Here is a thought exercise.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

Try, if only for a moment, to believe that the capital of France is Marseille, not Paris. I don't mean performing a pantomime by solemnly shouting "The capital of France is Marseille", I mean ACTUALLY BELIEVING that this is so.

Can you?

[virgogal]

1. Oh.okay !

[RagAss]

2. Yes....do I get my free gift now?

[rurallib]

3. I'd rather believe that I live in Canada

I so want this to be true.

[beam me up scottie]

15. LOL! Me too!

Tell me that if I close my eyes real tight and click my heels together three times, when I turn on the local tv station tomorrow, Cornerstone Ministries will NOT be on it.

Please.

[gateley]

4. Done!

:shrug:

[Orrex]

5. That depends. Is there still a place in France where the naked ladies dance?

[leveymg]

6. I do believe that woman on your icon is charming. And, that makes her so.

Just as much as Paris is the capitol of France.

Who is she?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. Tammi Christ

http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-evidence-suggests-god-also-had-incredibly-bust,18133/

[leveymg]

10. I had thought the Quintinity was suppressed along with the Gnostic Bible.

But, I guess this just proves you can't keep a good thing down. :evilgrin: Thanks for that link to the Onion, I had forgotten how goddamn funny it can be - sorta made my evening.

According to the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas (remember him?), Jesus says, "When you disrobe yourselves and are not ashamed, and take your garments and lay them beneath your feet like little children, and tread upon them, then the Son of the living One, and ye shall not fear." (Thomas-37) This and the other ‘undressing’ saying (Thomas-21) urges us to ‘disrobe,’ to trample underfoot . . ."

And, we're not even making this up.

[gateley]

12. But as you note, Thomas was booted out of the REAL (Republican) Bible, no? nt

[InvisibleTouch]

8. Certainly.

You see, though the whole world was led to believe that the capital of France is Paris, the *actual* powers-behind-the-powers are stationed in Marseille and are running the country from there. They *want* you to believe the seat of government is in Paris. It isn't. The wheels are already in motion, and far-reaching plans are just about to get underway that will affect the whole world as we know it. In fact every French citizen knows the capital of their country is Marseille, not Paris, and they secretly laugh at the rest of us for thinking otherwise. But that's all part of the plan!

Truly, can you prove otherwise?


Now, what was the point?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. My point is left as an exercise for the reader.

By the way, you only succeeded in creating an amusing story.

[InvisibleTouch]

11. Ah, but I could talk myself into believing it. ;)

At least for a moment. Which I believe was the exercise.

So the point being, that we can potentially convince ourselves (and perhaps others) of practically anything, regardless of any facts that exist to the contrary?

[rrneck]

13. I tried but I didn't find it particularly inspirational.

Is it okay if I believe something about Jessica Alba instead?

[dimbear]

14. To make this realistic, you need to either

offer a big reward to believers, one you won't necessarily honor, or threaten nonbelievers with a big punishment, one they know you will deliver on.

You'll have believers lined up from Paris to Rouen. Or something like that. Quelque chose commme ca.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

16. No, I can't.

Someone else might be able to trick me into doing so, but I find doing it deliberately impossible.

[Deep13]

17. nope. nt