From: hopkins@agora.rain.com (Scott Hopkins)
Subject: Re: Ghosts
Organization: Open Communications Forum
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 22:08:56 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.174355.10498@m.cs.uiuc.edu> mcgrath@cs.uiuc.edu writes:
>In article <BuI7Cq.Ct1@agora.rain.com>, hopkins@agora.rain.com (Scott Hopkins) writes:
>|> Why are you so quick to dismiss things Robert?  Does there have to be a
>|> simple solution for everything?  Does everything have to be cut and dry?
>|> Whatever happened to open your mind and learn from experience?  If you've
>|> never witnessed a phenomena, how can you be so sure they're not out there?
>|> Just because you haven't does that mean everybody hasn't?
>|> 
>|> Maybe it's true, the sceptic may close their eyes along with their mind.
>|> 
>|> 	-Casey
>|> 
>
>If you would read what I said, you would see that I was evaluating the
>two stories recounted.  I did not "dismiss" them, quickly or otherwise.
>I offered an explanation of them that is consistent with how people
>work, but with no reference to the ghost hypothesis.  Why are you so
>quick to dismiss my hypothesis?  What makes you so sure I don't know
>what I'm talking about?  Are you so closed minded that you cannot
>consider that I might be right?

I never said that you weren't.  Your explanations are sound, but it seemed
to take on a fashion of denial.  It sounded to me that you were attacking
him and ridiculing his examples.  That is the reason I responded the way I
did.  Maybe if you would have said, "Well, here's a theory that might
explain..."
>
>Also note that I made no comments about any phenomena except "ghost
>stories", which I HAVE experienced.  Ghosts may or may not exist.
>Folktales definitely exist, but are not particularly good evidence
>for the existence of anything besides human imagination (which is
>wonderful).  A naive acceptance of folktales as always literally true 
>is a mistake.

I agree totally with you.  There's to much myth and folklore out there that
it makes the unbelievable even more unbelievable.  Folklore is better left
for the idiots.  However, it's hard to tell what folklore is true.  I'm
sure some of it is a little true.  A person should accept these stories as
just that though, stories.
>
>I resent you calling me closed minded, when you obviously have not
>even taken the trouble to comprehend what I wrote.  Insulting me
>because you do not like what I said is hardly a productive response.
>Perhaps you should open your eyes and mind to what I was saying.

I apologize for attacking you so harshly.  However, I did take the time to
read what you wrote.  As I said above it seemed to me that you were
attacking this man with your beliefs.  I was unaware that you HAD witnessed
something of a phenomena.  My attack was not centered on you, but the many
people that accept what they see before them and not accept the paranormal
for something of what it is - the unkown.  If you flat out refuse to
believe in it, obviously your views make it known - It doesn't exist.  As
for a productive response, it wasn't.  And neither was your retaliation.
If you were so insulted by my comments about you being close minded, why
turn around and point it at me.  It seems to me that through asking
questions on can not be deemed close minded because he is asking for
answers.

	-Casey
	>
>-- 
>  Robert E. McGrath
>  Urbana Illinois
>  mcgrath@cs.uiuc.edu


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