by Carl Atteniese II
This is part three in my series called “Believe What What You Want”, questioning whether this concept is hurting us.
In my last installment in this series, I mentioned that, because seemingly innocuous concepts are accepted as believable—or accepted as non-problematic, as notions acceptable to think—true and their lack of logic and evidence is ignored and given a social pass, we are having trouble with more consequential issues of a similar type. First, let’s look at the seemingly ”innocuous issues”:
We generally accept–in polite company and even among family and friends–that some people have very different opinions on the truth or falseness of what are actually objective facts and non-facts. For example:
I. The Moon (& Space Program) Hoax
It is an objective and historical fact—verifiable with millions, if not billions of pieces of documented evidence—that human beings have been to the moon—nine times, landing there 6 times, with twelve men having been on the lunar surface and 27 men having visited lunar orbit.
The American space program—and most famously, what has come to be known as the heroic space age, beginning with “manned”, or crewed missions in Project Mercury, in the early 1960s, and arguably culminating in 1972, with Apollo 17 being the last mission in which Americans visited the lunar surface—is perhaps the most stunningly and thoroughly documented set of historical events in human history—having involved hundreds of thousands of Americans—up to this day—and the hundreds of people from different countries, there’s more evidence of this participation, there is more evidence of this participation, around the world–and it exists as history in the modern era—meaning many of us were alive during all the missions there—including this writer—who followed it and read about it voraciously!
I should also add that I have friends in the space program—and friends of friends of friends—and I am friends with the family of some of the heroic astronauts of that period. So—it’s personal.
Multiple countries have photographed the descent stage of the lunar modules and astronaut- & rover- tracks on the surface of the moon—and we still receive reflected-laser-beam measurements, bounced off devises left, there, on the moon for that purpose. Space programs thrive today in other countries—in Canada, Europe, India, China, Japan—and now in South and North Korea.
Yet, astronauts have been accosted by bible-toting hoaxers, goading them to swear they waked on the moon. One such person harassed and upset Buzz Aldrin so, that the Korean-war-fighter-pilot, MIT-PhD-astrodynamicist, Gemini 12-space walker and 2nd man on the moon punched the pest in the face.
John Young, the astronaut veteran of the Gemini, Apollo, and Shuttle programs—who flew and tested the space shuttle on its maiden flight and walked on the moon—the man who carried the distinction of having flown four types of spacecraft—told the same man to ‘stick it in his ear.’ The disbelief on Young’s face was enough to know he was sure he was speaking to a man whom he thought was on the other side of sanity.
Alan Bean, the first artist on the moon—who returned to Earth and launched his career as a painter of wonderfully original impressions of scenes from the missions—a famously kind and open astronaut actually hosted the same hoaxer in his studio and attempted to humor him by placing his own hand on the Bible and swearing for the hoaxer.
This writer has witnessed, in many live-video coverage sessions of space-station-spacewalks in online chats—multiple people positing their assertions that the astronauts in such situations are ‘in swimming pools’ or ‘in front of a blue screen, aided by CGI.
And I might add that—while I’m reading this—in a post on Twitter, I saw a flash on my screen from my NASA-friend Dr. Phil Metzger, now a professor of planetary science, who specializes in rocket engine ejecta. We know these people, is what I’m saying.)
II. The ‘Flat Earth’
It is an historically, mathematically, scientifically and photographically proven physical and geometrically-verifiable fact that the Earth is an oblate sphere—more typically expressed as “the Earth is round”—and it has been known to be such for thousands of years–provable every day by standard observations and especially with the advent of the aerospace industry—since nineteen-fifty nine.
II. We have millions of photographs—and video—which lends itself to point number I (we’re now on point number II about “flat earthers”), as well. We have photographs of the Earth from space—and more coming every day.
There is GPS- and other types of satellite—which are limited by reach for the curve of the globe under them occluding what is beyond that curve.
We can see diminishing visual evidence of ships traveling over the horizon.
We witness the Earth’s circular disk in shadow, eclipsing the moon and sun.
We have the seasons—dependent on the curvature of the planet catching light and heat from the sun—in varying degrees different from one location to another, north to south and vice versa, hemispheric-ally, depending on our position in orbit—with summer in one hemisphere and winter in the opposite.
We observe different constellations and pole stars north and south of the equator. Who would deny it is day in the Eastern hemisphere when it is night in the West? How would any of this be possible on a flat Earth?
Furthermore, the Earth’s core rotates, giving us our magnetic field. Do flat-earthers think it is a disk, or a sphere embedded within the disk of a flat-earth?
And—of course, these people could duplicate Eratosthenes’ practicum, measuring shadows in different cities to calculate the circumference of the Earth—the angle of which prove[s] that a staff used in two locations—more than 100 miles apart to measure [their] shadows, will indicate a different sun angle—which is caused by the hiding of some of [one] staff [with the northern-most one producing a shorter shadow in northern-hemispheric winter and the southern-most one doing the same in southern-hemispheric summer] in the curve of the Earth; this wouldn’t happen on a flat Earth. And Eratosthenes calculated, accurately, the circumference of the Earth over 2,200 years ago….
III. ‘Miracles’
It is an observable and documented scientific fact that no one we know can prove with evidence that any one of us–minus the aid of falsehood via technology–can be visited by “angels”, become pregnant without sexual intercourse, be guided by a moving star directed in its motion for one or a group, be “born of a virgin”, fly or hover without flying machinery, walk on a body of liquid water, trans-substantiate [inhabit multiple locations simultaneously], heal the sick without medicine or with hands alone, turn water into beverages—without factories—nor loaves into fishes, survive crucifixion when it has actually been performed correctly and the victim is actually dead, nor emerge from a crypt or tomb after actually having actually died.
And yet–we accept social, familial and professional relationships with people who deny these common sense- and scientific- facts–to the extent that we will befriend, consort with, wed, hire, work with and celebrate life with them–entrusting them with our reputations and safety—with no question as to their sanity; we do so, because we consider them—in most cases—to be people only exhibiting differences of opinion—which we rename in euphemism as “b e l i e f”: that mysterious word that shuts down reason, logic, arguments and minds—and which justifies the thought that unreasonable stories are true.
IV. The Perpetuation of Ignorance
Of course, in reality, the perpetuation of ignorance is not due mere abstinence, away from facts—but also due non-acquaintance with the concepts that people don’t mind taking the time to become better-acquainted with or rather that they do mind—and the concepts necessary to understand that…. and this is where we have to consider the abstinence of acquaintanceship with facts or the concepts necessary to accept them—and/or the ignorance of the abstinence—and the abstinence that it engenders—because people in a cultural group, when confirming their biases, often don’t realize that is what they are doing. They think unconsciously—that they are being reasonable—proven by the confidence coming from the bandwagon they ride in. Of course, this is a kind of ignorance, but it is not necessarily malicious or intended—while, unfortunately, by definition, it is a form of disregard, and so—these people take blame and scorn from others.
V. How We Can Proceed
We really have to see—that what has to happen is, we must remain caring and respectful long enough to change the bring the ignorant party to the table of reason—whereupon we explain kindly and patiently—the concepts necessary to understanding the facts; in other words, it takes friendship.
VI. But How We Do
Thus, though we shouldn’t, we say–in most situations… perhaps not in polite ones—that the irrational notions accepted by others are a result of mental illness, as in “she’s crazy; she thinks Jesus is going to cure her cancer”, or we don’t say that, because we say in response to that thought (talking to others or to ourselves in our heads) something like “ya never know!”, either out of politeness or actually not knowing?
VII. We don’t even think or say—again, in polite company—"he’s an idiot; he believes in magic/ghosts/mystical beasts”, suggesting a lack of intelligence–even when we know such denial of counterfactuals have been exposed intelligibly and intelligently as myth and fairy tales and taught as such to correct the claims, fancies and fears made by children speaking of witches and warlocks and super-heroes wielding special powers.
VIII. The Children And The Adults They Become
And yet, those same children are taken to church, synagogue and mosque, weekly—or seasonally—and told to accept as true the exact same nature of phenomena—in beasts and magical people—when such fantastic stories are taught to them by the same kinds of adults who set them straight about their fantasies at home—except that when concerned with the adults who wear special, and fancy garments & silly hats, holding court in vaulted structures, splayed out on ritual campuses and hallowed grounds—playing roles as preachers, ministers, clerics and reciters of old ancient and errant copies of copies of text that has suffered error, discrepancy and forgery hundreds of thousands of times—bearing more errors and discrepancies than words—we are reluctant to move to confront the acceptance of those falsehoods—out of–ostensibly–manners and religious tolerance—beguiling humble reason, honesty and common sense—to say nothing of science and history (otherwise known as reality)—our best disciplines for making sense of anything.
And thus, children are basically misled in the least ad lied to at worst. And many of these children become adults—in a state of un-confronted and non-mitigated confusion. They have two sets of rules. And the role-play and charade continues, generation after generation—with the cultivation of confused, often neurotic & prejudiced minds as a result—for those who cannot escape the clutches of this indoctrination. Why? Community. Conformity. Good behavior? Obedience. Control. Has it worked? I give you the present American Supreme Court and The Republican Party. Again, has it worked? It “works” for them.
IX. The Rest of Us
We—and by that I mean those of us who have decided to call these stories and their attempts at society building and personal control—what they are, if for no less a reason than it makes us feel foolish not to… and there are hugely more complex and important than that alluded to above… such as these doctrinal attempts at making things better, actually make many things worse—or as I should say such doctrinal attempts at making things better actually make many things words… but we simply say people who think this state of affairs is true and good mean well and are ignorant—but of course not out loud in large enough numbers. And that’s how we have to say it—unless we are ready to confront this problem; and that’s a result of cultural indoctrination, too—accepting it—and… it’s also… [the “fault” of] the First Amendment.
X. Doctrines of Government And Products of Mind
We don’t want to be “cruel”, and we don’t want to defy the First Amendment—basically, because we are taught to respect different religions—but how is that possible? More on that later). And when we make these determinations, we do not—per se, mean that such adherents are ignorant of the facts—of course–-but of the requisite understanding necessary to adequately comprehend and accept the facts. Or, has this bicameral system given us two sets of reality to simultaneously accept? In the case of the devout, as we said above—it has; it’s given some of us two brains? Two brains which won’t talk to one another—or refuse to come to conclusions—or that it’s okay to come to the wrong conclusions: that two sets of facts are okay [“Alternative Facts”, as Republicans have said.]
XI. Reasons for Resignation & Surrender
It is likely, for all of those reasons, and more, that we go along with this—and knowing that people are fearful, and that life is terrifying in some of its key aspects—like [in] the fact that humans are prayed upon by bad actors, disease, wild animals, natural disaster, war and the encroachment of death—that we decide that perhaps ‘it is better to have these two minds among our fellows—to, frankly, give supernatural hope in the face of otherwise hopeless, and to scare hell the into the ones among us who can’t be good people on their own’—and irrational notions accepted as true also ‘give solace to the ones who can’t face the loss well—and thus are best comforted with a warm, loving extraterrestrial power to help them when their fellows can’t.’ But does that really work, either?
XII. Does Religion Comfort, Really?
How many believers are horrified at disease, death—even every day events—and so… they want… to commandeer… the rest of us—our government, and all of everything to match the disquiet, fear, guilt and insecurity in their minds? Has this stopped war and crime, cruelty, corruption and greed—has it curbed meddling clerics, parents, priests and politicians from unnecessarily violating our rights to privacy, difference in orientation, romantic selection, sovereignty-over-our-own-bodies—and in the more extreme places, even our lives? Or have the ways of the religious —also impeding science—increased these and other molestations—including literal ones? And if we decide these evils are a part of every institution, how much is okay—when it’s not so necessary, such as in religion—in trade for the comfort their ways give so many of the devout who turn a blind eye to the detritus they support?
XII. Other Reasons for Resignation & Surrender
In other cases, we say “believers” suffer some delusion, like in having ‘a mote in one’s eye’—or that their affliction in a lack of reason and courage is caused by upbringing, after which I happen to think their brains are different, actually—not prenatally—but post indoctrination, of course, and/or due to politics and tradition—the latter of which is actually beneficial to community-continuity and cohesion—all maintained or tolerated via politeness, order and outward comfort.
XIII. Another Reason as to Why We Accept This Bicameral Mind in Society
It is also likely due to self-convincing and/or a ruse, which enables deniers to square their relations with others, for the purposes of remaining acquainted, a couple, friends, employed or—for relatively social and/or professional acceptance by peers and superiors; it is also done to set an example for children—or in the very worst cases, to keep one’s head attached to one’s body and to keep oneself alive in those parts of the world we talk carefully about.
This latter set of reasons points to simple dishonesty, but—or rather, ‘be’ it inner or outer or both–but as we can plainly surmise, is sometimes quite unfortunately justified or survival reasons.
We’ll pick up her, next time. Thank you for your attention….
I wish you and yours love, peace, joy, imagination and enlightenment. And yes—you can have all of that, if you start with rationality and meditation.
CA
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Writing, Voice and Production by Carl Atteniese /Copyright 2023 The Right Words & Atteniese Publications / All rights reserved
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NOTE: The views expressed here are Carl’s own and opinions gleaned from his thoughts and/or education and do not necessarily reflect those of whom are mentioned in the acknowledgements. Reflections from historians, scientists ad philosophers can be claimed by those such people who first expressed them. Please do not straw-man Carl if these views run counter to your own and join Carl in accepting science and history and the free flow of ideas for the betterment of consciousness, life on Earth and humanity.
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Podcast 8: "Believe What You Want"?: Part 3