Conspiracy Theorists: Cousins of the Religous?

[Undesired Walrus]

I have a strong feeling that Conspiracy Theorists are following the same frame of mind as theorists, and Alex Jones is the Abu Hamza of religous fanatics.

It seems to be a good filling for a culture devoid of religion, devoid of the potential of Godly belief.

You will often find it is very easy for a person to believe in a conspiracy theory, as it adds a level of comfort, explanation and design, rather than a cold, uncaring world with nihilistic plans and sad truths. Then they can go even further, and will themselves to believe it, regardless of the amount of evidence they know flies in their face.

[leftysergeant]

One of the characteristics of a religious belief is the adoption of a certain vocabulary which has no clear meaning outside the context of that religion.

The soul, sin, paradise and assorted others.

The best example of twoofers acting like a religious cult would be those who subscribe to Judy's discombobulator ray. Damned if they know how it works, but it does.

[Totovader]

I have a strong feeling that Conspiracy Theorists are following the same frame of mind as theorists, and Alex Jones is the Abu Hamza of religous fanatics.

It seems to be a good filling for a culture devoid of religion, devoid of the potential of Godly belief.

You will often find it is very easy for a person to believe in a conspiracy theory, as it adds a level of comfort, explanation and design, rather than a cold, uncaring world with nihilistic plans and sad truths. Then they can go even further, and will themselves to believe it, regardless of the amount of evidence they know flies in their face.

It seems that way because it very much is. All of the woo-woo claims and pseudo-science junk that skeptics investigate have the same basis for their belief structure: faith. In order to believe in these things, one must reject science as a method of understanding the universe.

[Architect]

Read Carl Sagan's "Demon Haunted World". Please, I implore you!

[T.A.M.]

great book. I have read it three times...absolutely great read.

TAM:)

[Architect]

It was you that told me to read it, ya great puddin'.

[procrastinate maybe]

I have wondered this too. Many woos seem to get extremely offended when you challenge their CT views, the manner of which resembles when a 'true-believer' theist is asked for proof of their invisible cloud man.

[kimota]

Listen not to the spouting of "authorities" and the self-proclaimed "educated", for they the corrupted agents of evil. Dismiss them with chants of "disinfo" and "shill", for these words of power cause them great pain. Keep close thine tools of Truth: the Blessed Bullhorn to drown out the dissenters and the black t-shirt to proudly display your commitment. Now go, go and spread your word through You Tube.

How about twoofers warning of The Great Revolution when all will fight for what they believe in and The Day of Reckoning when the Truth will be revealed to all, the perpetrators and their followers will be punished for their crimes and the followers of The Truth will be placed in positions of power.

[GreNME]

Listen not to the spouting of "authorities" and the self-proclaimed "educated", for they the corrupted agents of evil. Dismiss them with chants of "disinfo" and "shill", for these words of power cause them great pain. Keep close thine tools of Truth: the Blessed Bullhorn to drown out the dissenters and the black t-shirt to proudly display your commitment. Now go, go and spread your word through You Tube.

How about twoofers warning of The Great Revolution when all will fight for what they believe in and The Day of Reckoning when the Truth will be revealed to all, the perpetrators and their followers will be punished for their crimes and the followers of The Truth will be placed in positions of power.

I remember learning that as a kid about the Second Coming.

[Pardalis]

The Truth movement definitely has cult-like tendencies. The way they repeat their 9/11 factoïds (pull it, freefall) like a mantra, the way they avoid reasoning and accepting the facts.

[1337m4n]

Well...I suppose...they haven't committed any acts of terrorism...yet.

[Dave Rogers]

One of the characteristics of a religious belief is the adoption of a certain vocabulary which has no clear meaning outside the context of that religion.

That's a classic characteristic of the truthers. For example, "The dust clouds produced on 9-11 exhibited pyroclastic flow, which is a characteristic of controlled demolitions using explosives", a completely meaningless statement outside the truth movement [1]. A good point, lefty.

Dave

[1] And I suspect nobody knows what it's supposed to mean inside the tm either.

[Anti-sophist]

Read Carl Sagan's "Demon Haunted World". Please, I implore you!

I saw it in a bookstore at an airport and had to buy it instantly. Right after I read it, I first saw people on this forum talking about. I think it was a paranormal connection amongst all the debunkers that drew me to it.

Anyway, I was amazed by that book. It was written before 9/11 and I almost wish it had been written after, because it's utterly -amazing- how similar all these things are. Reading the chapters about UFOs and what-not and it's trivial easy to see that he is talking about Killtown or Ace or Judy Wood.

That book convinced me that all of the psuedosciences, cts, and math/physics crankiness are all the same basic broken thought patterns.

[T.A.M.]

9/11 and religion...

How about this article.

http://www.kutv.com/content/news/watercooler/story.aspx?content_id=bb38e461-e345-4b03-bafd-ab9fc3d7a6df

Now what do you make of this???

TAM:)

[leftysergeant]

Sounds like he is trying to game the system.

[Alferd_Packer]

Read Carl Sagan's "Demon Haunted World". Please, I implore you!

Your landlord called again, the neighbors are complaining about that dragon in your garage.