1. God can perform miracles, but not contradictions—not because his power is limited, but because contradictions are not genuine possibilities.
– Dayton, Eric. Critical Thinking, Logic, and Argument. Pearson, 2010. p. 11.
2. Despite the importance of the naval mast trade, sawn lumber and square timber were the major staples of the wood industry. Lumber, the product of sawmills, was prepared mostly as planks and boards. Square timber—known in the Maritimes as “ton timber”—were baulks or “sticks” of wood hewn square with axes and shipped to England, where they were often resawn. Strict specifications governed the market—the wood was allowed to have a “wane” (bevel) and slight taper, but these specifications varied according to the stick’s dimensions and changed with time. Waste was quite considerable: 25–30 per cent of each tree was discarded.
These two excerpts, seemingly disparate, offer interesting opportunities for analysis and comparison:
Excerpt 1 (Logic):
This sentence posits that God can’t perform miracles that contradict logic or the laws of reality. The reasoning is that such contradictions wouldn’t be actual possibilities. This statement raises several questions:
Excerpt 2 (Woodworking):
This passage describes the lumber and square timber trade in the past, highlighting:
This excerpt offers insights into a historical industry and raises questions about:
Comparison and Connections:
While seemingly unrelated, these excerpts can be compared in interesting ways:
Further Exploration:
These comparisons offer starting points for further exploration. One could delve deeper into:
Ultimately, analyzing seemingly disparate passages like these can spark critical thinking, open new perspectives, and encourage connections across seemingly unrelated fields.