From: "Spike Jones" <spike66@attglobal.net>
> From this historical precedent, I ask permission to commit
> blasphemy, and be forgiven, before I even make up the
> particular impiety.
Permission granted.
An elderly Jewish gentleman climbed into a railway carriage and soon struck up
a conversation with the other passenger in the compartment, who explained that
he was a Catholic country priest.
"And after being a country priest, vot you become in your church?" asked the
Jew.
"Well, it is just possible I could be moved into a town parish."
"And after zat?"
"Oh, no! I will never be placed higher than that."
"But if you are very good in your job vot you can become?" persisted the Jew.
"Well, I could become a monsignor."
"And after zat?"
"If I was very, very lucky I could become a bishop."
"And zen?"
"Archbishop."
"And after zat?"
"Well, a cardinal in Rome."
"So vot next?"
"From the cardinals the pope is elected."
"Oh, the pope. Vot after him?"
"What! There is no higher than the pope. He is God's priest on earth!"
"So vot about Jesus Christ?"
"No, that's blasphemy! No one can become Christ!"
"Oh!" said the Jew, "cos vun of our fellows made it."
--- --- --- --- ---
Useless hypotheses, etc.:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, Cyc, Eliza, cryonics, individual
uniqueness, ego, human values, scientific relinquishment, malevolent AI,
non-sensory experience, SETI
We move into a better future in proportion as science displaces superstition.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat May 11 2002 - 17:44:30 MDT