I continue to not believe that I am presenting at this. Heehee.
(You’ll notice that they don’t shuffle past my photo. Heheh.)
RJB
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I continue to not believe that I am presenting at this. Heehee.
(You’ll notice that they don’t shuffle past my photo. Heheh.)
RJB
This entry was posted on Monday, August 1st, 2011 at 1:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Skeptical Humanities
Congrats, Bob! Wish I could be there. What’s your topic?
Thanks! I’m going to talk about American conspiracy theories related to religion. I went to a Jesuit school, for instance, and it’s hard for me to imagine the little old poops I knew there running the world. It’s just a recent kick I’ve been on, and it dovetails nicely with the conspiracy theory class I’m teaching next semester. I’m getting in touch with my inner 19th-century Americanist. 🙂
Out of morbid curiosity, are there any religions that haven’t been the subject of a conspiracy theory?
Hmm, I was about to clarify that I meant recent/extant religions, then I remembered that the creationist Henry Morris claimed that evolution was given to Nimrod by Satan, so even the ancient Sumerians aren’t safe.
Your morbid curiosity is likely to be horrifically satiated. All you need to demonize someone is an imagination and ignorance. Humanity has both in spades. If spades is the word I’m looking for.
RJB
There were in the 19th century a whole series of mythical conspiracies related to alleged “popish” plots. A lot of them had to do with young women being kidnapped and forced into convents where they were forced to sexually service Catholic Priests, have babies who were sacrificied or aborted, Drink blood and yes worship the Pope as a God along with Satan.
It seems to have been at least in part from memories of the historical conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Europe more esspecially Reformation England.
The similarity with the modern day “Great Satanic Ritual Abuse” fantasy is not accidental.