# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/41 "2003-12-03T15:00:54Z")
**jjimm** , thanks for once again making my morning ! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/42 "2003-12-03T15:17:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homebrew \* > \*\*I agree with **Mangetout**. \*\* What colour is your hair, **Homebrew**? Howā€™s your heart? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/43 "2003-12-03T15:18:37Z")
Maybe itā€™s that kid who sees dead people from Sixth Sense. Whatā€™s his name? Haley Joel Osment? And what color IS Bruce Willisā€™ hair? Sorry. I couldnā€™t help it. Besides, I kind of have subscribed (kind of, depending on what I believe at any given time, which changes because I donā€™t have anywhere near enough intelligence, faith, or trust to put my beliefs in any one thing for very long so there ya go!) to the scenario **DDG** describes - at least that was the dogma I was raised on (Lutheran - but I donā€™t know what I am anymore - see above) - anyway I always figured it would be a lot like how it happened in ā€œThe Standā€. Now, can you see where Iā€™m coming from with the intelligence thing? šŸ˜‰ **Diogenes the Cynic** , you asked who the dark haired companion was - Cameron Diaz, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/44 "2003-12-03T15:20:46Z")
Iā€™m with the whoosh crowd. That discription was a bit too specific, and even rather funny. If itā€™s not a joke, then I feel sorry for the poor guyā€¦ ---
**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 3, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/45 "2003-12-03T15:26:55Z")
Yā€™knowā€¦ _I_ kind of have a heart conditionā€¦ šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/46 "2003-12-03T15:40:08Z")
Yeah, but youā€™re a bit older than a teenager, **dan**. Nice try. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/47 "2003-12-03T15:42:40Z")
Does **Poly** have a son? ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/48 "2003-12-03T15:49:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*Does **Poly** have a son? \*\* I hear he does, and that it was a virgin birth, too! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/49 "2003-12-03T16:01:34Z")
What, is beleiving you might know who Jesus came back as is any wackier than any other religious belief? I hear some people think their deity sometimes talks through flaming shrubbery. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/50 "2003-12-03T16:03:09Z")
Is that the same flaming shrubbery youā€™re supposed to prune with a herring? I always get my Biblical signs confused. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/51 "2003-12-03T16:05:00Z")
Iā€™m in line with **Mangetout** and **Homebrew**. Iā€™m thinking **Polycarp** was referring to someone he knows(probably with a common surname) who he considers to be a kind and loving person. A re-incarnation of Christ, if you will. Iā€™m not sure he meant it in a literal ā€œsecond comingā€ way, especially not in a biblically literal ā€œsecond comingā€ way, but more as a ā€œhe never left, heā€™s still here among us.ā€ Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![badchad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b77776/32.png) [@badchad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badchad)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/52 "2003-12-03T16:15:09Z")
Mtgman Member > [@](#): > > Iā€™m in line with Mangetout and Homebrew. Iā€™m thinking Polycarp was referring to someone he knows(probably with a common surname) who he considers to be a kind and loving person. A re-incarnation of Christ, if you will. Iā€™m not sure he meant it in a literal ā€œsecond comingā€ way, especially not in a biblically literal ā€œsecond comingā€ way, but more as a ā€œhe never left, heā€™s still here among us.ā€ I donā€™t know. He maybe meant as much but he sure didnā€™t say as much. He didnā€™t use any smilies and didnā€™t clarify when asked. My bet is that one flew over the cuckooā€™s. Though I wonder if he wonā€™t bring up the joke part later to save face. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/53 "2003-12-03T16:17:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lord Ashtar \* > \*\*Hey, **badchad**. Just what is your gripe with **Polycarp** anyway? So what if he believes he knows who the messiah is? How exactly does that effect you? \*\* Actually it does tie in ā€“ _ **IF** _ Poly were being serious, or were taken seriously by others. Iā€™m on the super-whoosh camp on that statement. If I read badchad correctly, to him revisionist theology is an exercise in intellectual dishonesty, meant only to avoid concluding itā€™s all BS, and our allowing someone who holds that as a ā€œtruth self-evidentā€ in his life to go unchallenged is an abdication of our duty. His style is less than propitious for gaining allies, though. BUT because Polycarp is SO well-liked, esteemed, respected and his opinions are so valued in this board community _even by atheists_, there does exist the risk that on the rare ocassion that he decides to affect a dry cynical POV, people WILL swallow it whole uncriticallyā€¦ _including to seize it as a point against him_, and then itā€™ll be more trouble to set things straight and get back on topic. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/54 "2003-12-03T16:21:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by badchad \* > \*\*. He didnā€™t use any smilies and didnā€™t clarify when asked. My bet is that one flew over the cuckooā€™s. Though I wonder if he wonā€™t bring up the joke part later to save face. \*\* And here, however, youā€™re just being gratuitiously abusive. Nice display of the Poisoning the Well method against future clarifications of what he really meant, BTW. Since in any case any clarification would just have resulted in another dreary tedious post by you explaining all the ways heā€™s being wrong, intelectually dishonest, etc., and issuing yet further challenges, why bother? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/55 "2003-12-03T16:30:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gaudere \* > I hear some people think their deity sometimes talks through flaming shrubbery. šŸ˜‰ Hey, if the shrubbery happens to be of a certain sexual orientation, it seems reasonable to me that it flame. As one of our esteemed (but temporarily on leave) posters recently said, ā€œAs a gay man, and as a somewhat effeminate one at that, I consider it a deity-of-your-choice-given right to be able to flame whenever I choose.ā€ Whatā€™s good for gay men should be good for gay shrubs. And since many of us Christians believe God can speak through anyone - Christian or non, male or female, gay or straight - far be it from me to discriminate on the basis of species and say that God canā€™t speak through a shrub. Pssst, **Sauron** - the herring is for cutting down the tallest tree in the forest! I suppose you _could_ use it for pruning shrubbery, but itā€™s the wrong tool for the job. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/56 "2003-12-03T16:36:26Z")
Ah man, if I have to worship Justin Timberlake I am so switching religions. . . :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/57 "2003-12-03T16:36:32Z")
Until explained, how should one interpret that stuff? Fighting ignorance demands we either, one, disprove this ā€“ or, two, jump on the bandwagon before itā€™s too late. ā€œSomeone he knowsā€ isnā€™t cutting it for me. ā€œHis teachings will shock the evangelical community.ā€ Larry Flynt? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Zahn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@John\_Zahn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Zahn)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/58 "2003-12-03T16:50:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Iā€™m in line with Mangetout and Homebrew. Iā€™m thinking Polycarp was referring to someone he knows(probably with a common surname) who he considers to be a kind and loving person. A re-incarnation of Christ, if you will. Iā€™m not sure he meant it in a literal ā€œsecond comingā€ way, especially not in a biblically literal ā€œsecond comingā€ way, but more as a ā€œhe never left, heā€™s still here among us.ā€ It wouldnā€™t be the first time he has wrote in a vague, ambiguous way, and not bother to get straight to the point. Nostradamus would be proud. Itā€™s been five days since he has wrote what he did, and hasnā€™t been back to elaborate. A few times in the past when I or others have wanted him to be more specific on something he wrote that seemed bizarre, he always has came back with just that though: it was a joke, or that he was writing in a symbol **ic** , metaphor **ic** , allegor **ic** , or some other **ic** kind of way, and may I suggest idiot **ic** , and how he thought everyone got the irony in it besides the person asking him to explain himself. He has a pattern of doing this, so I suppose this will be another one of those in which heā€˜ll come back to explain with pages of clarification, and by the time he is done with it, youā€™ll find it wonā€™t be as intriguing as his previous statements, but by doing it like this, he gets more attention this way. I donā€™t see many Christians supporting him on this, and even they seem to be crossing their fingers that it is a joke. Hell, even **lekatt,** is yelling: **WHAT THE FUCK DID POLYCARP JUST SAY?!** JZ ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/59 "2003-12-03T16:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gaudere \* > \*\*I hear some people think their deity sometimes talks through flaming shrubbery. šŸ˜‰ \*\* Yeah, but we tend to leaf them alone. Theyā€™re berry, berry nutty. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/60 "2003-12-03T16:55:39Z")
> [@](#): > > And any evangelical today can tell you exactly whatā€™s going to happen ā€“ just like any devout Jew could back then. Nobody expected the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. Nobody expected an itinerant rabbi who taught in parables, and who redefined the law as radical love of God and compassionate lovingkindness towards all human beings > > IMHO, He will make Himself known fairly soon, and in a way that nobody, including me, expects. Those who believe in Him will recognize Him from His teachings ā€“ but a lot of those who claim the Christian faith will reject Him because He will contradict the dogma they hold more precious than following Him. > > I have a very strong hunch that I do in fact know his identity ā€“ and his surname is already a household word. If I am correct, he is fairly short, a very handsome young man with dusky blonde hair and beautiful-but-insightful blue-green eyes, slightly disabled by a chronic heart-valve problem, in his late teens today. He will probably be accompanied by a companion since childhood, a dark-haired young man whose heart is given to him. My take (for what itā€™s worth)? One of four possibilities. 1. **Polycarp** has gone off the deep end. Having no other evidence for this from his other posts, Iā€™ll dismiss this option pending corroboration. 2. Major _whoosh_. Compare the first two paragraphs, laying out a fairly conventional mainline Christian interpretation, to the third - which immediately sets about contradicting the first two. Compare ā€œ. . . in a way that nobody, including me, expectsā€ to " . . . I do in fact know his identity". Not too contradictory, eh? The only question is, who is he _whoosh_-ing? All of us, or just those who think they have an exclusive inside track on redemption? Maybe **Polycarp** is sitting back, having a wonderful time watching us fall all over each other when the clues are right in front of us. 3. Heā€™s perpetrating Parable on us. Itā€™s a koan, intended to get us speculating on, first, the person; then perhaps on the attributes; and finally the character of an unknown Christ in our midst. Heā€™s challenging us to use our God-given minds to ponder what it means to be ā€œChrist-likeā€ in this age. 4. Maybe heā€™s right. Absolutely and literally correct. Like possibility number 1, I have no supporting evidence for this one, but Iā€™ll hedge my bets just in case: I vote for **Justin Timberlake**. Definitely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640.md?page=4)