The Chronicles of Gemli

[_Analytics]

Great thread Gadianton.

So who is Gemli? He is a nevermo that happened to see that guy’s blog and got sucked in by the madness of the insinuations. For those of you who might not know, Sic Et Non is not the only place where Gemli is a top commenator. In fact, tomorrow will mark the two-year anniversary of Gemli being featured by The New York Times. From that artricle:

Gemli
Boston
AGE: 66 [Now 68]
OCCUPATION: Computer Analyst
FAVORITE ISSUES:
Fact-based public policy, climate change, inequality
Gemli, who asked that his real name not be used, is by some analytical measures the most popular commenter on The Times’s site.

He averages 354 reader recommendations per comment. There has to be some trick to this, right?

“The first sentence of the comment is key, and it’s usually the hardest to write,” Gemli said. “I can spend a half-hour writing and rewriting the first line.”

“Reading conservative pundits usually gets my goat, especially when they’re denying climate change, or recommending the continuation of economic inequality,” he said. “When they inject theology into public policy I have been known to write a mildly-worded rebuttal or two, after my left eye stops twitching and I regain my composure.”

“Education occurs when you’re exposed to the world, and shielding yourself from it means that you’re not receiving an education. If there are things that you find too sensitive to bear, then you shouldn’t attend that meeting or take that course. Stay at home, in your room, with the windows shut and the TV off.”

-Gemli

[_Symmachus]

So who is Gemli? He is a nevermo that happened to see that guy’s blog and got sucked in by the madness of the insinuations.

Analytics, this is very interesting. I do wonder, how does a non-Mormon like Gemli find their way to Sic et Non? I sort of understood how Philip Jenkins got into his tussle with the Paleo-apologiststs—he is a scholar of religion, after all—but how did Daniel Peterson attract Gemli's attention?

[_Kishkumen]

“The first sentence of the comment is key, and it’s usually the hardest to write,” Gemli said. “I can spend a half-hour writing and rewriting the first line.”

There's dedication that I lack.

[_Res Ipsa]

Great thread Gadianton.

So who is Gemli? He is a nevermo that happened to see that guy’s blog and got sucked in by the madness of the insinuations. For those of you who might not know, Sic Et Non is not the only place where Gemli is a top commenator. In fact, tomorrow will mark the two-year anniversary of Gemli being featured by The New York Times. From that artricle:

Gemli
Boston
AGE: 66 [Now 68]
OCCUPATION: Computer Analyst
FAVORITE ISSUES:
Fact-based public policy, climate change, inequality
Gemli, who asked that his real name not be used, is by some analytical measures the most popular commenter on The Times’s site.

He averages 354 reader recommendations per comment. There has to be some trick to this, right?

“The first sentence of the comment is key, and it’s usually the hardest to write,” Gemli said. “I can spend a half-hour writing and rewriting the first line.”

“Reading conservative pundits usually gets my goat, especially when they’re denying climate change, or recommending the continuation of economic inequality,” he said. “When they inject theology into public policy I have been known to write a mildly-worded rebuttal or two, after my left eye stops twitching and I regain my composure.”

“Education occurs when you’re exposed to the world, and shielding yourself from it means that you’re not receiving an education. If there are things that you find too sensitive to bear, then you shouldn’t attend that meeting or take that course. Stay at home, in your room, with the windows shut and the TV off.”

-Gemli

I’ll be darned. I’ve read some of his comments on climate change articles. He’s really sharp.

[_Analytics]

So who is Gemli? He is a nevermo that happened to see that guy’s blog and got sucked in by the madness of the insinuations.

Analytics, this is very interesting. I do wonder, how does a non-Mormon like Gemli find their way to Sic et Non? I sort of understood how Philip Jenkins got into his tussle with the Paleo-apologiststs—he is a scholar of religion, after all—but how did Daniel Peterson attract Gemli's attention?

He explained it once. He just kind of stumbled across the blog not knowing its author from Adam, read one of the obliquely anti-science entries, and felt the need to respond. He checked back, and was soon hooked.

[_Gadianton]

So who is Gemli? He is a nevermo that happened to see that guy’s blog and got sucked in by the madness of the insinuations. For those of you who might not know, Sic Et Non is not the only place where Gemli is a top commenator. In fact, tomorrow will mark the two-year anniversary of Gemli being featured by The New York Times. From that artricle:

How on earth did you figure that one out??? The apologists have bitten off more than they can chew this time. I don't think the entire home crew has 360 likes even if you add all the likes together from the blog's beginning, including the pats on the back they've given themselves!

As a brief update: The Darwin thread has erupted, with the principle blog author taking on the role of first-string debater for this one himself. Gemli is on the board with several posts, and today, he's playing hardball. First-string debater Kiwi57 is still missing in action. How can he leave his team stranded at this time of the year? Zeke has shown up to defend Gemli, causing a stir of controversy among the whole apologist team, and comments are flying wildly. The comment section is bursting with 40 comments!

[_Res Ipsa]

Perhaps Kiwi57 strained his ring finger and has been placed on injured reserve.

[_Philo Sofee]

That is interesting about who Gemli is! We need to let him know how appreciated he is... I love his patience in the face of obstreperous stupidity and sophomoric logic.

[Guest]

Part I of our special Thanksgiving-Day Debate -- Is Darwinism necessarily aethiestic?

Welcome to our special two-part Thanksgiving-day debate. It's a beautiful sunny day, which makes it all the more disappointing that the debate starts out as a series of Mopologist misfires. First of all, wouldn't this topic be more appropriate in a venue like Meridian? Surely, the theists who answer "yes" to this question outnumber the atheists who answer "yes" by about 10,000 to 1.

And then, down in the comments, guest commentor RaymondSwenson is first to respond, rambling off a sermon centered around the following claim:

Those scriptures (including Bible)... do not assert that God is the sole cause of all natural events.

I'm not so sure the apologists are aiming at the right target. Shouldn't he take this dispute up with his nearest college of theology rather than atheists? who is the first (efficient) cause in the (Kalaam) cosmological argument?

Second-string debater, Jack, oddly, shows up to re-tweet this from Swenson's long post:

The zone outside of "scientific explanation" where the atheists' "God" dwells has grown to 95% of the universe.

(He cites dark matter/dark energy etc)

Bear this quote in mind, as he and M. Hoggan go on to weave a grand conspiracy about secularization, that culminates with:

eah, it seems like higher education these days is in the business of pumping out progressives first and professionals second.

And so the scientists whose first priority as progressives is to replace God with man, are increasingly fabricating a narrative about atheistic creation that per Swenson and Jack, includes their ignorance of 95% of the universe? In all three of these debates, the apologists have had serious difficulties with consistent arguments. Gemli chimes in on this matter, but this minor discussion goes into a dead end and I'll call this branch a draw, as Gemli wasn't totally consistent with his statement about scientists and academics as secularized. The apologists have a real chance to get on the board with a win, especially since first-string debater Kiwi57 has emerged from hiding and ready to get his hands dirty.

[_Philo Sofee]

Ah the glorious tit for tat. Gad you win the prestigious turkey feather award for excellence of apologetics debate coverage on this Thanksgiving!