You must be born again...and again...and again...and again...and again...and...

The Thursday after Advent 2

"BOO!"

I saw a Reuters news item today that caught my eye [and by the way, I  have 2, not 3]. The header reads: "Many Americans haunted by ghosts, look to astrology". Reading this article I learned a number of interesting things. A poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveals that roughly 1/3 of Americans believe they have communicated with a dead person and almost 20% claim to have seen or " been in the presence of" a ghost. 25% of our fellow Americans said they believed in reincarnation and 26% believed there was "spiritual energy" in objects like vegetables or trees [now you know why your kids won't eat brussel sprouts].  Finally, 25% of us believe in astrology. The article points out that the total number of folks who believe in astrology is roughly equivalent to the percentage of Roman Catholics in this country, 30% of whom [RC's that is] also believe in astrology. What exactly is everyone trying to predict? If it's how gullible their neighbor is, who the hell needs an astrologist?

 

Contact lenses can be a real problem

for clairvoyants

I'll tell you what makes this whole thing so ridiculous. It's not 13% of evangelicals believing in astrology or 10% believing in reincarnation [at least the latter can appeal to Origen] it's like, what kind of idiot calls an astrologist when he sees a ghost? 

"Who ya gonna call?"

I grew up in a much less credulous era. Oh, we had occasional UFO sightings and talking horses on TV but no one worried what astrological sign their priest was [if you're interested, I'm a Leo] or whether their broccoli was going to give them some lip. I try to respect other people's beliefs. I have--to my knowledge--never insulted a Mormon or a Scientologist. I listen patiently to Jehovah's Witnesses and Sedevacantists. Southern Baptists too. When it comes to fools, I'm all ears. If Lucian Pulvermacher wants to call himself Pope Pius XIII and hole up in Wisconsin, more power to him [maybe I should have put that differently now that he's deceased], If Orville Redenbacher wants to sell popcorn from the grave, what's it to me?

Dead man popping

or

Dead man Pope-ing

His Holiness

Pope Pius XIII RIP

a.k.a.

Lucian Pulvermacher

Hey, I'm just as gullible as the next guy. I believe...

"in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God..." 

Oh well, you get the idea.

I am reminded of Ambrose Bierce's observation that "Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt." If that is the case, we are in some real trouble. Because the form of idiocy most peculiar to our race is to believe unquestioningly the things we should doubt and doubt unquestioningly the things we should  believe. I'm just happy the re-incarnationists won't be making a return trip. Once really is enough.


What was it Pascal said? "I believe because of the miracles." Me too.

And I'll stick with talking horses.

Wilbur, why the long face?