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Who From History Would You Invite To Dinner?

CaptainCourtesy

I'm a Jedi Master, Yo
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You have invented a time machine. Among the many, many things you could possibly do with it, you first choose to transport, to your current time, any 4 historical figures and have dinner with them. Each will have complete knowledge of their lives (of course), but also will have complete knowledge of history up to the point of the dinner. You also get to choose the debate/discussion topic and can describe how you think it might go.

Which four would you choose and what would the debate/discussion topic be? How might it go?

The four I would choose (and this may be a cliche) would be four of the greatest/most important religious figures in history: Jesus Christ, Moses, Muhammad, and Siddhārtha Gautama (Budda). I would have them discuss their religious beliefs and differences and their opinions on the state of their religions, today.

I think the conversation would be fairly lively, and during the religiious beliefs/contrasts discussion, I think all would find some middle ground to agree on, though Budda would probably find himself less in agreement than the other three. Moses would certainly be the most vocal, having been there at the inception of where both Jesus and Muhammud's beliefs are based. Budda would be the least talkative, here, speaking more philosophically than directly. Moses and Muhanmmed would find some common ground in their warfare to protect their peoples; Jesus and Budda would be closer in their 'peaceful' descriptions, though all would agree that historical situations certainly impacted how each preached and protected their followers. When discussing theism, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammud would fundementally agree on God's role in their belief systems. Budda again would be in disagreement and would encourage the other three to no only look into themselves, but to become aware that their beliefs also may have originated from the inside. Moses might challenge Budda that his 'Four Passing Sights' might have been visions sent by the Lord to assist him in his journey. Jesus and Muhammud would agree and pu their own spin on it. All would learn something both about themselves and their religions.

When the conversation turned to the state of their religions' today. Jesus and Muhammed would quickly become the most vocal. Jesus would discuss his displeasure in many of his words and teachings being used for hate against humankind. He would be appalled at how Christianity has become a huge profiteering enterprise, rather than something that gives faith. Moses would agree with the latter statement around Judaism and would anger when discussing how the old testament had been perverted to hurt people. Muhammad, too, would show much displeasure in how his teachings had been twisted and would be totally disgusted in how Islam is often practiced, today. Speaking to Moses, he would appologize for the wrongs of Islam against Jews, being that many Islamic teachings are based on Judaism. Budda might be displeased at the lack of progression of his teachings and how they are seen as non-mainstream by many.

I think it would be a facinating dinner, and I know I would enjoy watching these four discuss their beliefs with each other.

OK, your turn. What four would you chose, what would the discussion be about, and how might it go?
 
Only four guests? I agree with perhaps Jesus and the Buddha. However I doubt I would learn much from the other two. I'd invite:

  • Ayn Rand
  • Barry Goldwater
  • Thomas Jefferson
  • Ceasar Augustus

The first two for a modern perspective on philosphy and politics, TJ for a founding fathers point of view and review. And finally Ceasar just to figure out how a dictator managed so much peace in such an empire.
 
Mark Twain
Oscar Wilde
Dorothy Parker
Ambrose Bierce

I'm a sucker for social satire.

But if I had to choose only one person to sit and talk with, it's no contest - one of my favorite people who ever lived was Louis Armstrong.
 
Besides all of my ancestors

George Washington
Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh. CO, USS Arizona.
Lt. Col. William Ward Burrows
 
mixedmedia said:
Mark Twain
Oscar Wilde
Dorothy Parker
Ambrose Bierce

Invite me, please. This is one dinner party I wouldn't want to miss.
 
Oswald Spengler, Arnold Toynbee, Gottfried Leibniz and Edward Gibbon


for obvious reasons.
 
1. Mozart
2. Mary Magdaline
3. Aristotle
4. Cleopatra


Maybe have a couple drinks, listen to some philosophy, some music.
Then I think the discussion would be something like how they feel history was changed or unchanged by their presence. They are all important figures in their own right but would the world have been different without them.Also, I would like to get the woman's point of view on some of history's events.
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
Invite me, please. This is one dinner party I wouldn't want to miss.


Admit it. You just want to see the shocked look on Ms. Parker's face when Mr. Bierce makes a pass at M.M.
 
Aristotle or Socrates
Leonardo DaVinci
Thomas Jefferson
Confucious

I would think we would discuss all of the technological advancements. I am sure that would blow their mind. After dinner we would fire up a big fatty (it's a custom of my time and am sure that they would indulge me:lol: ). Then we would talk about the state of the world. We would talk about the irony of our technological advancements and how we have hardly evolved as a society. This would trouble them. Then we would participate in another custom of our time, eating tubes of cookie dough. :rofl
 
Gardener said:
Admit it. You just want to see the shocked look on Ms. Parker's face when Mr. Bierce makes a pass at M.M.

No, actually I want to see the shocked look on M.M.'s face when both Ms. Parker and Mr. Wilde make a pass at her. :mrgreen:
 
- Sigmund Freud
- Bruce Lee
- Jesus
- Bob Marley

Done.
Top that.
 
Haha....you guys are so silly....I just want to see the faces of all of them when I make a pass at Bill Hicks whom I invited on the sly 'cause I figured he's not quite as dead dead as all the others so he really didn't count as a figure from history <I say definitively in a booming, echoey voice>....

...gawd, save me, I'm dyin' hyah!
 
mixedmedia said:
Haha....you guys are so silly....I just want to see the faces of all of them when I make a pass at Bill Hicks whom I invited on the sly 'cause I figured he's not quite as dead dead as all the others so he really didn't count as a figure from history <I say definitively in a booming, echoey voice>....

...gawd, save me, I'm dyin' hyah!


as Dorothy furiously erases and starts anew, "The Hicks gets the passes from girls who wear glasses"........
 
Jesus, Charles Darwin, Thomas Jefferson
 
Frederic Chopin
Mary Magdeline
Helen of Troy
Cleopatra

Chopin would provide the music while we... eh.. discussed philosophy.. in the hot tub over drinks. I'd make Chopin wear a blindfold of course, I'm no exhibitionist.
 
Monkey Mind said:
Frederic Chopin
Mary Magdeline
Helen of Troy
Cleopatra

Chopin would provide the music while we... eh.. discussed philosophy.. in the hot tub over drinks. I'd make Chopin wear a blindfold of course, I'm no exhibitionist.

You better bring some pro-active solution for pizza-faced Cleopatra. You also should bring some razors, massengill, and some altoids.:2razz:
 
Iriemon said:
Jesus, Charles Darwin, Thomas Jefferson

What about number 4?
 
Jesus Christ, Ben Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, Adam Smith.
 
Monkey Mind said:
Frederic Chopin
Mary Magdeline
Helen of Troy
Cleopatra

Chopin would provide the music while we... eh.. discussed philosophy.. in the hot tub over drinks. I'd make Chopin wear a blindfold of course, I'm no exhibitionist.

LOL - is it too late to change my vote?
 
independent_thinker2002 said:
What about number 4?

Couldn't decide. :)
 
Jesus(I'd serve him water and a bread cube and ask him to work on'em)
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (to ask what the hell was he thinking??)
Ghandi (To ask if he had any regrets)
Karl Marx

I like the Ayn Rand choice too.
 
Adam Smith? :lol:

1. John McEnroe
2. Tom Curren
3. George Carlin
4. Malcolm X
 
Aleister Crowley
Elizabeth Bathory
Niccolo Machiavelli
Lord George Gordon (Byron)

Can you say twisted conversation?
 
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