We may be tragic, reaper, but you’re downright hilarious. Please, tell us some more.

nah he was not deluded! he was a closed minded sceptic before he investigated a medium called leonora piper kwown to be one of the best mediums ever.

it matters not when it happened, the fact is it happened.

So one skeptic gets scammed by a “psychic” and that’s supposed to convince us that life after death is real? You can do better than that. I can point to a few current scientists who have allowed themselves to be scammed. Doesn’t prove anything other than even skeptics can be fooled.

Aaahh, Prof. James Hyslop.
Yes, an interesting man - mad people often are. 

leonora piper was also investigated by frederick myers,sir oliver lodge,dr.richard hodgson,professor william james and hyslop five men who would be outstanding scholars and investigators in any age.lodge,myers,hodgson and hyslop accepted equally readily that her work demonstrated the reality of survival beyond any doubt (hodgson is even reported as saying enthusiastically i can’t wait to die.

Okay, Reaper, I’ll play.

From James Randi’s An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural

Piper, Leonora E. (1857-1950) A Boston housewife who said she discovered her power as a spirit medium at age twenty-seven, Mrs. Piper told of an Indian spirit guide with the unlikely name of Chlorine who was aided by another guide named Dr. Phinuit, which she pronounced “finny.” Strangely, this French doctor knew only a little French and less about medicine.
    The mediumship of Mrs. Piper, which involved dramatic teeth-gnashing, moaning, and thrashing about, was enthusiastically supported by the famous psychologist/philosopher William James. The fact that she regularly spoke with Longfellow and Bach (the latter spoke no German in Summerland) provided James with excellent methods for testing the medium, but such tests were not done.
    Mrs. Piper began featuring automatic writing, and then in 1911 abandoned her séances altogether and concentrated solely on the automatic writing.
    She was investigated by Richard Hodgson, a member of the American Society for Psychical Research, for eighteen years. He became convinced of her legitimacy, and he was very pleased when she told him that he would have a long life, would soon marry, and would have two children. Hodgson died a few months later, unmarried and childless.

Reaper- You need to watch Derren Brown.  I would recommend his live seance, if you can get a copy of it anywhere, or wait for channel 4 to repeat it.

KPG: From James Randi’s An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural

Speaking of James Randi, did you know he invented the guillotine and some other stage effects and props for my man Alice Cooper’s stage shows? He even appeared onstage sometimes as the executioner.

Not only women bleed when a guillotine is involved.

the conclusion that in many cases it is due to “spirit” possession. In his will he founded an Institute for the treatment of obsession through the instrumentality of me

Turns out that many spirit possessions are mere acts of delusions. Worse, Schizophrenic episodes.

St. Therese is now under fire by church theologians. Turns out she earned her sainthood for events she may have imagined (like roses falling from heaven)

It all sounds a bit Ramtha-ish to me.
Having said that Edgar Cayce‘s books intrigued me.
Last year I read The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce by Wynn Free with David Wilcock as the reincarnated Edgar - it sorta went in reverse to The End of Faith in that the first 3rd was shit, 2nd 3rd was okay and the final 3rd was thought-provoking and interesting. 

for the believer no proof is necessary,for the none believer no proof is possible.

we will find out boys.lol

Cop out much? We’ll find out? Not if us skeptics are right we won’t.

Reaper: for the believer no proof is necessary,for the none believer no proof is possible.

Wow. That’s deep, man.

Proof is quite possible.  Find some verifiable evidence beyond someone’s subjective perceptions and impressions.  Something reproducible, predictive, measureable, and generally worth a shit.

Otherwise it’s all moonshine.  Or caused by drinking too much moonshine.

Many people who or non-believers or those of no
morals. You can’t talk to someone who undoubtly
don’t believe in themselves.
The spirit world goes back far beyond our years.
We have many skeptics because, of false outcomes.
This has ruined the proof of the real thing.
So you skeptics will see in time that there is a
another world of the beyond.
Many spirits, and, ghosts, have a meaning for staying behind and, we must not condure them of there decisions.
One day we may be doing the same.

Welcome back Rose!

Rose: So you skeptics will see in time that there is a another world of the beyond.

And in the meantime, we’ll live as if this is the only life we have.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

reaper: for the believer no proof is necessary,for the none believer no proof is possible.

I think you’re right about the believer part, wrong about the non-believer part.  Faith needs - nor asks for - any evidence. 

Skepticism does, however, and I’m sure we could come up with something that would satisfy skeptics on this score.  All we would need is simple, objective, verifiable evidence - just as we would if the claim were something mundane, like “Does this diet help you take weight off and keep it off?“  (How does faith help with those kinds of questions, anyway?)

In the case of life after death - proof that one person came back to life after being verifiably dead for a week or so would probably be enough for most skeptics. Of course - that wouldn’t prove the existence of any sort of spirit world - but it would literally demonstrate life after death.

Hey Rose

Many people who or non-believers or those of no
morals.

Scientist never harm another scientist for having the ‘wrong’ kind of science, even the athiestist.  Somewhere on this site are the results for a properly conducted survey showing athiests are the least likely to go to prison.

my thinking on an atheist, they avoid doing things they may regret because they have to forgive themselves, they can’t just go to church on sunday and say, oops, i fucked up, forgive me. then go and do it all over again, with the thinking, if i fuck up i just will get forgiven again. i just feel atheists look deeper within themselves to find right and wrong, and not just what someone tells them is right and wrong.

Hey! Rose, the other SEB Village Idiot, has returned yet again! Maybe we can get her and Don into a Battle Royale to determine who gets to be Top SEB Village Idiot.

That would be wicked cool.

I know! I know!

Let’s have tattoos of Ghostbusters!

Man, I think if Rose and Don ever joined forces, all of our heads would asplode….

Les: That would be wicked cool.

Hmm ... if the ability to bring SEB regulars out for some righteous flame warring were a super power, then just who, I ask, should really be joining the cast of Heroes?

elwedriddsche : Let’s have tattoos of Ghostbusters!

Heh - who you gonna call?

jory: i just feel atheists look deeper within themselves to find right and wrong, and not just what someone tells them is right and wrong.

Agreed - it’s almost as if atheists largely take an active role in their own social development. I suspect that spoon-fed ethics just don’t have all the vitamins and minerals a growing mind needs.

Let’s have tattoos of Ghostbusters!

I don’t approve of cute tattoos. And if you slice my skin and pour Ghostbusters ink into me, I’LL SUE!.

You know the opening shot in all the Bond movies, the shadow of Bond seen through the barrel of a gun? I always thought that would make a great tat…..