My Thoughts On Conspiracy Theories In General And Why I Have A Strong Disdain For Them
As anyone who is familiar with my blog knows, I'm not a particular fan of conspiracy theories. However, I decided to ask the question: Why do I have a strong distaste for them? What constantly motivates me to call them out in various Facebook post and articles on my blog. It's a question that I seldom ask myself. So what is it about them that get underneath my feathers?
It's Not My Fault! Secret Lizard People Sent By Satan Made Me Do It!
I think that at the most fundamental level, I have a strong disdain for conspiracy theories because they allows people to avoid taking personal responsibility for their actions. I was watching an episode of Proof where they were covering secret societies. The narrator remarked that many people believe that political polarization is a product of secret societies like the Illuminati (this word isn't in Google's Spellchecker, so I bet they are behind that somehow) which uses it as a distraction so that they can perform various nefarious deeds without drawing attention.
On one hand, extreme polarization is a very real issue. At the same time, I take offense when groups hint that this idea because In order for it to be true, one has to discount the fact that people are by nature territorial creatures who are very tribal about their beliefs. People consumed by runaway emotions become very polarized when they look at their views and opinions as if its doctrine. As such, in order for one to accept the idea of polarization being a result of a secret societies, one has to ignore our tribal instincts.
To put it bluntly, belief in conspiracy theories allows people to pass the buck. "I'm not reaching my full potential not because of my own shortcomings as a person, but because "they" <insert pariah here> are secretly holding me back. These pariahs includes those of Jewish background (George Soros, the Rothschild), the ultra rich (Bill Gates), secret societies (The Illuminati, Free Masons), or political groups that became the ire for the melodramatic.
Within Christianity
Conspiracy theories have allowed their believers to remain blameless as their is something else to pin the blame on. This applies within the context of American Evangelical Christianity as well. Conspiracy theories have become so pervasive within Christianity that one would almost be mistaken into believing that one isn't a true Christian unless donning a tin-foil hat 24-7 and telling themselves that the Earth is flat. However, things go a lot deeper than that.
Modern American Evangelicalism is basically a product of Jerry Falwell's extremely politicized brand of Christianity. Not surprisingly, due to its extremely political and partisan (and thus, very toxic) nature, many have been driven away from churches nationwide because of it. However, instead of recognizing it's shortcomings (as Christianity was never intended on being a social or political movement), many within the movement have doubled down on it. Not only that, many of these Christians have become strong advocates of conspiracy theories.
For many Christians, conspiracy theories have allowed them to remain blameless because their failures wasn't of their own making, but because of some nefarious group operating in the dark is working against them. Conspiracy theories have allowed Christians to pass the buck while looking for that scapegoat to assume blame instead. As such, blame is shifted towards the media, public education, liberals, billionaires, etc. For those who don't want to blame themselves, conspiracy theories have provided that outlet to ducking collective responsibility.
Covid (I'm Not Wrong! Neither Are The Lizard People!)
The popularity of various Covid vaccines conspiracies aren't really due to people avoiding responsibility (even though it is a factor); it's more that many don't want to admit that they are wrong.
Throughout the outbreak and now, many millions of people around the country don't see Covid as a issue despite it being the 800-pound elephant in the room. Many saw it as simply a hoax or something that was way overblown by the media. As a result, despite the deaths that occurred all around them, many were openly dismissive about Covid and its effects on the country at large.
Then the vaccine enters the picture. For those who never took the virus seriously, getting the vaccine would basically be an admission that they were wrong with with their outlook on the virus. This is the reasoning where all conspiracies and excuses against the vaccine originate. For those who don't want to admit that they were wrong with their outlook, conspiracy theories have provided that outlet. For them, it's easier to believe some far-fetch conspiracy than it is to accept reality. This is where one runs across the various conspiracy theories and excuses like the following:
- I'm not getting the vaccine because I don't like the Government telling me what to do (The Government isn't forcing anyone to get the vaccine. People are provided that choice).
- I'm not getting the vaccine because my O-type blood makes me immune (While one with O-type blood is slightly less susceptible, their is still a strong possibility that one with this blood-type could still get the virus. One wonders how many with O-type blood died because they believed this false claim)
- I'm not getting the vaccine because it'spart of the New World Order,contains baby fetuses, mercury, and microchips placed their by Bill Gates, along with other assorted crap (Is doing 5 minutes of fact-checking too much to ask for. I'll do your critical thinking for you then! Their is a lot of Snopes articles listed blow. You're welcome!)
I'm noting going to focus on any particular claim as they really are from the same mold. Their existence is due to people not wanting to admit their wrong with their outlook. Not that it matters as if one claim gets debunk, another one will simply take its place. The goal-post constantly shifts, which is a common theme for conspiracy theorist. In concern to the recent developments with the J+J vaccine, their have been isolated incidents of blood clots that have resulted in unfortunate deaths. More research is needed for a safe rollout. However, many who have already had preconceived biases against vaccines in general will use this event to dismiss ANY vaccine because of those few isolated incidents. Their opinions were made before the incident occurred. Their opinions were not formed from specifics regarding the J+J vaccine, but from outlandish claims with zero merit.
The deaths are very unfortunate. However, while the total number of deaths from the vaccine could be counted using the fingers of both hands, roughly 1,800 are still dying from the virus in this country on a daily basis. For those seeking confirmation, they will form their opinions from anyone but professionals in the medical field. Many will form their opinions from commentators with no medical knowledge on the subject (Tucker Carlson), click-bait articles (OAN usually), or random claims echoed from some random chump on the street (usually originating from Tucker Carlson). One takes a gamble with their life when some baseless claim or conspiracy theory becomes the gospel truth.One's health is jeopardized when a health issue is turned into a political one. Covid is a health topic, not a political or civil one.
Conspiracy Theories Defy Logic and Reason (Lizard People Really Do Exist!)
One of the reasons why I have a strong disdain for conspiracy theories is that they defy logic and reason. While it should be common knowledge that the Earth is round, many still balk at this idea. Despite it being widely known for the past 700 plus years (and confirmed by space travel) that the Earth is round, many are still dismissive of this idea.
For many, conspiracy theories become true simply because they want them to be true. As such, for conspiracy theorist, simply wanting something to become true now makes it such. Conspiracy theorist claim that they're out to seek the truth. Yet, when things don't line up with their preconceived expectations, they are ready to claim foul. This was what happened during the 2020 Election.
After the Election, their were various false claims of voter fraud. Despite these claims were easily debunked, they became the gospel truth for those who embraced it. For many, these claims became true simply because they wanted them to be true, and nothing more. Due to these preconceived expectations, people's minds were already made up, regardless of the results. For many, Trump's own words (without providing evidence) was good enough.
I would have embraced the various claims of voter fraud if their was actual (and no, sensationalist click-bait from OAN doesn't count) evidence to support it. Personally, I don't like Biden, but regardless of preference, he did win the election legitimately. Their is no evidence of nefarious tampering. This brings up another point: Evidence is key.
This is true with any of the claims listed above. I would believe any of them if their was actual evidence to support them. Getting back to politics, the claim that CNN and MSNBC have purposely sabotaged Bernie Sanders's campaign throughout the election has merit because their is actual weight to support that claim. That's why that claim isn't a conspiracy; their is actual evidence to support it. Yet, even when I make this claim, I'm not saying that both outlets were in cahoots with each other working together nefariously to bring down Sanders (they are two competing outlets after all. Plus, their is no support of collusion). They were working independently of each other despite them having the same mindset and goal.
Defied logic is the reason why claims such as the Government was behind the 9/11 bombing could easily be debunked as well. Anyone embracing the claim would have to ignore Osama Bin Laden's role in the attack. One would have to ignore the fact that he had both motivation and the means to carry the the horrible act (he met both criteria). Racism could also drive this claim as many don't want to accept the fact that a darker-skinned, bearded old man could actually coordinate such a attack. However, their is very strong evidence to support Bin Laden's role. He had the leadership capabilities along with the networks full of willing recruits. Also, he also admitted to the horrible act himself.
If 9/11 was a inside job, many thousands upon thousands of people would have to be involved in its coordination, from government officials, corporate executives working for the airlines, along with the pilots and various others as well. Is one saying that thousands upon thousands of people would have been able to keep a secret of that magnitude! While conspiracy theorist like the think that the government is that fine-tuned machine, it's a bureaucracy rift with incompetence. It's impossible to reconcile these two contradictions. The government is terrible at keep secrets, so the idea that thousands upon thousands could keep such a disturbing secret is absurd.
When encountering such a claim, the first two thing one has to ask is: if this entity did carry out the act, then.....
- .....what was their motivation?
- .....what did they have to gain?
What was the Government's motivation behind bombing the WTC and Pentagon? The bombing of these important landmarks did major damage to the country and Government both politically and financially. As such, the Government didn't have anything to gain from attacking its own targets, but they had a lot to lose. If they were behind the attack, Government officials would have to live with the burden and anxiety of keeping such a damning secret from becoming public (did I mention earlier that Government bureaucracy is rift with incompetence. Keeping secrets, especially of this magnitude, would be very hard, if not impossible to keep). If the Government's intention was to bring on a war with Afghanistan, they could have accomplished this with something far less dramatic without inflicting pain upon itself. This reason alone is the smoking gun of why this claim is complete rubbish.
The Government suffered massively from the attack as well. Their were Government offices in the WTC. Sure one could say that the Government flew the plains into their own towers to cover up incriminating evidence. However, even this claim could be debunked as paper shredders could accomplish the same thing that crashing jets could, just without a body count, mass devastation and billions upon billions in damages. Also, these conspiracy theory is offensive to both victims and the families of loved ones who died unfortunately on that day.
Many of the reasons debunking the 9/11 claim can be applied to Sandy Hook and various other school shootings as well. Many perpetuate that the Government was behind these shootings so that they can pass draconian measures on gun owners. As noted though, in order for such a claim to be true, hundreds, if not thousands, would have to be involved in its coordination. This includes both government officials and leaders of local police precincts along with county and state leaders as well. As such, this claim falls apart in the same manner that the 9/11 conspiracy does; one can't expect hundreds to keep a secret of that magnitude. Also, like the 9/11 claim, the shooter and his motivations would have to be ignored when embracing the claim. Also, like the 9/11 claim, the Sandy Hook claim is extremely offensive to those who lost loved ones in that shooting.
I would believe the claim about the Covid vaccine having a microchips in it if their was actual scientific evidence to support it. I would believe the O-type immunity claim if their was actual evidence to support the claim. I would believe in the claim that the Covid shot contained baby fetuses if their was actual evidence to support it (and no, baby fetuses and stem cells are not the same thing).
The scientist have gone out of their way to try to educate people. It's not their fault that people who flunked high school biology are now unwilling to exercise their critical thinking skills. The efforts from scientist is monumental considering that many others wouldn't have wasted their time trying to educate those who were already ignorant and dismissive about such facts in the first place.
Articles Of Interest (Within Christianity)
Jerry Falwell Sr. (Wikipedia) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell_Sr.
Patheos : 3 Reasons Evangelical Christians Fall for Conspiracy Theories - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jaysondbradley/2020/05/3-reasons-evangelical-christians-fall-for-conspiracy-theories/
No, the COVID-19 Vaccine Is Not Linked to the Mark of the Beast (Snopes) - https://www.snopes.com/news/2021/04/08/no-the-covid-19-vaccine-is-not-linked-to-the-mark-of-the-beas...
GotQuestions - What is Christian dominionism? : https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-dominionism.html
Wikipedia - Christian Nationalism : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_nationalism
Dominionism (RationalWiki) : https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dominionism
Patheos : The Siren Song of Persecution: On Californias “Worship Ban” - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithfulprogress/2020/07/the-siren-song-of-persecution-on-californias-...
Snopes : Would a Proposed Law ‘Ban the Bible’ in California? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/california-bible-ban/FactCheck.org : California Bill Wouldn’t Ban the Bible - https://www.factcheck.org/2018/04/california-bill-wouldnt-ban-the-bible/
Snopes : Did a Michigan Town ‘Submit to Sharia’ Over a New Mosque? - https://www.snopes.com/news/2017/03/01/sterling-heights-mosque/
Snopes : Tennessee Schoolchildren Forced to Bow Down to Allah - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tennessee-schoolchildren-islam/
PolitiFact - Could students pray, discuss El Paso mass shooting in school? :
Snopes - Does Facebook Prohibit Posting of the Lord’s Prayer? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/facebook-lords-prayer/Snopes - Did Facebook Ban All Christian-Themed Content? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/facebook-bans-christian-content/
PolitiFact - Do Democrats support abortion up until (and after) birth? : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/feb/27/ted-cruz/do-democrats-support-abortion-until-and-a...
PolitiFact - No, New York abortion law doesn't let mothers abort babies a minute before they would be born : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/feb/01/viral-image/no-new-york-abortion-law-doesnt-let-mo...
Snopes - Do Women Meet With Doctors to Determine Whether to ‘Execute’ Newborn Babies? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/execute-babies/
Snopes - Did President Obama Order Mother’s Day Be Used to Celebrate Abortions? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-mothers-day-abortions/
Snopes : Did Muslim Terrorists Bomb a Church in the Philippines “Yesterday,” Killing 30 Christians? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/muslim-terrorists-bomb-philippines/
Snopes : Does This Photograph Show Nigerian Christians Burned Alive by Muslims? (Warning: Several of these pictures are graphical in nature. Caution advised) - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/photograph-christians-burned-muslims/?fbclid=IwAR0Rj11OqLVGiY5pOJv...
Snopes : Did ‘Muslim Militants’ Kill 120 Christians in Nigeria in February/March 2019? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/nigeria-christians-muslims/
Articles of Interest - Covid
The Most Popular J&J Vaccine Story On Facebook? A Conspiracy Theorist Posted It (NPR) - https://www.npr.org/2021/04/15/987182241/the-most-popular-j-j-vaccine-story-on-facebook-a-conspiracy...
Snopes - Are People With Type-A Blood More Susceptible to COVID-19? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/blood-type-covid-19/
Snopes: Is Bill Gates Being Sued by India Over Vaccination Deaths? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bill-gates-india-sued/
PolitiFact - No, the Gates Foundation isn’t pushing microchips with all medical procedures : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/20/facebook-posts/no-gates-foundation-isnt-pushing-mi...
Snopes : Is Bill Gates Funding Efforts To Block The Sun? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/gates-block-sun/
Snopes : Are Bill Gates and the ID2020 Coalition Using COVID-19 To Build Global Surveillance State? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bill-gates-id2020/
The Verge : Bill Gates is now the leading target for coronavirus falsehoods, says report - https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/17/21224728/bill-gates-coronavirus-lies-5g-covid-19
Snopes - Is Kansas City Ordering Churchgoers To Register with the Government? :
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/kansas-city-churches/
PolitiFact - No, Democrats aren’t pushing microchips to fight coronavirus :
PolitiFact - No, the US isn’t developing a vaccine or ‘antivirus’ with a chip to track people :
Wikipedia - Rodney Howard-Browne : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Howard-Browne
Pastor: I’m Holding Services Because I Have Machines That Shoot Down Viruses : https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/03/27/pastor-im-holding-services-because-i-have-machines-th...
BBC : 'They want to throw God's wonderful breathing system out' - https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-53174415
BBC : Man who believed virus was hoax loses wife to Covid-19 - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53892856
BBC : 'Hundreds dead' because of Covid-19 misinformation - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53755067
BBC : Coronavirus: Pastor who decried 'hysteria' dies after attending Mardi Gras - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52157824
NYTimes : Pastor Who Defied Social Distancing Dies After Contracting Covid-19, Church Says - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/bishop-gerald-glenn-coronavirus.html
Articles Of Interest - Truth, Confirmation, And Ignorance (Lizard People Really Do Exist)
ProPublica : Capitol Rioters Planned for Weeks in Plain Sight. The Police Weren’t Ready. :
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA :
https://pacer-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/147/127057/15517440654.pdf
FiveThirtyEight - Americans Were Primed To Believe The Current Onslaught Of Disinformation:
FactCheck.org - Trump’s Wild, Baseless Claims of Illegal Voting :
FactCheck -Trump Campaign Exaggerates Potential for Mail-In Voting Fraud After Election :
BBC News - US election 2020: 'QAnon might affect how my friends vote' :https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-54440973
The 65 days that led to chaos at the Capitol (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55592332
Georgia election: Trump voter fraud claims and others fact-checked (BBC) :https://www.bbc.com/news/55561877
Violent pro-Trump mob storms US Capitol (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/live/election-us-2020-55558355
US Congress in turmoil as violent Trump supporters breach building (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55555074
US election 2020: The people who still believe Trump won (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55481521
The deep roots of Trump’s 'voter fraud' strategy (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-55009950
US election: Trump camp's lawsuit struck down in Pennsylvania (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55030617
US election 2020: Fact-checking Trump team's main fraud claims (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55016029
US Election 2020: The 'dead voters' in Michigan who are still alive (BBC) :https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54874120
When US Politicians Spread Lies on Social Media, Who Is Responsible? (Snopes):
Trump Supporters Storm US Capitol, Lawmakers Evacuated (Snopes):
Did 50K Ballots Suspiciously Appear at Polls Overnight in Georgia Senate Runoffs? (Snopes):
Pro-Trump Mob Storms US Capitol in Bid to Overturn Election (Snopes):
A Moment in America, Unimaginable But Perhaps Inevitable(Snopes):
RUMOR ALERT: Dominion Voting Systems Fraud Claims (Snopes):
Fraud Claims Aimed in Part at Keeping Trump Base Loyal(Snopes):
Did a Fox 2 Detroit Report Expose Voter Fraud in the 2020 Election? (Snopes):
Do Hundreds of Counties Have 1.8 Million ‘Ghost Voters’ in the US? (Snopes):
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ghost-voters-in-29-states/
Did Libertarian Candidate Jo Jorgensen Lose 40K Votes in 10 Minutes in Pennsylvania? (Snopes):
Georgia Poll Worker in Hiding After False Claims Online(Snopes):
Was the Ballot of Deceased Man Named William Bradley Counted in Michigan?(Snopes):
‘This Isn’t Over!’: Trump Supporters Refuse to Accept Defeat (Snopes):
https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/11/07/this-isnt-over-trump-supporters-refuse-to-accept-defeat/
Donald Trump’s Pants on Fire claim about illegal votes (PolitiFact):
How has Joe Biden fared on the Truth-O-Meter?(PolitiFact):
No, receiving multiple ballot applications doesn’t let you vote more than once(PolitiFact):
Donald Trump says Joe Biden can only win by a 'rigged election.' That's wrong in several ways(PolitiFact):
CNN, MSNBC, And Bernie Sanders
Media coverage of Bernie Sanders (Wikipedia) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_coverage_of_Bernie_Sanders
Chris Matthews Apologizes to Bernie Sanders for Remarks on Nevada Win (NYTimes) : https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/business/media/chris-matthews-bernie-sanders-apology.html
MSNBC's Chuck Todd under fire for reciting quote comparing Sanders supporters to Nazis (Salon) : https://www.salon.com/2020/02/12/msnbcs-chuck-todd-under-fire-for-reciting-quote-comparing-sanders-s...
CNN Completely Botched The Democratic Presidential Debate (HuffPost): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cnn-botched-democratic-debate_n_5e1e981bc5b63211760b0fad
Chris Matthews expresses worries: Democrats 'need to find' candidate who can beat Trump (The Hill) : https://thehill.com/homenews/media/481186-chris-matthews-expresses-worries-democrats-need-to-find-ca...
When discussing a possible Bernie Sanders presidency, MSNBC's Chris Matthews ranted about hypothetical executions in Central Park under Castro (Business Insider) : https://www.businessinsider.com/chris-matthews-rants-about-bernie-sanders-and-socialism-2020-2?r=US&...
'Meet the Press’ Host Rapped for Comparing Sanders Supporters to Nazi 'Brownshirts' (Haaretz) : https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-meet-the-press-host-rapped-for-comparing-sanders-supporters...
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