keris and spirit

A. G. Maisey · 16th May 2007, 10:46 PM

David, what I shall now write is not intended as disagreement with the position you have put, it is just another way of looking at "truth".

If you have enough people believing that something is true, then it becomes so.

I've heard a story a couple of times that might be worth repeating.

It would seem that in old Hawaii the local priest of dukun or whatever they call them in Hawaii, would go down to the eastern shore before sunrise and make an offering to ensure that the sun would rise.
The proof of the effectiveness of his ministrations was that the sun rose.

If the people believed this, it was true for those people.

If we believe that we can influence anything by some action or other, and enough people believe that, then for these people, that becomes true. If the desired effect comes to pass, then it has proven that what was done to achieve that effect worked. If it does not come to pass, then the fault must lay with our performance of the ritual---or maybe God simply has a bigger plan, and could not permit it to happen.

Truth is a bit like history---get enough people believing something, and it becomes true.

Who would ever argue with the "truths" of any major religion?

Certainly not I.

16th May 2007, 10:46 PM	#25
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,013	David, what I shall now write is not intended as disagreement with the position you have put, it is just another way of looking at "truth". If you have enough people believing that something is true, then it becomes so. I've heard a story a couple of times that might be worth repeating. It would seem that in old Hawaii the local priest of dukun or whatever they call them in Hawaii, would go down to the eastern shore before sunrise and make an offering to ensure that the sun would rise. The proof of the effectiveness of his ministrations was that the sun rose. If the people believed this, it was true for those people. If we believe that we can influence anything by some action or other, and enough people believe that, then for these people, that becomes true. If the desired effect comes to pass, then it has proven that what was done to achieve that effect worked. If it does not come to pass, then the fault must lay with our performance of the ritual---or maybe God simply has a bigger plan, and could not permit it to happen. Truth is a bit like history---get enough people believing something, and it becomes true. Who would ever argue with the "truths" of any major religion? Certainly not I.