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Search: Posts Made By: Bram Kaandorp
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 7th August 2017, 12:29 PM
Replies: 1,340
Views: 233,974
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Just yesterday I started in The Kafir Project by...

Just yesterday I started in The Kafir Project by Lee Burvine.

Good so far. I expected to stop after the first few chapters, but I'm now at chapter 10, so I guess it's better than I expected.
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 12th March 2017, 12:40 PM
Replies: 1,340
Views: 233,974
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Is that sexism, or just a contrast with the way...

Is that sexism, or just a contrast with the way things are with humans?

I don't remember the idea of non-sentient females being lauded by the protagonist, or being spoken of as a positive by the...
Forum: Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories 14th November 2016, 03:05 PM
Replies: 93
Views: 15,193
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Conspiracies are a natural product of two or more...

Conspiracies are a natural product of two or more people wanting to secretly accomplish something.
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 13th November 2016, 08:25 AM
Replies: 1,108
Views: 189,716
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
By that logic, all religions are true, because...

By that logic, all religions are true, because all religions have convincing eye witnesses of miracles.
Forum: USA Politics 9th November 2016, 02:31 PM
Replies: 60
Views: 5,309
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I'm more inclined to think that Trump's...

I'm more inclined to think that Trump's supporters will come up with reasons themselves, such as:

"Well, that's because of the economic hell that Obama left. It has a long wake."

Trump tends to...
Forum: USA Politics 9th November 2016, 02:21 PM
Replies: 60
Views: 5,309
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
One I recall is something he's actually said he'd...

One I recall is something he's actually said he'd do: repeal ACA.
Forum: USA Politics 9th November 2016, 03:01 AM
Replies: 60
Views: 5,309
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
People have been predicting for a long time what...

People have been predicting for a long time what might happen if Trump would become president.

Now they just moved from "if Trump would become president" to "now that Trump is president".
Forum: Computers and the Internet 1st November 2016, 09:28 AM
Replies: 41
Views: 4,801
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
That's exactly what it sounds like. It's probably...

That's exactly what it sounds like. It's probably just a case of being used to things being a certain way, and then buying a new device that has things differently.

Instead of learning the new way...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 31st October 2016, 05:43 PM
Replies: 41
Views: 4,801
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
In this case, it's the swapping of left and right...

In this case, it's the swapping of left and right buttons that the OP finds annoying.

I can understand the frustration. Not all apps are consistent in their placement of buttons, because they...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 31st October 2016, 04:26 PM
Replies: 41
Views: 4,801
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Galaxy tab 2? 10 inch? Because that sounds like...

Galaxy tab 2? 10 inch? Because that sounds like my tablet's connector.

It's a real pain. My charging cable stopped working correctly (got a red cross through the battery icon), so I had to buy a...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 29th October 2016, 08:34 AM
Replies: 41
Views: 4,801
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
That's specific to that device. My phone and...

That's specific to that device. My phone and tablet didn't even have a file browser (because it isn't default in Android, because Google hasn't made a file browser for Android. The company producing...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 24th October 2016, 12:05 PM
Replies: 468
Views: 68,671
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
All of that is irrelevant to my original comment....

All of that is irrelevant to my original comment.

My original comment was regarding this comment by Porpoise of Life:



I made my comment:
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 24th October 2016, 11:31 AM
Replies: 468
Views: 68,671
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Nowhere did I refer to the Biblical Jesus. ...

Nowhere did I refer to the Biblical Jesus.

Of course, if a historical Jesus existed, without the miracles, then it might as well be a different person, considering how important the miracles were...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 24th October 2016, 10:44 AM
Replies: 468
Views: 68,671
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
But I didn't argue for any specific form of...

But I didn't argue for any specific form of Jesus. I simply stated that we know that Harry Potter is fiction, whereas we don't know that for certain about Jesus.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 24th October 2016, 10:38 AM
Replies: 468
Views: 68,671
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
That's because we know beyond any doubt that...

That's because we know beyond any doubt that Harry Potter is fictitious, something we can't say with the same amount of certainty about Jesus.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 23rd October 2016, 05:23 AM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Wiki has this...

Wiki has this (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys#Symbolic_meaning) to say:
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 21st October 2016, 03:03 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Has to, or wants to? Maybe god isn't so much...

Has to, or wants to?

Maybe god isn't so much constrained as whimsical.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 20th October 2016, 06:38 AM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I hope Thor 2 reads your post. I'm not going to...

I hope Thor 2 reads your post. I'm not going to bear responsibility for his understanding of things.



The article refers to Romans 5:12;

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 20th October 2016, 05:50 AM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Whilst that may suffice inside the religion, and...

Whilst that may suffice inside the religion, and it might suffice for the question of how christians make the cognitive dissonance go away, it doesn't suffice for an outsider like myself.

The...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 20th October 2016, 04:52 AM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
In my analogy, the disappearing socks were...

In my analogy, the disappearing socks were analogous to original sin entering the world (I was assuming for the argument that original sin is real), and my explanation was analogous to the Adam and...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 20th October 2016, 04:02 AM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
1. Someone gives an explanation of how original...

1. Someone gives an explanation of how original sin entered the world (creation)
2. That explanation turns out not to be correct, because evidence contradicts it
3. Christians decide that it was an...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 18th October 2016, 12:08 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
The problem with Navigator's post is the...

The problem with Navigator's post is the assumption that atheists start out with a hatred of Christianity, which then has to be overcome.

It's like the old "have you stopped beating your wife?"...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 7th October 2016, 01:56 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
If anything, this is what motivates literalists....

If anything, this is what motivates literalists. If Genesis is an allegory, then everything can be an allegory, which would mean that they believe in god for no good reason.

Instead of opting for...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 5th October 2016, 02:00 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
(Continuing the role-playing) Alright then. I...

(Continuing the role-playing) Alright then. I already explained why I think it's important. Is there anything wrong with my explanation? I'm genuinely eager to learn.



If you don't have that...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 4th October 2016, 03:27 AM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I tend to think about this the same way as I...

I tend to think about this the same way as I think about fandom.

If you aren't a fan of a TV show, you tend to look at it with more distance, because you're not invested in it. Therefore, any flaw...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 4th October 2016, 12:01 AM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
That's not because you had reconciled it, but...

That's not because you had reconciled it, but because you didn't even think about it, if I may be so bold as to make an assumption based on personal experience.

This thread is about how Christians...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 3rd October 2016, 11:55 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
What about identical twins? Does one not...

What about identical twins?

Does one not have a soul, or do they share a soul?

I know it's trivial (and way off topic), but without accounting for it, the idea is incomplete.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 30th September 2016, 03:43 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I know my question will sound facetious, but why...

I know my question will sound facetious, but why do they think that's the case?

I'm aware that they have the bible, but if they don't believe that god created the universe in the way that it's...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 30th September 2016, 01:39 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
EarthSim didn't involve actual life. If god...

EarthSim didn't involve actual life. If god thinks about life the same way as players of EarthSim thought about the life in the game, then that contradicts the idea of a benevolent god, something...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 30th September 2016, 04:25 AM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I think the real secret is to be convinced that...

I think the real secret is to be convinced that you have thought about it enough to know that it's a real thing.

Any objections, therefore, can not be real, or else you would have come up with...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 30th September 2016, 02:59 AM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I love the "something changed again" attitude I...

I love the "something changed again" attitude I see very often on the subreddit.

As if something actually changed, and they are the only ones to notice.

Their experience is what actually...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 29th September 2016, 04:14 AM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
That reminds me to ask (in case someone knows...

That reminds me to ask (in case someone knows it);

Were there people at the time who objected to evolution on the grounds that it contradicted the Adam/Eve/tree story, thus negating original sin,...
Forum: Conjuror's Corner 27th September 2016, 02:46 PM
Replies: 74
Views: 69,457
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Also, from what I've heard on Penn's Sunday...

Also, from what I've heard on Penn's Sunday School, they don't show the performances in the order in which they were shot, so having her wear a different dress would screw up continuity.
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 26th September 2016, 12:15 PM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
They don't. They do, however, realise how...

They don't.

They do, however, realise how frail and subject to distortion everybody else's memories are, otherwise we'd remember that it was different before the change.
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 26th September 2016, 08:02 AM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I think I'll have to agree with that one, even...

I think I'll have to agree with that one, even though the phenomenon does still intrigue me.
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 26th September 2016, 04:12 AM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Until now, I didn't think there'd be people who...

Until now, I didn't think there'd be people who actually think that things have really changed. I thought they had this idea that they came from a different timeline/reality, or something like that....
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 25th September 2016, 12:45 PM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I think the reason for the distinction is that...

I think the reason for the distinction is that some people refuse to accept that it's confabulation.

They call it an effect because they think it's a real thing, and not simply misremembering...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 25th September 2016, 12:16 PM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I'll try to clarify my goal with the OP. I'm...

I'll try to clarify my goal with the OP.

I'm not so much interested in changing people's minds on the subject. If I do ever meet someone who believes it, I don't think I'd be confident enough to...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 25th September 2016, 05:34 AM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Some people remember things differently than...

Some people remember things differently than everyone else, such as the supposed death of Nelson Mandela in the '80s, but also more trivial stuff such as the name of the Berenstain Bears (they...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 24th September 2016, 05:46 PM
Replies: 467
Views: 65,324
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Mandela effect: what do they expect from us?

In reading several people’s experiences with the Mandela effect, I started to wonder; what is the desired response from people who didn’t experience it?

Suppose I remember that Mandela was...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 23rd September 2016, 02:15 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
It isn't a history book.. now. It isn't a...

It isn't a history book.. now.

It isn't a science book... now.

It isn't a medical book... now.


It was all of these things at the time it was written, and the Catholic church held it to be...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 22nd September 2016, 03:44 PM
Replies: 517
Views: 43,891
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
The attitude the Catholic Church seems to have...

The attitude the Catholic Church seems to have regarding inerrancy of the bible puzzles me.

It appears that they are willing to say "that part is no longer considered literally true" whenever...
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 20th September 2016, 11:52 AM
Replies: 1,340
Views: 233,974
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I've started re-reading the The First Rune...

I've started re-reading the The First Rune hexalogy by Mark Anthony.

I enjoyed it the first time through, although I did think that the author used quite a few similes, as well as several...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 13th September 2016, 03:12 PM
Replies: 448
Views: 48,768
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
Excluding the case of phones (and other computers...

Excluding the case of phones (and other computers with an over the air update system), where the parent company now has access to the update system, and can add bloatware over the air, I don't get it...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 13th September 2016, 01:09 PM
Replies: 448
Views: 48,768
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
After looking more thoroughly, I see what you...

After looking more thoroughly, I see what you mean. I didn't know they were planning to make the 6S line, which will still have a jack plug, and will come out concurrently with the 7 line.



For...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 13th September 2016, 12:00 PM
Replies: 448
Views: 48,768
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I think that it's because no new models of the...

I think that it's because no new models of the iPhone (at least the 7 range, anything beyond that is, of course, unknown) will have a jack*.

It's easy to point to older iPhones and say 'See? they...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 9th September 2016, 01:20 PM
Replies: 448
Views: 48,768
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
But he might get angry if Blackberry decides not...

But he might get angry if Blackberry decides not to produce phones with a physical keyboard.

An Android user would probably not care about this choice by Apple. I don't. Not really. But an Apple...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 8th September 2016, 01:14 AM
Replies: 448
Views: 48,768
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I've been using bluetooth in-ears (they're...

I've been using bluetooth in-ears (they're connected to each other by electronic wire, though) for quite some time now, and I don't use Apple devices, so this doubly doesn't affect me. Having said...
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 31st August 2016, 06:05 AM
Replies: 1,340
Views: 233,974
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
The Princess Bride by William Goldman. After...

The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

After having seen the film (twice by now), I figured it was time to read the book.

I like it so far.
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 3rd August 2016, 02:46 PM
Replies: 305
Views: 33,914
Posted By Bram Kaandorp
I keep seeing the discussion circling back to...

I keep seeing the discussion circling back to debating creationists, and acknowledging to them that abiogenesis is linked to evolution, because it's the intellectually honest thing to do. It is the...
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