[ColdWater]

The photons we see didn’t contact any matter; they were repelled by other photons.

Let me see if I have this straight. There are lots of photons running around in matter and they never get out. Along comes a photon headed for this mass but bounces away because it was repelled by some photon inside of the matter?

What keeps all those photons inside the matter?

[editor-surveyor]

You worship the strawman!