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Very Superstitious...
Author: BobR    Date: 08/01/2008 12:13:25

Very superstitious, writings on the wall,
Very superstitious, ladders bout to fall,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin glass
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past.

When you believe in things that you dont understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition aint the way
- "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder


Today is going to be a special day in certain parts of the world. The people in Greenland, Siberia, China, and a few other places will be able to witness a total eclipse of the sun. The path can be seen here. This rare event used to cause all sorts of superstitious reactions:

Before there was a scientific explanation for eclipses, myth and mystery was pervasive. Many cultures thought a demon or dragon was devouring the sun.

In ancient China, "any unusual phenomenon involving celestial bodies was noted for potential omens, either good or bad, that might befall the current Emperor," according to Sten Odenwald of the department of physics at Catholic University. An eclipse occurred in 2134 B.C., but was not predicted by Hsi and Ho, who were believed to have been two astrologers who served the Emperor Chung K'ang.

"By some accounts, the two astrologers were negligent in their duties and did not foretell the event for the Emperor," Odenwald writes in a historical article published by NASA. "They were summarily beheaded for their negligence of duty."

The ancient Chinese banged pots and drums to shoo the frightful sun-eating character away, according to the Exploratorium Science Center in San Francisco. In India, people would immerse themselves in water to help the sun fight the dragon.

Even nowadays many myths persist. In Egypt, as one example, children are often kept indoors with windows covered or shades drawn during an eclipse.

Through the centuries, the lack of scientific knowledge has been at the root of superstition. The dictionary defines it as:
  1. a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.

  2. a system or collection of such beliefs.

  3. a custom or act based on such a belief.

  4. irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious, esp. in connection with religion.

  5. any blindly accepted belief or notion.

Most ancient religions and customs were based on trying to explain the strange phenomena around them. Many (like Creationism) still persist to this day. What's amazing, however, is when new superstitions are created, or when logical reasoning and evidence is thrown out the window in favor of a belief in something that just doesn't make sense. For instance, here are some of the things you have to believe to be a Republican:
  • Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

  • Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

  • A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all humankind without regulation.

  • Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

  • The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

  • If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

  • Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

  • Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

  • A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which a thousand die and thousands are maimed for life is solid defense policy.

  • The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's cocaine conviction is none of our business. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness, and you need our prayers for your recovery.

  • You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

  • What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '70s & '80s is irrelevant.

Of course - some of those are a little "dated"; a few other more up-to-date (or timeless) items would include:
  • Cutting taxes on the rich will help my financial situation.

  • Oil can only be found in environmentally sensitive areas.

  • Republican politicians will still tell the truth when they testify if they're not under oath.

  • If we give the Bush Administration more powers, they won't abuse them.

  • Starting a war in a wildly unstable oil-rich part of the world will make us safer and isn't to blame for higher gas prices.

  • Bizarre new weather patterns and melting polar ice are not because of global warming, and even if they are, it's not our fault, and there's nothing we can do about it.

There certainly are more examples. How many can you come up with?

 

218 comments (Latest Comment: 08/02/2008 07:25:56 by livingonli)
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