Re: Small probabilities

Pim,

You wrote:

(1) (14.01.06) So let's go back to Vernon's patterns. How likely or unlikely is it to find similar patterns in any given book? Remember the bible codes? Specified yes, complex? Well only until one realizes how one may find 'matches' almost anywhere. And let's assume that we accept these patterns as found by Vernon, it does not help us decide who or what 'designed' them and how this withstood ages of transcription and translation.

(2) (15.01.06) I argue that patterns can be found in almost anything if one searches long enough. The Bible Codes seem to make for an excellent example. In other words, while with Chess we understand the rules and limitations of the game, with Vernon's patterns, we may very well be looking at patterns derived after the fact, or in Dembski's words, patterns where the bulls eye is painted afterwards around the arrows.

My initial response:

Your reference to ELS (Equidistant Letter Sequences) - the basis of Bible Code research - is hardly relevant to our discussion since my findings are based on a completely different principle, viz the fair reading of Hebrew and Greek words as numbers. Again, with respect, your claim that "one may find 'matches' almost anywhere" suggests that you haven't fully grasped the nature of the problem posed by these numerical geometries, and their coordination.

Way back in 2001 I had occasion to assist an ASA member who proposed writing a computer program to test whether similar structures might be found in other texts. Hence the protocol which you may find at http://homepage.virgin.net/vernon.jenkins/protodd.htm. The project was never completed.

Regards,

Vernon
www.otherbiblecode.com
 
Received on Sun Jan 15 17:55:48 2006