# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/61 "2003-12-03T17:09:12Z")
You know, if the Cult of Justin Timberlake arises out of all this, I’m gonna be very pissed off at this board. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/62 "2003-12-03T17:11:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Until explained, how should one interpret that stuff? Fighting ignorance demands we either, one, disprove this – or, two, jump on the bandwagon before it’s too late. I like the second option, personally. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/63 "2003-12-03T17:31:17Z")
How about this? If it was a joke, fine. If it was a literal belief, so what? I don’t require folks’ religious beilefs to be ratoinal, or for me to find them plausible. As long as they don’t force them on me, I just hope their religious beliefs make them happy. Why all the attention to this statement? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/64 "2003-12-03T17:42:34Z")
I’m uncertain about worshpping Justin Timberlake, but I’d have no problem getting down on my knees in front of him and opening my mouth in expectation of receiving the, er, “Host”. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/65 "2003-12-03T17:56:51Z")
…so Brittany Spears isn’t the ‘Virgin Mary’? ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/66 "2003-12-03T18:11:38Z")
> [@](#): > > I have a very strong hunch that I do in fact know his identity – 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. I can’t be the only person thinking this is some sort of riddle, can I? It reads like he has in mind a concept or institution which he’s using metaphor to anthropomorphize and describe via human traits. That would certainly explain the bit about his “surname” being a household word. This concept or institution, being in its late teens today, would have originated around 1985, and has had problems with its “heart” which required that a new “heart” be given to it by something that can metaphorically be described as a “dark-haired young man.” I’m having trouble thinking of something that fits the entire description, though. What concepts, likely to be lionized by **Polycarp** , fit the description of a short blonde-haired late-teenage boy? Love? Tolerance? The separation of church and state? Homosexuality? Nope, they all originated long before the mid 80’s. Still, my guess is that if **Polycarp** ever returns to explain himself, then, buried somewhere in the middle of the 10,000-word post he will inevitably make to do so, will be the answer to a riddle. ---
**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 3, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/67 "2003-12-03T18:48:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*I’m uncertain about worshpping Justin Timberlake, but I’d have no problem getting down on my knees in front of him and opening my mouth in expectation of receiving the, er, “Host”. \*\* [Cartman] I’ll get down on my knees before you, Jesus I wanna feel your sweet grace all over my face! [/Cartman] ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/68 "2003-12-03T19:04:01Z")
> [@](#): > > ‘Virgin Mary’ Well, Justin ain’t no virgin Mary. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/69 "2003-12-03T19:35:17Z")
I had a friend in the eighties who believed that the messiah had been born, IIRC, in India, and would one day make himself known more widely. As an indication of how complicated this friend of mine was (and is), and of why I’m giving Poly the benefit of the doubt, my friend was (and is) the single _sanest_ person I have ever had the pleasure to cross paths with. And yes, he’s a complicated enough person that, knowing him, I don’t consider those two thing to be in the least contradictory. He’s a christian, I’m an atheist, and he’s had more impact on my life that probably any other single nonparental person. So I’m respectfully curious to hear Poly’s followup post. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/70 "2003-12-03T19:40:28Z")
I hope He’s been born, we need Him to battle that Jewish Antichrist Falwell says is alive! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/71 "2003-12-03T20:14:11Z")
Damn! He’s on to me! ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/72 "2003-12-03T20:26:18Z")
I think **Polycarp** was talking about his dogs. One’s a golden retriever, the other a lab. They’re best buddies. The golden retriever had heartworms, and their household surname is DOG, which is dyslexic for GOD. Another mystery of the universe solved. Next? ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/73 "2003-12-03T20:29:14Z")
“his “surname” being a household word” Bush doesn’t have sons does he? ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/74 "2003-12-03T20:31:03Z")
Good for you \*\*Knowed Out \*\* thanks. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/75 "2003-12-03T20:31:06Z")
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Okay, all my above comments are applicable only if a human is being considered. (Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/76 "2003-12-03T20:35:59Z")
(In my defence, he did say “young man…” ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/77 "2003-12-03T20:37:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Knowed Out \* > \*\*I think **Polycarp** was talking about his dogs. One’s a golden retriever, the other a lab. They’re best buddies. The golden retriever had heartworms, and their household surname is DOG, which is dyslexic for GOD. > > Another mystery of the universe solved. Next? \*\* Dogs fit some of the bill, but they can’t have blue-green eyes, and living until their late teens is rare even for small dogs (unless the age esimate was given in dog-years, in which case they’re not-quite-fully-grown pups.) And we were also told that “his teachings will shock the evangelical community.” What could a golden retriever offer in the way of “teachings”? That we should all sniff each others’ butts and roll around in carrion? Come to think of it, that is pretty shocking… ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/78 "2003-12-03T20:40:52Z")
How about, “I love Mommy and Daddy and Black Dog and everyone else! Ooooooo FRISBEE!” ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/79 "2003-12-03T20:43:18Z")
I think that’s a perfect basis for a religion. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640/80 "2003-12-03T21:11:10Z")
Maybe they’re cats? Cats were worshipped as gods once… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-did-you-forget-to-take-you-pills/216640.md?page=5)