Re: About the Mormons

faithintheworld had said..
> .. Elijah didn't think much of Baal,
> but he didn't deny his existence, if I recall correctly!

Tom Higgins had said..
> 1 Kings 18:27-29
> "And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god;
> either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or
> perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." And they cried aloud, and
> cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the
> blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until
> the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice; no one
> answered, no one heeded."
>
> Elijah drips sarcasm as to Baal's existence.

faithintheworld said..
> Sarcasm, certainly, and he does it brilliantly. But it is as much about
> his power as his existence.

As *much* about power as existence? A non-existent Baal has no power at
all.

The priests of Baal are calling for his aid, and are getting no answer
*at all*. When Elijah asks them to shout louder, he is not in the
slightest expecting *any* amount of power to be shown by Baal. Nor does
Elijah think that there is *any* chance that Baal is genuinely
momentarily busy. He clearly thinks that *zero* power is going to be
shown by Baal. (Who shouts in the ear of a stuffed lion if he thinks it
possible that it is a real angry lion?)

That's *how* we show that something is non-existent -- by showing that
no action is attributable to it.

(Rashi's comments, quoted elsewhere, take no position at all on either
the power or existence of Baal -- instead, as is common with Rashi, the
comments are there to let readers understand the Hebrew words better.)
.

Relevant Pages

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