Randi's Million Dollar Challenge

[Seth]

Originally Posted by Rick Deckard

...do these people donate hoping to buy a place in 'Heaven'?

Yes they do. I live near and have friends that work at a local monastary. Several times per year they receive donations from elderly individuals donating their entire savings/worth (many in the millions) just prior to death. I guess they think it may lube the hinges of the pearly gates.

There is a Christian publication in my area that the catholic diocese sends to many followers whether they read it or not. Their message is, "It is expensive for the diocese to distribute this paper to all Catholics and they encourage donations." I say quit sending your stupid propaganda for free and getting people to pay you out of guilt. But what do I know...obviously the strategy works.

[kova]

Originally Posted by Seth

Yes they do. I live near and have friends that work at a local monastary. Several times per year they receive donations from elderly individuals donating their entire savings/worth (many in the millions) just prior to death. I guess they think it may lube the hinges of the pearly gates.

There is a Christian publication in my area that the catholic diocese sends to many followers whether they read it or not. Their message is, "It is expensive for the diocese to distribute this paper to all Catholics and they encourage donations." I say quit sending your stupid propaganda for free and getting people to pay you out of guilt. But what do I know...obviously the strategy works.

I don't think you will find one person who says hey give money so the will get into heaven.

[Seth]

Originally Posted by kova

I don't think you will find one person who says hey give money so the will get into heaven.

You are right, it is rude to say it directly, but it is implied. People are led to believe there is a one-to-one relationship every Sunday.

[derekcbart]

Hi there.

As someone who has been directly involved with Randi and the JREF Million Dollar Challenge personally allow me a moment to explain a couple of things about it.

First, it is the claimant who develops the test. Randi simply asks what they can do and how accurate they are at doing it. A test is then devised to determine whether the claimant can actually do what they say they can do. The claimant has to agree to the test in writing beforehand. So, please understand that Randi does not "make" the test. It is made jointly between the JREF and the claimant. Usually, Randi isn't even involved in the design of the test at all.

Next, Randi is NEVER present when the test is actually performed. This is to eliminate the claims of bias that others may have.

Third, there are two stages to the testing. Once someone passes the first test according to the agreed upon terms of the test and second test is done to eliminate the possibility of false positives. To date, NO ONE has had to take the second test because no one has ever passed the first test.

The biggest change to the Challenge is that it is going to be ending in March 2010, after twelve years of existence. The ending of the MDC has been controversial throughout the community, but I understand the reasons. The original goal of the challenge was to get the Sylvia Browne's, John Edward's, and James Van Praagh's of the world to be put on the spot and prove their claims. None of the "name" psychics ever agreed to be tested. The people who did agree to be tested turned out to be, and I'm sorry that I cannot think of a more politically correct way to say this, "cranks". The hardest part of the testing process was getting people to say what it is that they could do. You would think that this would be easy, but having been a part of these discussions it is amazing that people cannot clearly and concisely say what they can do.

Another issue with the MDC is that because it was "One Million Dollars" some people thought that the money did not exist, even with all of the legal documentation showing that there was one million dollars in the bank.

Now, the IIG has a $50,000 paranormal challenge that is designed in the same way as the JREF MDC. The IIG Paranormal Challenge will continue and will stay at $50,000. It is doing so because it is important for there to be a Paranormal Challenge out there and it will stay at $50,000 in order to avoid the complications that JREF had with people not believing that the money was real.

Thanks.

-Derek

[Ankhes]

Thanks, Derek. I am a member over at the forums there and am aware that most people have wild assumptions about the MDC and have never actually read the rules. Those issues have been addressed ad nauseum for years. I'm sorry the MDC is coming to a close, but can't see realisitically why to keep it around when it is pretty obvious no-one will ever prove to have paranormal powers. The money will be better used elsewhere.

Tho I do think Mr. Randi was present in the preliminary test with that Russian girl who claimed she could read thru a blindfold, right? Anyway, thanks for the post.

[RhiannonsMoon]

There are those very famous people who get a great deal of money for what they do...because they have proven themselves to those who go to see them...

However because most people don't understand that the energy that we use to read things, past, present and future, fluctuates, it is almost impossible to be able to predict what will or who will come through.

On one occasion I was asked to write down a poem, by a man who had been stuck and unable to get to his resting place, since WWI. He told me his name, Jack Chisholm. And then gave me the poem. Edit: (I eventually searched for his name in WWI records; In the whole of World War I there was only one Jack Chisholm)

I wrote it down, and placed in a folder and forgot about it. On Anzac Day this year, 2008, Jack Chisholm came back to see me. He reminded me that he had visited me and he told me it was time to put the poem out.

In the hope that young lives would not be lost. In the hope that war would not be glorified, and that young men and women would not be seduced by the calls to a war, that was a war for oil, not justice for others.

I just wrote this in here to let you know that in the area I work in, for love of others and definitely not for money, I have noticed that some people are confusing skeptcism with cynicism; and that needs to be looked at...

[SoCalGNX]

Whenever I have seen him on TV, I always think that he is going to jump up and stamp his feet like a small spoiled child.

[gilbavel]

Originally Posted by derekcbart

Hi there.

As someone who has been directly involved with Randi and the JREF Million Dollar Challenge personally allow me a moment to explain a couple of things about it.

Next, Randi is NEVER present when the test is actually performed. This is to eliminate the claims of bias that others may have.
-Derek

Well, I'm pretty sure these two videos show that he has been present during the challenge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9YXKypQ-fg

This one is a lot of fun to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlfMsZwr8rc

Enjoy.

[Aaron LeClair]

Randi was recently on Darkness on the Edge of town radio show. Made his second appearance for those interested.