Embracing Facts

Introduction

Rationalization is a tranquilizer, keeping people asleep. Quit the dose and awaken.

So much of fundamentalist religion involves “mental gymnastics” to rationalize contradictory facts in the name of preserving a certain narrow narrative. These rationalizations build a web of supporting strands that form an individual’s religious faith. If enough of those strands are cut, the web loses its shape and interconnectivity.

Rationalization forges a pattern of denial and willful ignorance for the sake of protecting a fragile faith. This begs the question: if one’s faith is so fragile as to necessitate fleeing from opposing viewpoints, how worthwhile is it really?

Increasingly, fundamentalists worship a “God of the Gaps,” where every mysterious element of reality must, in the minds of the faithful, be an “act of God.” Each new fact learned and accepted pushes the need for God further to the outer reaches of understanding. Therefore, in order to remain ultimately faithful, it is important for fundamentalist sects to deny everything not rooted in their religious tradition. By not learning anything, a certain fundamentalist interpretation of God becomes an absolute requirement for every aspect of daily life, just as it was in ancient times.

While the rest of humanity leaps forward, fundamentalist religion seems to be digging its heels in.

The Differences Between Facts and Truth

When it comes to acquiring knowledge, it is important to sort through some often confusing semantics.

Fact: A reasonable conclusion based on available data. Facts can be redefined with the influx of new data. They are neither rigid nor unmoving. Experts determine what facts are within their areas of study. Historical facts are determined by historians, and scientific facts are defined by scientists according to rigorous standards of acceptance.

Truth: The unmoving, absolute reality of things. Where as facts an interpreted perception, truth is what “is.” Science is the search for facts and understanding, not for ultimate truth, as there is much beyond human perception. There are many different definitions and theories regarding the nature of truth, yet they are confined to theology and philosophy, not to science.

Hypothesis: A proposal for explaining a phenomenon, usually defined as a “trial solution” or “educated guess.” Formulating hypotheses is an integral part of the scientific process.

Theory: In science, theories are strongly supported explanations for general phenomenon. Whereas in popular parlance, “theory” refers to a wild guess, in science they are the highest level of acceptance behind a mathematical proof. Theories are made up of observed and tested facts, therefore in science, it is possible something to be both part of a theory and a fact. For instance, there is the Theory of Evolution to explain the rise of life on Earth, and the fact of evolution, which is the known process of biological change between generations. Other well-known theories are the Theory of Relativity, the Big Bang Theory, and the Theory of Gravity.

Evidence: Data, usually physical observations, that can be interpreted as support for a certain hypothesis.

Proof: A mathematical statement that definitively demonstrates a scientific concept.

Scientific Law: Universal, invariable principles demonstrable through mathematical statements. Evolutionary and Gravitational Theories are not  scientific laws not because they are unsupported, but because there have yet to be solid mathematical formulas developed to explain these general phenomena. Scientific laws include Newton’s Laws of Motion, the Law of Thermodynamics, and the Law of Special Relativity.

The Dangers Presented by Ignorance

Ignorance has caused countless disasters, and has halted progress time and again through human history. Societal progression has experienced a number of hiccups, usually at the hands of zealots or avoidable catastrophes. Part of historical study is to learn from past mistakes to avoid repeating them. Some notable mistakes, the likes of which should be avoided forever after, are the following:

The Dark Ages
The Black Plague
The Crusades
The Inquisitions
The Collapse of Islamic Scientific Dominance
The Salem Witch Trials
The Slavery of Other Humans
The Oppression of Women
The Great Disappointment
1975 in Prophecy
Religiously Motivated Terrorist Attacks
The May 21 “Rapture”

To not know something to is to be denied the power to solve problems and prevent horrible mistakes. To deny learning is to starve wisdom. Ignorance is slavery without being able to see the shackles.

Four Fundamental Gaps of Ignorance

There are four fundamental gaps of ignorance plaguing religious fundamentalism:

1. Ignorance of Scientific Origins: To deny the value of the scientific method and the myriad of discoveries and improvements brought to human civilization for the sake of preserving traditional beliefs is a madness that must be treated foremost.

2. Confusion of Historical Veracity: When mythology, legend, and outright lies intertwine with established historical facts, our past becomes lost in a murky fog of uncertainty. If we do not know where we came from, we become blinded to where we are going.

3. Faith in Failed Prophecies: To misunderstand the long history of world-ending prophecies is to be doomed to repeat their sometimes tragic results. Doomsday cults in particular prey on this ignorance to present their prophecies as “new revelations.”

4. Doubt of Medical Advancement: Fundamentalist sects often deny the advancements in medical practice made over the centuries, especially in the last couple decades. Entire viruses have been wiped from the face of the Earth, yet fundamentalists resort to quackery that is nearly medieval in its ineffectiveness and harm.

These are the subjects we will tackle head-on. In reality though, this list can be traced back to two primary sources:

a. Doubt of Scientific Authority: The denial of scientific authority and the value of its methods is the root of countless misconceptions and leaves a vast gulf between fundamentalists and the educated.

b. Broken B.S. Detectors: Ever notice how those who follow fraudulent preachers also tend to fall for almost anything? It is true that association with something creates a certain blindness to its faults, yet it is not uncommon for COG members to also get involved with alternative medicine, pyramid schemes, and other questionable activities. It is almost as if their “B.S. Detectors” have been broken.

You Are Entitled to Your Own Beliefs and Opinions, but Not Your Own Facts

Winston Churchill said: “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”

Lies are powerful. The darkness, while it cannot shine, is expansive and engulfing. Once a lie has taken hold, dissenters are shouted down, declared treasonous heretics, and then in some notable instances, killed.

Churchill also said: “Once in a while you will stumble upon the truth but most of us manage to pick ourselves up and hurry along as if nothing had happened.”

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, but they are not entitled to their own facts. Ultimately, we all have to think and decide for ourselves, and not allow others to dictate what truths we have to live by.

We are powerful.

We are special.

We deserve to know the truth.

Heresy deserves to be heard.