Cherished beliefs

[catsittingstill]

There is a belief in Africa (possibly in other parts of the world too) that children can cause harm to their parents and neighbors using supernatural powers.  People who suspect a child of causing harm with supernatural powers punish the child.  Machetes sometimes feature.  So does acid, drowning, beatings, starvation and burnings.

Some people offer exorcism services to drive the evil spirits out of the children.  Which, it turns out, in addition to being very expensive, also feature machetes, acid, beatings and starvation.

The Independent has an article.
So does the New York Times.
So does CNN
And MSNBC

Of course, suggesting that the supernatural doesn't exist, or that the idea that anyone, much less a child, could cause harm by supernatural means is bollocks, would be mockery.  And some believers resent that rudeness and attack skeptics physically.

Part of the problem here is that well-respected individuals often share these evidence-free beliefs.  Even senior police officers may genuinely believe in witchcraft, leaving the children, and the skeptics who would like to protect them, with nowhere to turn.

So when you're mad at skeptics, because the evidence for a cherished belief some people hold isn't strong enough to convince them yet, remember that a little skepticism can prevent a lot of harm, and that having someone say something that makes you think they think you are dumb when you're not is pretty small potatoes in the larger scheme of things.

Comments

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

Hold on, I thought this kind of thing was an occasional isolated thing. I have a friend who was abused by her mother because of this type of thing. At the time I thought something was odd, but how do you say to your friend, does your Mum hit you? Then we moved to Canada and we lost track. We recently reconnected through face book and I heard the whole story.

This was 30 years ago, and her Mom was a very uptight narrow minded sort. In 30 years oh, The far right. . . a mind set that I just don't understand. At all. They don't seem to be willing to think that others have the right to believe or think differently than they do. What you are talking about is very scary. Very very scary indeed.

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

You're making one of your points again, aren't you.

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

cflute proposed an alternative to my suggestion below that if you want to post stuff in your journal that's going to make smallship1 feel hurt and attacked, and you don't want to make him feel hurt and attacked, you make a filter he's not on for such things. I think weirdsister does something of the kind for her friends whom she knows disagree strongly with her about politics, and whom she doesn't want ti get into fights with for both their sake and her own. But cflute mentioned that, if you don't want to go that far, a cut-tag will also work, so that smallship1 and whoever else knows that your arguments on the subject of the wrongs of theism, whether true or false, make them unhappy, can have a warning that it's coming and decide whether they feel like reading it that time.

I don't say you're wrong on the facts. You know me well enough by now to know that I very rarely disagree with you by a very wide margin on politics; in fact, one of the reasons I like reading your journal is that you say what I want to, only often you say it better.

I just don't want to see friends hurting each other. I don't see a point to carrying this kind of argument past the point where both sides know they aren't going to persuade each other to change their mind, and it isn't fun anymore for at least one of the people involved. I'd like to see it matter, not just who's right, but that people who like each other well enough to call each other friends and read about each other's lives assiduously try to avoid causing each other needless pain.

I agree with you that skepticism can prevent a lot of harm, and that certain "spiritual" beliefs have caused a lot of harm. I just find myself remembering two quotes, ironically both from theists of varying sorts.

My friend Liz, in high school, was a fairly serious Christian. I asked her once, whether it was true that her religion obliged her to ry and convert people, and if so, why she never tried it on us. She said, "Well, yes, in theory we are. But I figured out pretty quickly that if I went around trying to convert my friends into being Christians, I wouldn't have one single more Christian, and I would have a whole lot fewer friends. Since I know I can't convince you, it seems pointless to try, and not very polite either."

And, from the Book of Proverbs, quoted by one of my favorite fictional defenders of atheism ever: "He who troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind."

Don't trouble your own house, Cat. smallship1 is one of the good guys.

[judifilksign.livejournal.com]

One of my new students is from Africa. She was being rude, and loud, and disruptive, making it hard for me to continue my lesson.

I told her that "This redhead does not permit such behaviors. If I can keep my temper, then so can you. Or you can take a time out from the classroom until you can get it together. If you continue these outbursts, I will have to do something about it, and there will be consequences." She sat down, eyes suddenly wide and frightened looking.

The next few days, she was *perfectly* behaved for me, while still being horrid to everyone else. Her staff asked why she could behave in English class, but not for anyone else.

Her reply? I have red hair, so I am a witch. I let her know that I would curse her if she crossed me, (I will have to do something about it, and there will be consequences...)so she wasn't going to cross me. And she was totally serious.

I have since made a point of smiling and being friendly, which seems to be a relief to her, but, really! How do I combat this?

[tourist-city.livejournal.com]

The detective was Adrian Monk. The show was "Monk", an American show. It was a throw away scene, and I remember it because I identified with both Monk and the UFO people at the same time, and felt squeemish in how I was portrayed on each side.