DraconisRex

quote:Originally posted by IceCold: Waits for someone to prove a scientific truth.A scientific truth is anything scientific that is actually true (not just "believed to be".) It doesn't need to be proven, as it is, by definition, already true. Which scientific "facts" are true? I have no idea. Can you prove, beyond the shadow of doubt, that you actually exist? I can't. Since everything we believe is based on what we perceive (which may be an illusion), there is no absolute proof that anything does or does not exist. So, what exactly is your question?

Okay, everybody got off the actual subject -- neither side is going to agree that the other side's arguments are valid, so let's quit trying. This thread is about Mysteries in the Bible; not whether the Bible is true or not. Why does it matter? -- that discussion is a moot point, and the truth will only be known if you die. Any volunteers? Let us know in the afterlife or your next life what you find out... If you can remember..... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Israelites had a deal with the Egyptians -- there was a great famine throughout the land, and the Egyptians would leave them alone for 1/5th of their crops. But the old Pharoah died, and the new Pharoah had no idea about this deal, so he enslaved them in Exodus 1:8 to 1:15. Now, the Egyptians were fair-skinned, but the Israelites were not, which is difficult (at best) to swallow from the lines of Adam in only a couple of thousand years (big argument from the Creationists concerning how many years passed from Adam to Egypt -- if you follow the "feel" of the changes from Eden to Egypt, they got considerably more learned once they had access to Egyptian libraries; even the layman.) That convinces me that the Egyptians were not from the loins of Adam. (Actually, just because God created Adam doesn't preclude the possibility that other life was already here. That would explain a lot, and end the ceaseless bickering on that point.) When Moses led the people through the parted waters, there may have been a mis-translation. Most scrolls read "Red Sea," but there is an argument going on about whether it was the Red Sea, or the Reed Sea. Remember -- the Israelites were mostly on-foot, with horse-drawn carriages, and children, etc., which could take several weeks to traverse the Red Sea bottom. The Reed Sea is considerably smaller, and fits more in-line with the story. The scrolls were written and re-written many thousands of times, and re-translated from old texts. Minor errors would be common; dialect in itself could explain the differences over the years. Chavik: Manna -- Exodus 16: "31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." In Numbers 32, it explains why they had to wander in the dessert for 40-years -- "6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? 7 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? 8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10 And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying, 11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: 12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD. 13 And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed." Wooly Mammoth, from the Discovery Channel: quote:Who (or What) Killed the Mammoths? By Bill Gasperini MOSCOW ÔÇö Nearly 18 months after the icy block containing the remains of the so-called Jarkov mammoth was carved out of the permafrost in northern Siberia, scientists involved in the project say research is progressing slowly, but well. Samples of everything from mammoth hair to bone marrow to tiny Pleistocene plants have been taken to laboratories around the world for analysis. Much of the material comes from the original 23-ton block that was airlifted to an ice cave in the town of Khatanga. Many more samples come from hundreds of bones, tusks and other items found during an extensive expedition to Siberia's Taimyr region last summer. It still isn't clear how complete the Jarkov mammoth's remains are, as the gradual process of defrosting the giant chunk of permafrost continues. Scientists are using hair dryers in a frozen cave to thaw the block, millimeter by millimeter, and collect everything that doesn't melt. Only a small fraction of the block has been revealed, but mammoth bones, hair and other items have been found. It is still possible that meat or even organs lie farther down, but scientists have seen enough to determine that the mammoth is not as unbroken as they had originally hoped. "No one ever claimed there was a complete, intact mammoth carcass in there," says scientific coordinator Dick Mol of the Netherlands. "Moreover, the project has never been just about a single mammoth; our intent has always been to learn about the animal in its environment, to find out about all the other fauna and flora that existed in the Pleistocene epoch in which it lived." While no frozen meat has been found in the block, cartilage and tissue samples have been taken from another mammoth carcass out in the tundra. And the team plans to recover the rest of this second mammoth in April. Biologist Ross MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History in New York says results from more than 50 radiocarbon dates obtained from mammoth material (as well as remains of other ancient mammals, including horses, musk oxen, moose and even a Pleistocene wolf) indicate that mammoths lived in the Taimyr region for tens of thousands of years. However, during two periods (36,000 to 32,000 and 19,000 to 14,000 years ago), the dating record indicates that mammoths were either extremely rare or absent in places where their bones are most often found, such as lake margins or along riverbanks. Perhaps they moved to the south to get away from adverse conditions, such as the absence of suitable food or catastrophic flooding. "We know that the mammoths lived through many different climatic periods, warm and cold," says MacPhee. "They were adaptable animals, resilient." MacPhee says this finding may cast some doubt on the prevailing theory that the mammoths died out ÔÇö roughly 10,000 years ago ÔÇö due to climate change. MacPhee is looking for evidence to support a counter theory: that a deadly virus introduced by humans killed the mammoth and other mega-fauna at the end of the last ice age. Meanwhile at the University of Michigan, Daniel Fisher has analyzed material from the Jarkov's tusks, examining isotropic systems and "growth lines." Similar to tree rings, these can reveal seasonal differences in growth and metabolic rates based on diet. He says there are signs the mammoths may have migrated with the seasons, or as conditions changed due to food availability. Bas van Geel, Jan Peter Gels and Guido van Reenen of the Netherlands have examined pollen, seeds and tiny plants found in the block and in the mammoth's hair. They say the remains point to grassy steppe vegetation and a dry climate, meaning there was probably little snow cover in the winters, unlike the extensive cold and snow of the Taimyr tundra today. In essence, the giant block and other remains constitute a "slice of life" as it was 20,380 years ago, the age of the Jarkov mammoth as established by radiocarbon dating. In all, 37 scientists are part of the Jarkov team in what Alexei Tikhonov, Russia's most noted mammoth expert, says is the largest, most extensive effort ever mounted to investigate these giants of the ice age. "Excavations used to be made during the summer thaw, often using water hoses to clear the dirt away from the remains," he says. In the process, much valuable material was lost. Lifting the block of permafrost clear out of the ground allowed for new levels of scientific study. "For the first time the remains of an extinct mammal as large as a mammoth have been airlifted to a lab for more leisurely study than the Siberian summer usually allows," says geologist Larry Agenbroad of Northern Arizona University. "This is a multifaceted, ongoing project, and I think it only gets better."Jonah and the whale? Gonna have to re-read that part of the Bible -- slept since then.... Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt? Maybe -- She was told not to look back... Based on the description, I'd say some sort of atomic device hit both cities. Yeah, yeah, we didn't have those back then. The Egyptians didn't have batteries either, right? Never heard of atomic bombs turning you into salt, but they didn't exactly hang around long enough to do bioscans on her either. I don't really know about the parting of the Red (Reed?) Sea. Belief? Aliens from a UFO "helping out?" I have to admit, if you read the whole Exodus, it does read like a science fiction that doesn't truly identify the Hero(s). God went out of His way to never be seen, which begs a lot of questions.... That's all my brain can deal with at 4:40 in the morning...

Hey, SC! You might appreciate this one... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The only reason God was able to make the world in seven days was he didn't have to remain compatible with the previous version.

The best statement about our government was made a long time ago: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced; the arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced, if the nation doesn't want to go bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance. - Marcus Tullius Cicero -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Marcus Tullius Cicero was born on January 3, 106 BC and was murdered on December 7, 43 BC. His life coincided with the decline and fall of the Roman Republic, and he was an important actor in many of the significant political events of his time (and his writings are now a valuable source of information to us about those events). He was, among other things, an orator, lawyer, politician, and philosopher. Making sense of his writings and understanding his philosophy requires us to keep that in mind. He placed politics above philosophical study; the latter was valuable in its own right but was even more valuable as the means to more effective political action. The only periods of his life in which he wrote philosophical works were the times he was forcibly prevented from taking part in politics. [ 12-13-2002, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: DraconisRex ]

Correction: The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true. - James Branch Cabell (1879-1958) 'The Silver Stallion' (1926)

I know this was posted in one the political threades, but my favorite quote was by Sir Winston Churchill. One of his generals was complaining that MacArthur (or was it Patton?) was taking too long deciding what they were going to do about D-Day. He told him, "Not to worry, Old Boy. The Americans will always do the right thing... after they've exhausted all the alternatives." Some more quotes: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Your food stamps will be stopped effective March, 1992, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances. - From a letter to a dead person from the Greenville County (S.C.) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bereavement leave is limited to 3 days immediately following the death of the family member and must be scheduled in advance. - from an employee handbook of a Pittsburgh (Oakland area) hospital. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Lord's Prayer is 66 words, the Gettysburg Address is 286 words, there are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence, but government regulations on the sale of cabbage total 26,911 words. - From an article on the growth of federal regulations in the Oct. 24th issue of National Review -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A memorandum is written not to inform the reader but to protect the writer. - Dean Acheson -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- In the beginning, the universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry, and has been widely regarded as a bad idea. - Douglas Adams -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- I didn't accept it. I received it. - Richard Allen, National Security Advisor to President Reagan, explaining the $1000 in cash and two watches he was given by two Japanese journalists after he helped arrange a private interview for them with First Lady Nancy Reagan. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The three most dangerous things in the world are a programmer with a soldering iron, a hardware type with a program patch and a user with an idea. - ancient computer saying -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- There are two major products that come out of Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence. - Jeremy S. Anderson -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- You're aware the boy failed my grade school math class, I take it? And not that many years later he's teaching college. Now I ask you: Is that the sorriest indictment of the American educational system you ever heard? [pauses to light cigarette.] No aptitude at all for long division, but never mind. It's him they ask to split the atom. How he talked his way into the Nobel prize is beyond me. But then, I suppose it's like the man says, It's not what you know... - Karl Arbeiter: former teacher of Albert Einstein -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Boundary, n. In political geography, an imaginary line between two nations, separating the imaginary rights of one from the imaginary rights of another. - Ambrose Bierce, 'The Devil's Dictionary' -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- I have no use for adventures. They're nasty disturbing things that make you late for dinner. - Bilbo Baggins -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Dogs come when they are called; cats take a message and get back to you. - Mary Bly -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The grass is always greener over the septic tank. - Erma Bombeck -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Guidelines for bureaucrats: 1) When in charge ponder 2) When in trouble delegate 3) When in doubt mumble. - James H. Boren -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents. - Nathaniel Borenstein -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The optimst feels we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist feels he may be right... - Author Unknown

quote:Originally posted by Kiran: Hmm...I once asked my dad, "Why is the sky blue?" After several days, we were eating at a steakhouse and he answered me. He said, "Why, why is a question man has pondered for centuries. It leads us to a constant struggle for meaning...(I'll save you the whole 20 minute dissertation.) Then, 'is the sky blue?' Yes, Adam, it is." Yep, good ole dad.You know, politicians have use the long dissertations for years, to make people forget what their original question was....

Kiran: My only problem with the church is that, when they ask me my denomination, I say "Christian," and they don't have a clue what to do with me. If I said Catholic, Baptist, Luthran, or whatever, they'd say "Cool, dude." But somehow, at most churches, if you simply say you're a Christian they get flubber-gusted. Jesus told me to pray in a closet, and I do. (Well, sorta -- I haven't actually walked up to a closet, went inside, and closed the door, but I am alone when I pray.) And if that upsets some folks, oh, well. [ 12-13-2002, 12:52 AM: Message edited by: DraconisRex ]

quote:Originally posted by Unforgiven_Killer: After a confused silence a voice volunteered "I guess you'd be eating alone."LMAO -- Why do I find myself thinking that actually happened? I know truth can be stranger (and funnier) than fiction, but...

Dave Allen did a short skit I thought was pretty funny... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A priest stands up at the podium to marry a couple, and he announces before he continues, "We are gathered here today to unite John Ferrell and Rebeca Thompson in holy matrimony. If anyone knows of any reason why this man and this woman should not be wed, let him speak now, or forever hold his peace." This fellow in the front row hollers out, "I object!" The priest reaches inside the podium, pulls out a handgun, and shoots him in squarely in the chest. After the gathering quiets down, he stares at them with dark eyes, and says, "Anyone else?" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The way this thread is turning, it may as well be about King Arthur... There's enough evidence to prove that he may have existed, but not enough to state as fact that he did. Still, proof denies faith. But one with enough faith can move mountains, or so they say. But science promised us flying cars by the year 2000, scheduled trips to the moon, and a moonbase and a base station on Mars. Fell short of that mark... Logic kills faith, yet faith disproves logic when applied. Which is right? That depends only on what you believe. Something that may have been missed here -- on the assumption that (a) supreme being(s) created the universe, they would tend to mold out of known designs -- his/themselves. That being the case, there is a little spark in all of us that is God-like, but not all powerful. Oh, what a wonderful web we're weaving -- I just don't want to be the male as the female tarantula decides she's hungry....

quote:Originally posted by Kiran: My dad is a joke. He's a master of misquotes. And the really sad part is, he does it unintentionally. I think the best one so far is when he tried to say, "You don't have a horse in this race." It came out, "You don't have a dog in this horse." No kidding.I'm the master of misreading signs... When I was about 9 years old, my Grandma and I were in the back seat, going down I-40 in Amarillo. I glanced out the window, and told my grandma, "Hey, look -- there's The Ridiculous Book Store." She glances up, and dies laughing. It said, "The Religious Book Store."

I can answer that statement by scripture, from the book of John: quote:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Feel free to jump in, Jag -- the argument, uhm, discussion, is about mysteries of the Bible. I'm not going to argue with the New Testament, because that was the gospel, or "Good News." Mosaic law was partially over-ruled by this Testament, and that was part of the good news... Languages and translational differences make the entire discussion interesting, don't you think? For example (thanks, Ms. Dragon!), Amen comes from Amen-Ra, which is very cute considering it was used by ex-slaves of the Egyptian Empire. Amen means "So Be It", and Amen-Ra means Hidden King of the Gods. Either way, it begs questions of specific origin, since the One God was also hidden... Maybe coincidence, but....

quote:Originally posted by Kiran: I beg your pardon? The only thing I can remotely think of is Adam. But that's not reincarnation that's analogy. Just as Adam was the first man, Christ was the first man to enter the kingdom of heaven under the new covenant.Very good, but since I don't happen to have a copy of the books the Council of Neece kicked out on at least three seperate occasions, I'm not qualified to say what those scrolls said. What I do know is that the Bible clearly said: quote:10 And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must come?" 11 He replied, "Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things; 12 but I tell you that Eli'jah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. I believe the New Testament to be absolutely true -- if it said it, it must be true. You're going to try to convince me that John the Baptist wasn't the same spirit as Eli'jah, right? On what are you basing this assertion? Before you answer, read this From Luke 9: quote:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. 18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. "Risen again." Why would they say that without some type of Biblical qualification? Why would a phophet rise again? That statement I have questioned for all my life, simply because it is written, and therefore must be true. Another question -- why are taught to use the term "reborn," since it is not in the Bible at all? "Born again," on the other hand, is use three times in the Bible: John 3:3 and 3:7, and Peter 1:23, but not at all in even hint form in the Old Testament. Now, my use of the English language means that one must die at some point to be born again. (I know it means asking Jesus into your life, but non-believers can not understand the difference between "born again" and "reincarnation." My whole point for this argument is to see if anyone can come up with a plausable reason for the use of this particular phrase -- remember, we do not know what Jesus did from the time He was 12 and 30, which means we do not know his full background, beyond the printed word.)

So Jesus was the prophecy about which pre-exisitng person?

What's the best joke you've ever heard? Post 'em here -- just keep it clean.... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Death of an Irishman* In Ireland, they have this custom -- when a man or woman is dying, he or she can ask anybody any question, and whoever they ask it of, must answer truthfully, or their soul will remain in pergatory forever. This man was dying, and he had four sons. Three were the handsomist, toughest, strongest bucks you'd ever want to meet, and then there was the fourth son, Phillip, who was weak, puny, ugly.... A nothing. So, as he lay on his deathbed, he calls in his wife. "Mary?" "Yes, John?" "You know I'm dying, and I'm going to ask you 'the question.' I've got to know. Our son, Phillip, is he...my son?" She smiles at her husband, and says, ever so sweetly, "Yes, John, he is." And then the man dies. As she sits on the edge of the bed, she lets out a heavy sigh, and her eyes slowly raise to the heavens. "Whew! I sure am glad he didn't ask about the other three!" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- * Note - this was originally told by Dave Allen on the BBS years ago. You could say it was paraphrased, since I've slept since the original joke was told, so don't scream at me if I didn't quote him exactly... [ 12-11-2002, 08:57 PM: Message edited by: DraconisRex ]

If you follow the Conspiracy Theorists, Osama et al were relocated by the NSA into Pakastan before the first US strikes... They think that the first WTC bomb, OKC, and the 9-11 incident were all funded by us. I'm still investigating this -- too many documents to work my way through....

Here's a scary document: Newstates Constitution Click on the "The Proposed Constitution Articles of the New States of America" link on that page for the actual newly proposed Constitution....

Actually, if you look closely at the New Testament, the number 14 is very important also. Is that just 7 times 2, or is there some more important reason we're missing?

I don't feel that anyone on Earth, or even beyond for that matter, is truly qualified to say that their religion is the only one that's real. Someone hand me evidence (that makes sense) that the entirety of the Old Testament is absolutely correct, and I'll still shatter that dream you're trying to make. Unless you, personally, are qualified to say what God did or did not do, you are in no position to tell anyone that your religion is better than their's. I'm sure glad I backed out of becoming a Southern Baptist preacher, because I could not, and would not, practice intolerance at that level. The New Testament is about love and God, and his Son. But, what made me turn my back on the church (not from God), was the sheer number of church-goers that would stand on street corners with bull-horns screaming, "You're going to hell!" They can if they wish, but Jesus told me to pray to God in a closet, and spread the Gospel to those who would listen. Following His teachings, I have often stopped and asked those loud speakers to show me, in scripture by verse, where they were instructed by God to force His word down people's throats -- I've not received one single answer. We know not whom God will use to further His glory, nor do we know what rewards may await them in Heaven, be they Jewish, Christian, Gentile, or Pagan. The Jews are the chosen people of God, and they must follow His word. Because of the decision by most Jews to follow a God-with-no-Son path, this blessing is now a curse..... (Read the daily news should you have doubts...) But, Jesus openned Heaven up to the Gentiles, and gave them the choice -- which is why I don't think God only made Jews in the beginning -- Gentiles are different.

quote:Originally posted by Kiran: So you say that you believe in God, believe that He made everything, but don't believe that the bible, which He calls His word, is true? I'm confused. Which begs the question, do you believe that Christ was who he said he was and that he spoke the truth always? What reference to reincarnation?Research John the Baptist, in extreme detail. Post your findings. Christ is in the New Testament, which verifies the prophecies of His coming. The New Testament is not history, but fact. The New Testament has been been declared sacreligious by the Jews, who are its intended people. They follow only the Old Testament. I forsake them for this, and can safely (as a Gentile) ignore the precepts (the Old Testament) they have set. I follow the Gospel, or Good News, of Christ, not the old news of the Old Testament. If God said it or did it, I abide. Otherwise, you can take Mosaic law (which I will not follow, and neither will the current Jews) and find something to do with it.

I've had one bluescreen of death -- it somehow managed to lose the video driver, and I couldn't figure out how to get it back. (Tech support was a big help -- NOT.) No idea what happened. I used Linux 7.2 to access the drive, and was able to get my doc files and all backed up to CD-ROM, which meant I had most of the system back up and running in just a few hours. Talk about a pain.... Guess that'll teach me! (Now, what did I learn here?)

"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." - Ford Prefect, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The problem I have with specific years and lifespans in the Old Testament is that it doesn't match with scientific facts, no matter how hard the Creationists try to bend the facts around it. I guess they're drinking Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters, because time does matter. Science is an ever-changing fact-finding mission, and Creationists, despite their disdain for science in general, use science to try to prove their facts (Doctors of Christian Science still have to have science, even though it is night-and-day compared to traditional college.) Creationists have proven to my satisfaction that this planet was built, but the star-stuff in the immediate area was not -- those items are billions of years old. I do argue with their time-dating methods, but not the results. Interesting implications there.... Mankind in his present form was not on this planet before 26,000 years ago. He lived in caves then, but had no knowledge of tools, clothes, etc. However, 21,000 years ago, he suddenly had stone-knives, basic (very basic) wooden houses, and basic writing in picture form on cave-walls. In 5,000 years, he went from a stupid animal to one that could learn. Can evolution explain this? Not really. But gene alteration can. I don't believe mankind, even as an animal, could survive the iceages that are normal for this planet. This heatwave we've had for the past 50,000 years is abnormal, because usually we're covered in ice. Underground housing would work -- but animals aren't that smart. (Speaking of iceage, if scientists are right about their observations, the next one will start around 2100 A.D. Another one of those potentially useless facts. That is, however, one of the reasons I push so hard to colonize at least this solar system.) Legends are so much fun. Let's take Atlantis, for example. (This is more like a guided tour to the inner workings of my mind, but humor me...) About 5,000 years ago, it sank to the bottom of the ocean (I assume the Atlantic, based on its name.) Now, according to the legends, it was an advanced civilization that existed for thousands of years. Nations had trade arrangements with this island, per the legend. Here's where it gets interesting -- the Egyptian pyramids are dated at over 10,000 years, but the Pharaohes were burried in them starting 5,000 years ago. Based on that, it is doubtful the Egyptians built them. Further, all the pyramids have the same general inclination, and face true (or is it magnetic?) north. You'll notice that none of the Egyptian pyramids have the capstones, which begs the question: what were they used for? Now, based on this, I would assume that Atlantis was the agent that helped Egyptians trade with the Inka Empire. Technology abounded back then -- they found a working DC Battery in one of the Egyptian pyramids. It was fundamental, but the thing worked. Then it comes back to the Chinese, who confuse the issue of time and this planet considerably. They've had so many wars, that much of their history has been lost. So many different emperors in charge, that documents needed have been lost, as they have a tantrum over what the former kings have done. Still, we have a written history from them for over 15,000 years. But no mention (to my knowledge) of Atlantis. Neither with the Israelites, or most of the factions in that region. That defies logic. If the Israelites were the only people here, then they would have to be in-touch with the entire planet. But they didn't know about Egypt until they were slaves. Which is why I argue that God can create as many peoples as He wants to. We really don't know in exacting detail what God has done. "Proof denies faith. So man then proved that black is white, and got run over at the next zebra crossing." I have faith that God did what He did. Period. I just don't accept the Old Testament as an absoultely accurate account of the entire history of mankind. Of the Israelites? Maybe -- but remember, they had their politicians too....

My problem with MS-DOS, and Windows 95/98 for that matter, is that I agree with my dad. He's a programmer (mainframes,) and he said, "No operating system should ever crash. Period. That's poor programming. Programs running on it can crash, but it should never lock down the entire system -- having a guaranteed method of killing a program is an absoulte must." MS-DOS 1.1 was the first version of DOS that I tried to use. DOS 6.22 was the last. All of them could crash by simply booting the computer. Windows 3.11 was a nightmare, but beat hell out of Windows 2 -- it wasn't compatable with itself! Windows 98SE was reasonably stable, but you still had to reboot it every day. I had Windows XP Pro, and it was the first version that you could run for weeks at a time without having to reboot (barring program/hardware problems, of course.) I still prefer Linux. I haven't rebooted that system since the last Kernel upgrade, which was a few months ago, and it was 2-years running non-stop before that. No errors. Now, if Gnome and KDE could be made more compatable with each other, and if they could simplify the menu interfaces, they'd have a real contender against Windows.....