated 11 feet up in the air, a baboon would definately fly out of my ass. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/454 "2003-12-06T06:04:32Z")
So, Poly, do you now see that there are sometimes wider gaps between us liberal Christians and our more literalist brothers and sisters than there are between us and some Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc? Those who Rev Lovejoy would describe as “miscellaneous” often more accepting of other beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![SparrowHawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SparrowHawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparrowHawk)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/455 "2003-12-06T06:26:48Z")
Been lurking here for the last 10 pages. I find it an extremely… _interesting_ example of human tendencies to see people who are so sure they are right and **Polycarp** is wrong that they have quit reading what he says and only see what they think he would say, now that they have plonked him into a particular catetgory they’ve got for people who say the sorts of things they imagine him to have said. Heh. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/456 "2003-12-06T06:51:23Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by **dropzone** _ > I dunno. The fact that JT has a career beyond picking up tricks on the streets of Orlando could be described as miraculous. There’s some stiff competition in this thread, but that line is definitely the funniest one here. Good work **dropzone**. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/457 "2003-12-06T06:55:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Una Persson \* > > Try [www.archive.org](http://www.archive.org) . They have an enormous number of web pages from long ago archived. (click on “web” at the top, and go to the “wayback machine”, and enter the URL in there) Judas! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/458 "2003-12-06T12:55:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RedFury \* > \*\*Diogenes writes: > > Well, I am pretty confident that if my car levitated 11 feet up in the air, a baboon would definately fly out of my ass. \*\* I think we need to conduct an experiment. Who can we get to levitate a car… ---
**Author:** ![Edlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8797f3/32.png) [@Edlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/459 "2003-12-06T15:56:57Z")
**Poly** Thank you for taking that step and sharing. 🙂 I get it and my heart is smiling. Need I say more to you? **For others** You can only speak for where you’re coming from. I understand that. It would be nice if you in turn showed the respect I give you, to others, too. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/460 "2003-12-06T17:24:37Z")
Was that really **Edlyn**? wow. It’s a Garbo sighting. Not quite as rare as **Cecil** but pretty damned elusive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640.md?page=24)