wrong knowledge

[miriam_e]

I have a lovely friend who phoned me up last night to tell me excitedly about a way to deal with my infection. She told me about medieval medical explanations of illness that have been disproven hundreds of years ago. Further she believed that bacteria, protozoa, viruses, fungi and prions could be banished from the body using what amounts to wishful thinking. I wonder why an intelligent person like her would believe such stuff.

One of the nicest people I have ever met enthusiastically believes all manner of nonsense about aliens and crop circles. When given the choice that the two guys who owned up to making the early crop circles for a bit of a drunken lark are telling the simple truth, or that aliens are among us and choosing to "communicate" with us by drawing stupid circles in fields, he unhesitatingly chooses the latter. Why?

Many people still believe in astrology. All claim to any validity has been demolished so many times it gets tiresome. Even Gauguelin, a professor of astrology, utterly disproved the field while attempting to give it scientific credibilty with a huge, careful study. But millions still opt to believe in the unbelievable. How can this be so?

I have many friends who believe in one or another religion. There is not one whit of evidence to support any religion. In fact, all of the thousands of religions clearly contradict the real world. What causes people to believe in something that runs absolutely counter to reality?

I have a number of otherwise intelligent friends who denounce all medical drugs (despite the fact that some actually are reliably useful substances) yet these same people will happily swallow "herbal" preparations based on nothing more than hearsay and containing ingredients they know nothing about. How can people be so skeptical of things that are known, yet be so uncritical of things unknown?

Why do people choose weird fantasy over the real world? Where is the sense in that?

What drives people to believe in myth, superstition, and flights of fancy instead of information right before their eyes?

Comments

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

I agree on the social groups. Also on not indoctrinating children. We certainly don't--and if anyone included in "we" every did, he/she would be out of the "we" because that goes against everything we want. Free and responsible search for truth and meaning (most of the UUs I know find that entirely in science), general freedom, equality, etc. I'm thankful that we get to chose our religion as well as spiritual/religious beliefs, are not Drawn In and Chained in childhood, and are free to leave or join at any time. (And no, no walking on water, reanimation after death, person creating the universe, or--usually--soul for me.)

Though I don't agree with a lot of what people believe to be true in their realities--that chiropractors and therapists are useless, for example--I respect their right to have those opinions. But it, uh, doesn't stop me from rolling my eyes or raising an eyebrow from time to time.

I think the only time I get ANGRY is when it directly conflicts with what should be done or if I get it shoved in my face, i.e. I get ripped apart for going to therapy for anxiety, or someone won't take me to the chiro, or something like that.

I'm fascinated by all the stories of the things you mentioned. I don't think I could ever say I believe in them.

I'm unsure myself, though. On one level I know them all to be completely untrue and not supported by this reality. On another I acknowledge them to be...fun? At least fun-sounding. It's sort of my scientific mind vs. imagination thing. Sometimes I play around with them. Why? I don't know. Other times it's mind vs. 'heart.'

I've been thinking about it since I read your comment at work. My mind goes in circles. Basically, I've fallen (for the moment) on the thought that although I know them not to be true, sometimes my mind enjoys toying with them for fun and amusement. The way I might decide to scare myself and watch a horror movie even knowing that it's fictional.

However, I know this is not the case for most people. I also know that sometimes I "believe" heavier than others, which is also odd.

And sometimes I wonder if for the general public it's a mind over matter thing, subconsciously. The, "I believe it will work so it will work" like with sugar pills. But I haven't studied that sort of stuff at all, so I wonder.

Mainly I'm just fascinated by everything, true or no. Alas. At least I am never bored.

Thank you for stirring up such thought in me, though!

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

My respect for you grows at every turn. It is a rare individual that can put themself under the magnifying glass of their own critical appraisal.

Your "religion" sounds pleasantly unreligious. It sounds like it has excised most of the insanity from christianity and is mostly left with modern humanism. It is a good thing that many people are choosing to leave the primitive darkness of old religion, but it bothers me that they tend to leave the door open so that it takes but a step back. I can understand that embracing simple humanism without fables is probably a slow process and I guess I have to be content with that.

On the topic of indoctrination, does your church have Sunday Scool? Are kids taught bible stories? That is indoctrination. It sounds very forced, but the worst indoctrination is made into fun -- ask China's children of Mao's revolution. I went to Sunday School when I was a kid. My parents let us choose to go or not to go (they are not religious, though they revere nature). When I went to Sunday School the people were sweet and pleasant and taught us bible stories. I was very aware of the mind-numbing effect of using impossible stories. It makes questions impossible. I'm not saying that is the intent of the people doing it -- they're good-willed people who are only trying to help. But it is the mechanics of religion to make questions difficult or uncomfortable.

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

My comment just disappeared. Sigh.

Thank you for the increased respect. I'm not sure it's deserved, but thank you.

My religion is pleasantly unreligious. We had bases in Christianity--we started off as Unitarians and Universalists, the prior believing in One God and not three parts (deep thinkers) and the latter believing in universal salvation and not damnation for heathens (deep feelers). They joined together in the 1960s for political reasons--they were always side by side screaming for equal rights and other liberal things. Liberal politics always brought them together. We have really moved away from Christianity to the point that most of the UUs I know don't consider themselves Christian at all--although I know Buudhist UUs, atheist UUs, agnostic UUs, Pagan UUs, Jewish UUs, etc. I don't know if we're still listed under Christianity but I think if we are people are fighting it.

The thing is each congregation is different. There are some more Christian places, some that barely seem UU at all (they're usually on the Unitarian side) and there are those more like mine (more on the Universalist side) that's mainly just about community and exploration and thought and discussion and love. We are a lot closer to humanist.

We have weekly "Religious Education." The children are sometimes taught bible stories, but with the background that they are fictional stories. We are told that a lot of our peers are learning them. We learn them often more like one might at school--"What are the lessons this character learned? Do you agree with them? What would you have done? Do you agree with this character?" But we also learn about other religions. One of my favorite programs was Neighboring Faiths, in which we went and experienced different religions in the area to try to gain understanding of others and the world we are currently living in--we went to an Indian temple, we have Native American speakers come in, we learned about earth-based religions, the more Christian-sided religions, had a Zen speaker come in, learned about some Eastern religions, etc. I also enjoyed the Coming of Age program, which we studied UU history and what UUism is. We explored it more academically. Then we had to write Credos talking about our beliefs in any way we wished. Many people admitted to not believing in God, to preferences of science, to not feeling spiritual at all, to having Firm Belief in Baseball and little else, etc. Actually, as a whole, I think my congregation was most uncomfortable with the girl who told us she believed in Jesus as a savior who died for our sins--but we accepted her too, although I don't remember anyone agreeing. Most of us tend to think he was a cool guy who once walked the earth and had some good lessons, but we're skeptic about a lot of it and don't believe in the divine parts.

I really don't mind the load of it. I think that, although I really wish we didn't have religion around (and that my UU religion could just become another type of community, and not have had to come about from the intolerance and guilt of other religions), I appreciate the knowledge I have been given about different religions out there. I think it's imperative to at least know about different religions to get a more solid idea of the world and people. Even if I don't like religion, it is a very prominent (sadly) force with humans.

I'm also fascinated with the lot of it. Usually read it as fictional stuff, or just interesting ways to view myself and think about the world for a few minutes. Really interesting literature.

Although I admit I have not looked much into the Bible at all. That's less interesting to me than the others. Although I wish to read it just to have a deeper understanding of what all these loonies are talking about, almost like the way I read Twilight to snark it and just know what the crazy fandom was talking about.

I've also heard it has SOME beautiful stories when taken in a fictional light (the only light I can use). I've heard others will disgust me. I won't know until I read it, I suppose.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

You are very lucky. Sounds like you have grown in a wonderful, nurturing environment.

I thought I was lucky growing up way out in the bush and being able to spend so much time immersed in books and wandering by myself, out where there were no traces of civilisation. I often wondered what it would have been like to to have grown inside a supportive web of community.

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

I am. I am so thankful to have had my congregation growing up. They're my family. A few of them have adopted me as Honorary Family, smiles. They were so helpful as I went through my hip stuff and hip replacement. I got visits, food, gift, candles of love. (Even if I don't usually believe in sending healing waves and white light and that, I think being told about it is positive--to know that others are thinking of me and wishing me well.)

When I wasn't with that community or in schooling I was spending time in books and wandering around. Quite an imagination I had.