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Path: utzoo!decvax!wanginst!ulowell!mod-psi
From: mod-psi@ulowell.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.psi
Subject: Re: PSI vs scienterrific research vs witchcraft
Message-ID: <910@ulowell.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-Jan-87 02:40:31 EST
Article-I.D.: ulowell.910
Posted: Mon Jan  5 02:40:31 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 5-Jan-87 18:36:20 EST
References: <907@ulowell.UUCP>
Sender: rickheit@ulowell.UUCP
Reply-To: rickheit@ulowell.UUCP (Erich Rickheit)
Distribution: world
Organization: University of Lowell
Lines: 43
Keywords: science witchcraft occult
Approved: rickheit@ulowell.UUCP
Summary: what is science?

< Nonesense! There's no such thing as line eaters! I'll show y* >

In article <907@ulowell.UUCP> sunny@hoptoad.UUCP (Sunny Kirsten) writes:

>Witchcraft is both a belief system (as is ANY religion) and an occult
>art.  Both aspects of this are spiritual.
>
>Science is a belief system (as is ANY religion).  The scientific
>approach to the study of paranormal, occult, metaphysical, psychic,
>psi, extrasensory perception, or parapsychology is doomed to failure.
>Why?  Because the religion of science is an atheistic religion, and
>these phenomena are spiritual.

  Science is a belief system only in the strictest sense. There is one
scientific belief: Things can be understood. It is _not_ a religion. Religion
is based upon faith; faith that things not understandable are true. 
The chief "spell" of science, the 'scientific method' is known to the rest of
the world as 'trial and error'. It is only in the public mind that a scientist
is a Scientist (read 'priest') of Science, the all-knowing.

  Science, though, as a method and as a body of knowledge, are perfectly well
applicable to the problems and questions of spiritual phenomena. Why shouldn't
it be? Granted the phenomena in question tend to be ephemeral and difficult to
reproduce (especially in the emotionally negative enviroment a biased observer
creates) but these things can be overcome--they have, in other areas of study.

  Why hasn't science been brought to bear succesfully on psi? Elementary. 
Proper investigation of psi could take lifetimes. Your typical scientist (who
has to eat, too) isn't willing to risk his credibility and career on something
that far out in left field. Why is it so far out? Because scientists are all
believed to be hopeless Mundanes (the term used by my Gifted friends) who
couldn't understand spiritual matters if they tried. The blade cuts both ways,
Sunny.

  Incidentally, though it's none of my business, which particular Goddess are
are you referring to? Astarte? Britomartis,Rhea,Dictynna (the Triple Goddess)? 
Eris? Just idle monkey curiosity (or scientific curiosity, if you prefer)


			a lesser Power of Darkness
UUCP: ...!wanginst!ulowell!rickheit      : USnail: Erich Rickheit
May you have the knowledge of a sage and :         85 Gershom Ave, #2
the wisdom of a child-Principia Discordia:         Lowell, MA 01854