So for those of you who are wondering what this piece is going to be about, well, I could easily port an old discussion about socialism and its merits but that does not seem to be fitting or meshing well within my head. Religion is the easy piece to delve into. Let's be frank, a lot of people believe goofy shit for no reason. That's the human condition, it seems - we take in bullshit, and spew it back out. Is it any wonder why the government is garbage? No, it has nothing to do with monopoly of force. But there's one reason.
People suck. No, no, you're reading wrong. People suck. Individuals are okay. And I have talked with many people throughout my life, perceived wonderful amounts of insight from them, learned about them, how they react, what they react to, what they shrug off, but when it comes to the big three - religion, politics and death - they all either shy away or get nose-to-nose with you.
What do I believe in? That's a good question. There are tons of things I believe in, but I don't hold them too close to my heart. I believe in .... not wasting food if it can be helped, lending a hand to those who need it without wanting repayment, being left alone when I need to be... Universal healthcare, a strong safety net, and not having my country beholden to private interests for nefarious reasons. I guess that makes me.... a dirty hippie.
Why do people believe the things they do? Comfort? Weltanschauung? Logically sound reasons argued from particularly strong axioms that can be reasonably extended into daily life? Okay, the last one is a circumlocutory way of saying what goes into a belief, but that is the general basis.
...There are three big reasons why people believe the stranger stuff before the mundane - family influence, tradition, and "truth being stranger than fiction". The last one is huge. Most people get their religion handed to them directly after escaping the birth canal. Others get it handed to them by family later on. Some find their own, or make up their own. Rare are the parents who profess nothing and refrain from imprinting such things on their kids. But when it comes to truth being stranger than fiction, oh boy. Everything from UFO conventions to shamanic retreats with crystals, chakras and woo as far as the eye can determine visually. Fiction tries to wrest the driver's wheel from truth there, folks. Oh, and the blinkers are stuck on "hazard" mode.
Asking why gives partial personal insight, and I learned this through watching videos on street epistemology. Asking people about their religious beliefs is the shields-up answer, because oftentimes people wrap their religion with their politics and their morals. The fish is permanently in the water, never to surface in that instance. But an honest hook tends to drag them out of the water onto your line. Asking about where their beliefs came from can provide more insight, insofar as you just carefully pick your words.
The same can be said of politics: Why XYZ and not ABC? It ties into ethics, the subset of morals that are really personal as opposed to general. Individuals believe certain things for certain reasons. Far be it from me to really poke and prod, I think some ideas are quite silly. You may very well think I am silly for the things I believe, or worse, you might think me a communist, or a godless heathen destined for the fires of Hell, or something else.
Some people believe crystals heal people, that colonic irrigation is beneficial, or that you can will someone to health by asking a deity to intercede on your behalf.
Some people believe the government takes out loans on you when you're born, and that the gold fringe on a flag in court means they are in a court of admiralty.
And perhaps there are tons of weasel words in this, but this rant isn't managed by Wikipedia, and it's certainly an unkempt rant by some dude behind a computer.
I guess what it all comes down to is how people act on their beliefs. It's fine to hold a belief. But don't rub it on my face and tell me it smells great, because it likely doesn't. Realistically speaking, we should strive to know as many true things as possible, and believe as few false things as possible. It's the best way to cut down on bullshit, because, with what's all gone on in the last three years with the mainstream media, and the vocal minorities of the social justice warrior internet defense force, it's hard to make heads or tails of anything. People need to start separating the wheat from the chaff, when it comes to finding out the truth. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And if the headline's a question, the answer is probably 'no'. If you're offended, good. People need to be offended, for the right motivations and the right outcomes.
With all that being said, don't run off to the crystal ball, stuff the tarot, put away that lottery ticket, and definitely don't pray for solutions to your problems. All those things vide supra.... won't help you determine truth and facts. Pick up a book, read some peer-reviewed articles, talk to people, and maybe party. It's up to you.
I swear I'll be back with more. Until then, I hope this tickled your literary fancy.
-Igarashi