The Parable of the Duck

[mamooth]

A scientist and a denier were out for a walk.

Upon seeing a duck, the scientist said, "Oh look, a duck!"

The denier replied "Being I am such a superior skeptic, I can not accept that classification. You have not proven that said object is a duck, therefore we must assume it's not a duck."

The scientist said "But it's quacking!"

The denier replied "A duck decoy can quack. Thus, that doesn't show it's a duck."

The scientist said "It has feathers!"

The denier replied "So did dinosaurs. Thus, that doesn't show it's a duck."

The scientist said "It's floating in a pond!"

The denier replied "Wood floats too, as do witches. Thus, that doesn't show it's a duck."

The scientist said "Now it's walking on two legs!"

The denier replied "So do people. Thus, that doesn't show it's a duck."

The scientist said "It has a broad flat bill and webbed feet!".

The denier replied "So does a platypus. Thus, that doesn't show it's a duck."

The scientist said "It's not any single quality that determines duckness. It's the sum total of all of them!"

The denier replied "Incorrect. As each individual quality does not absolutely prove duckness, we can therefore draw no conclusions at all from our observations."

The scientist said "So what do you classify it as?"

The denier replied. "That's not important. We skeptics can't be expected to sully ourselves by producing useful results. The only important thing is how we've conclusively proven it can't possibly be a duck."

 

[Dot Com]

You just described all the deniers here

 

[saveliberty]

Who is responsible for making the duck? If you said a duck you are correct. If you said people, then you are a Faither.

 

[Dot Com]

Where are all the deniers today

 

[Old Rocks]

Well, if they are one the East Coast, they are probably out playing in the spring like weather. If on the West Coast, checking to see if they have water in the basement.