Comments on: God Said Pi = 3; Stand By Your Beliefs Dammit http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/ Pre-packaged rationality ready for consumption Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:23:02 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Ed Darrell http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4389 Ed Darrell Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:07:07 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4389 So, then you think that the Bible is accurate for anyone who does math in Roman numerals, but not Arabic numerals? I have an occasional use for accuracy of pi to three or four places, just working around the house. What about those who argue that the Bible is the only book we need? Are they not idiots, too? So, then you think that the Bible is accurate for anyone who does math in Roman numerals, but not Arabic numerals? I have an occasional use for accuracy of pi to three or four places, just working around the house.

What about those who argue that the Bible is the only book we need? Are they not idiots, too?

]]> By: O Bloody Hell http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4385 O Bloody Hell Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:49:46 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4385 <b>Measure with a micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with an axe.</b> This argument is so doubtfully bogus it's flat out ridiculous. Is God going to actually bother telling some guy not that far out of the caves that the aaaaaaaaactual circumference is exaaaaaaaaaaaaactly...? <b>Or is He going to put it in simple terms that the bozo can grasp?</b> It is, in fact, a reductio ad absurdum as the claimants make, but the "absurdum" part is on <i>their</i> end, not His. Is there a particular reason to expect exacting accuracy in this document at this location? It was describing in layman's terms the object in question, not giving precise directions to the builder. I don't think the average bozo in 1000BC gave a rat's ass that pi is 3.14159 26535 89793 23486 26433 ... <i>and change</i>.... Actually, <i>no "human" knew it that accurately until around the Renaissance</i>. This was an era when the calendar shifted as much as 3 months off at a time before getting corrected (Caesar crossed the Rubicon on 1/10/49BC -- but it was actually <i>mid-autumn</i>!) While there was certainly some interest in accuracy at times, most of it was derived via jackleg common sense and geometry, not by actually calculating numbers out to multiple decimal places, which, well, didn't exist, of course. But in short, anyone who makes this claim that The Bible is "flawed" because of this is <b>just an idiot</b>. Measure with a micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with an axe.

This argument is so doubtfully bogus it’s flat out ridiculous.

Is God going to actually bother telling some guy not that far out of the caves that the aaaaaaaaactual circumference is exaaaaaaaaaaaaactly…?

Or is He going to put it in simple terms that the bozo can grasp? It is, in fact, a reductio ad absurdum as the claimants make, but the “absurdum” part is on their end, not His.

Is there a particular reason to expect exacting accuracy in this document at this location? It was describing in layman’s terms the object in question, not giving precise directions to the builder.

I don’t think the average bozo in 1000BC gave a rat’s ass that pi is 3.14159 26535 89793 23486 26433 … and change….

Actually, no “human” knew it that accurately until around the Renaissance.

This was an era when the calendar shifted as much as 3 months off at a time before getting corrected (Caesar crossed the Rubicon on 1/10/49BC — but it was actually mid-autumn!)

While there was certainly some interest in accuracy at times, most of it was derived via jackleg common sense and geometry, not by actually calculating numbers out to multiple decimal places, which, well, didn’t exist, of course.

But in short, anyone who makes this claim that The Bible is “flawed” because of this is just an idiot.

]]> By: Mooby http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4384 Mooby Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:56:29 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4384 "it states that the ratio of the circumference to the diameter is 30:10 cubits. In other words: 3 Also known as 3.00 or 3.0." Elementary science fail. 3, 3.00, and 3.0 are NOT the same, scientifically speaking. The first has 1 significant figure, the second has 3 significant figures, and the third has 2 significant figures. When we take 30/10, we get 3, NOT 3.00 or 3.0, because both 30 and 10 have one significant figure. Pi to 1 significant figure is 3. The passage correctly predicts pi to the accuracy of the measurements given, which is 100% consistent with current scientific practices. “it states that the ratio of the circumference to the diameter is 30:10 cubits. In other words:

3

Also known as 3.00 or 3.0.”

Elementary science fail.

3, 3.00, and 3.0 are NOT the same, scientifically speaking. The first has 1 significant figure, the second has 3 significant figures, and the third has 2 significant figures.

When we take 30/10, we get 3, NOT 3.00 or 3.0, because both 30 and 10 have one significant figure.

Pi to 1 significant figure is 3. The passage correctly predicts pi to the accuracy of the measurements given, which is 100% consistent with current scientific practices.

]]> By: teenoie http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4381 teenoie Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:58:20 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4381 <a href="http://www.utilitiessoftware.org/reverse-address-resolution-protocol" rel="nofollow">RARP protocol</a> is similar to working with the ARP protocol will work in a manner contrary By Mac converts number to the number of IP addresses, RARP protocol is designed for use on computers without hard drives or disk (Diskless Computer) so the time needed to boot the operating system boot from a network server on the network. The server on the network will store the table of the relationship between Mac address to IP number. Host to the IP number will Broadcasting groups RARP Query Packet contained Physical Address to every host on the network. From the server on the network will be managed by the RARP Packet reply with the IP number to host. RARP protocol is similar to working with the ARP protocol will work in a manner contrary By Mac converts number to the number of IP addresses, RARP protocol is designed for use on computers without hard drives or disk (Diskless Computer) so the time needed to boot the operating system boot from a network server on the network. The server on the network will store the table of the relationship between Mac address to IP number. Host to the IP number will Broadcasting groups RARP Query Packet contained Physical Address to every host on the network. From the server on the network will be managed by the RARP Packet reply with the IP number to host.

]]> By: Eli http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4372 Eli Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:17:52 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4372 Hilarious. That guy was a total whack job. So blind he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face. Hilarious. That guy was a total whack job. So blind he couldn’t see his own hand in front of his face.

]]> By: Benjamin http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4262 Benjamin Mon, 11 May 2009 18:48:33 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4262 Let's not say the Bible is wrong. Maybe Solomon's measuring system approximated, and the Bible was just recounting what number Solomon came up with. And since when were cubits an exact measurement? Okay, maybe it was eventually systematized, but wasn't it the distance from the king's elbow to the end of his middle finger? Obviously accuracy was not at all attained in those days. Let’s not say the Bible is wrong. Maybe Solomon’s measuring system approximated, and the Bible was just recounting what number Solomon came up with.

And since when were cubits an exact measurement? Okay, maybe it was eventually systematized, but wasn’t it the distance from the king’s elbow to the end of his middle finger? Obviously accuracy was not at all attained in those days.

]]> By: Does Alberta Really Look Like Northumberland and Sound Like Arkansas? « Canada’s World http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4234 Does Alberta Really Look Like Northumberland and Sound Like Arkansas? « Canada’s World Sat, 02 May 2009 17:34:59 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4234 [...] fun to imagine extreme cases – what about the infamous Biblical passage (I Kings 7:23-26) that implies that the value of pi is exactly three? All geometry involving circles is clearly one vast Satanic [...] [...] fun to imagine extreme cases – what about the infamous Biblical passage (I Kings 7:23-26) that implies that the value of pi is exactly three? All geometry involving circles is clearly one vast Satanic [...]

]]> By: Ed Darrell http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4209 Ed Darrell Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:40:47 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4209 Well, Brad, it's obvious you do not believe the Bible to be the unaltered, incontrovertible, inerrant and perfect Word of God! God wrote it, so it must be accurate, to all the places! /fundie mode Well, Brad, it’s obvious you do not believe the Bible to be the unaltered, incontrovertible, inerrant and perfect Word of God! God wrote it, so it must be accurate, to all the places!

/fundie mode

]]> By: Vincent http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4208 Vincent Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:20:27 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4208 I'm telling everyone about this :P I’m telling everyone about this :P

]]> By: Brad http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4195 Brad Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:00:25 +0000 http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/god-said-pi-3-stand-by-your-beliefs-dammit/#comment-4195 As I understand it the above quote is speaking about a basin that was created in the first temple, which was called the sea of something. It was used by the priests to perform their ritual ablutions. It's not God creating the sea, nor is it God who's saying that pi is 3, it's the jewish builders who worked on the assumption that pi is 3, like the babylonians worked on the assumption that pi was 3.15. It doesn't prove or disprove anything except that the approximate value of pi has been known for many thousands of years and used in buildings, as evidenced by this description in the Bible. As I understand it the above quote is speaking about a basin that was created in the first temple, which was called the sea of something. It was used by the priests to perform their ritual ablutions. It’s not God creating the sea, nor is it God who’s saying that pi is 3, it’s the jewish builders who worked on the assumption that pi is 3, like the babylonians worked on the assumption that pi was 3.15.

It doesn’t prove or disprove anything except that the approximate value of pi has been known for many thousands of years and used in buildings, as evidenced by this description in the Bible.

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