Conversation between a Skeptic and a Believer
(Steven wrote this, but I really liked it, and so I am posting it with his permission.)
BELIEVER: You know, somewhere out there, there exists a radio station. And that radio station is broadcasting music that it is possible for us to hear even where we are right now.
SKEPTIC: What are you talking about? I can’t hear any music.
BELIEVER: Well, the radio station doesn’t broadcast sound that you can hear. It sends out the signal using radio waves.
SKEPTIC: Radio waves? What are those? I’ve never seen any radio waves.
BELIEVER: Oh, you can’t see radio waves. Nor can you feel them or hear them. But they are real and that is how the radio station sends out its music.
SKEPTIC: I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in things that I can’t see, hear, or feel. How do you know that this radio station really exists?
BELIEVER: I know it exists because it is possible to hear the music that is broadcast by the radio station. But you need to have a radio receiver to do so. I have a radio set so I have heard the music and I know that it is real.
SKEPTIC: Look, here is a radio receiver set right here and it is not playing any music. That goes to show you that there is no such thing as a radio station.
BELIEVER: In order for the radio set to play the music from the radio station it needs to be turned on.
SKEPTIC: I’ve tried turning it on but I all I hear is static.
BELIEVER: The radio set also needs to have an antenna in order to pick up the radio wave signal from the radio station.
SKEPTIC: Even with an antenna all I get is static. Are you sure there is a radio station out there?
BELIEVER: Yes, there is a radio station out there.
SKEPTIC: Do you know where this radio station is, or what it looks like?
BELIEVER: Well, no actually. I have no idea where it is or what it looks like.
SKEPTIC: I’m sorry, but like I said, I don’t believe in things that I can’t see or feel or hear. If you don’t know where it is or even what it looks like, then I don’t understand how you can believe in such a thing.
BELIEVER: You don’t have to know where it is in order to hear the music that it is broadcasting. As long as you have a radio receiver set with a good antenna and have it tuned to the right frequency then you can hear the music that is being broadcast from the radio station.
SKEPTIC: Now it needs to be tuned to the right frequency! You seem to keep coming up with a lot of conditions to make this work.
BELIEVER: Well, unless all these conditions are met you won’t hear any music and all you will get is static. But I’m telling you exactly what you need to do in order to hear it. Follow these steps and I know it will work for you just as it works for me.
SKEPTIC: Even if the radio somehow started playing music how would you know that it came from some radio station and was not just coming from inside the radio itself?
BELIEVER: Well, I guess you just have to listen to the music and decide for yourself. But as for myself, I believe that it comes from the radio station.
SKEPTIC: You seem to be very trusting to believe in something that you don’t know that much about.
BELIEVER: All I know is that when I have my radio on with the antenna extended and I have it tuned to the right frequency that I hear music and I believe that the music is sent from a radio station that is out there somewhere.
SKEPTIC: You know, I once tried turning the tuning dial all around and for a moment thought I heard some music but then I didn’t hear it again so I came to the conclusion that it was just a fluke and therefore there is no such thing as a radio station and whatever I must have heard just came from inside the radio or perhaps I just imagined it.
BELIEVER: Yes, it is difficult sometimes to get the radio tuned to just the right frequency to hear the music. Sometimes some fine-tuning is required. It takes some patience but the effort is worth it because then you can hear the music from the radio station. And the more you work at it the more you can learn how to stay on just the right frequency.
SKEPTIC: I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe that there is a radio station out there. I don’t believe that you know there is a radio station out there. I don’t believe in things that I am not sure of and unless I know exactly where this radio station is or what it looks like or how the radio waves work I won’t believe. Honestly, if there really were a radio station out there I think that it would try a little harder to make people know that it is there and not just send out invisible radio waves on only one frequency that most people can’t hear.
BELIEVER: I’m sorry you feel that way. But I know that the radio station is real and that it is broadcasting music. You are free to believe whatever you want. But as for me, I’m going to go home and listen to some music on the radio.
BELIEVER: You know, somewhere out there, there exists a radio station. And that radio station is broadcasting music that it is possible for us to hear even where we are right now.
SKEPTIC: What are you talking about? I can’t hear any music.
BELIEVER: Well, the radio station doesn’t broadcast sound that you can hear. It sends out the signal using radio waves.
SKEPTIC: Radio waves? What are those? I’ve never seen any radio waves.
BELIEVER: Oh, you can’t see radio waves. Nor can you feel them or hear them. But they are real and that is how the radio station sends out its music.
SKEPTIC: I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in things that I can’t see, hear, or feel. How do you know that this radio station really exists?
BELIEVER: I know it exists because it is possible to hear the music that is broadcast by the radio station. But you need to have a radio receiver to do so. I have a radio set so I have heard the music and I know that it is real.
SKEPTIC: Look, here is a radio receiver set right here and it is not playing any music. That goes to show you that there is no such thing as a radio station.
BELIEVER: In order for the radio set to play the music from the radio station it needs to be turned on.
SKEPTIC: I’ve tried turning it on but I all I hear is static.
BELIEVER: The radio set also needs to have an antenna in order to pick up the radio wave signal from the radio station.
SKEPTIC: Even with an antenna all I get is static. Are you sure there is a radio station out there?
BELIEVER: Yes, there is a radio station out there.
SKEPTIC: Do you know where this radio station is, or what it looks like?
BELIEVER: Well, no actually. I have no idea where it is or what it looks like.
SKEPTIC: I’m sorry, but like I said, I don’t believe in things that I can’t see or feel or hear. If you don’t know where it is or even what it looks like, then I don’t understand how you can believe in such a thing.
BELIEVER: You don’t have to know where it is in order to hear the music that it is broadcasting. As long as you have a radio receiver set with a good antenna and have it tuned to the right frequency then you can hear the music that is being broadcast from the radio station.
SKEPTIC: Now it needs to be tuned to the right frequency! You seem to keep coming up with a lot of conditions to make this work.
BELIEVER: Well, unless all these conditions are met you won’t hear any music and all you will get is static. But I’m telling you exactly what you need to do in order to hear it. Follow these steps and I know it will work for you just as it works for me.
SKEPTIC: Even if the radio somehow started playing music how would you know that it came from some radio station and was not just coming from inside the radio itself?
BELIEVER: Well, I guess you just have to listen to the music and decide for yourself. But as for myself, I believe that it comes from the radio station.
SKEPTIC: You seem to be very trusting to believe in something that you don’t know that much about.
BELIEVER: All I know is that when I have my radio on with the antenna extended and I have it tuned to the right frequency that I hear music and I believe that the music is sent from a radio station that is out there somewhere.
SKEPTIC: You know, I once tried turning the tuning dial all around and for a moment thought I heard some music but then I didn’t hear it again so I came to the conclusion that it was just a fluke and therefore there is no such thing as a radio station and whatever I must have heard just came from inside the radio or perhaps I just imagined it.
BELIEVER: Yes, it is difficult sometimes to get the radio tuned to just the right frequency to hear the music. Sometimes some fine-tuning is required. It takes some patience but the effort is worth it because then you can hear the music from the radio station. And the more you work at it the more you can learn how to stay on just the right frequency.
SKEPTIC: I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe that there is a radio station out there. I don’t believe that you know there is a radio station out there. I don’t believe in things that I am not sure of and unless I know exactly where this radio station is or what it looks like or how the radio waves work I won’t believe. Honestly, if there really were a radio station out there I think that it would try a little harder to make people know that it is there and not just send out invisible radio waves on only one frequency that most people can’t hear.
BELIEVER: I’m sorry you feel that way. But I know that the radio station is real and that it is broadcasting music. You are free to believe whatever you want. But as for me, I’m going to go home and listen to some music on the radio.
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