What did you once believe that you later found out was crap?

[trdsf]

Alien visitations, god(s) (more than once -- I converted from Catholicism to Wicca, and from Wicca to atheism), ESP and other paranormal phenomena, Steady State theory (but at least there was a *little* observation and theory behind that one), and that I would be a great chemist some day.

[Clinton Huxley]

When I was a nipper I used to think that the "24 hour" warning system for nuclear attack meant it took the Russian missiles 24 hours to reach the UK. Doh.

[Svartalf]

It took me years to understand that pseudohistory stuff like that touted by the Baigent, Lincoln and Leigh team, or by lynn picknett was actually improperly supported woo.

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

I used to believe that sharks don't get cancer.

[FBM]

Alien visitations, god(s) (more than once -- I converted from Catholicism to Wicca, and from Wicca to atheism), ESP and other paranormal phenomena, Steady State theory (but at least there was a *little* observation and theory behind that one), and that I would be a great chemist some day.

Yeah, I was into aliens, voodo, ESP, ghosts and the like for a while in high school. I also believed everything Carlos Castenada wrote until I was well into my 20's.

[Audley Strange]

Possibly everything. It seems to me that belief is only applied to plausibilities not actualities and thus all beliefs technically remain in the zone of "crap".

[Audley Strange]

It took me years to understand that pseudohistory stuff like that touted by the Baigent, Lincoln and Leigh team, or by lynn picknett was actually improperly supported woo.

don't you think in and of itself that is of cultural and historical significance?

[Svartalf]

It took me years to understand that pseudohistory stuff like that touted by the Baigent, Lincoln and Leigh team, or by lynn picknett was actually improperly supported woo.

don't you think in and of itself that is of cultural and historical significance?

a) we're sunday morning and I haven't had my second coffee mug yet, so that post gave me the start of a headache.

b) WTF do you mean that yellow writers/money grubbing frauds passing bad fiction for real history would be of historical significance?
Sure, pseudohistory has a long tradition in mankind, from impostors trying to pass off for dead people to whole mythologies springing from half forgotten historical facts... but that people would make up such imaginary histories and be believed be in itself an important historical fact... that I don't get.

[Ronja]

I have always found the story of Mary of Magdala being married to Jesus (if he ever existed) at least plausible. Respectable people, like the eldest son of a carpenter would have been, wanted to marry and tended to marry in those days. And people who married tended to have offspring, more often than not.

The story of their offspring fleeing to France and being hunted high and low by the followers of Peter and Paul and eventually the whole Catholic church - now that pretty much has to be a fantasy. When well enough presented, like IMO in the Da Vinci Code film (NOT the book!), a delightful fantasy to while away a couple of hours with, but that's about it.

The main reason I don't believe that such a bloodline could have lasted (apart from the obvious child mortality issues and every single document thus far cited as evidence having been proved a forgery) is that contrary to popular conspiracy theories, people DON'T keep secrets indefinitely. Someone in the insider group always, sooner or later, gets disappointed in their hopes or embittered against someone else or just generally disinspired or plain drunk and spills the beans to the wrong person...

Even if such revealing the secret would have occurred, say, only once every 25 years and in an environment where most people weren't able to read or write, there is no way that every single written mention of such a conspiracy would have been tracked down by the Church insiders before anyone else. During 50 years - yes, why not. During 200? Already pretty unlikely. During 2,000 years? No bloody way - humans gossip more than that, and despite of the successes of e.g. the Albigensian Crusade, the Church & Co never managed to kill off every single member of any doubter/heretic group, not even when they really tried. 2,000 years is too long a time for something to have stayed hidden, while allegedly at the same time being a part of an active human society.

[Santa_Claus]

Jesus was a Homo or a Jaffa.

FACT.

[Santa_Claus]

Obviously, anything claimed by religion. The tooth fairy and Santa as well.

Go fuck yerself

[Audley Strange]

It took me years to understand that pseudohistory stuff like that touted by the Baigent, Lincoln and Leigh team, or by lynn picknett was actually improperly supported woo.

don't you think in and of itself that is of cultural and historical significance?

a) we're sunday morning and I haven't had my second coffee mug yet, so that post gave me the start of a headache.

b) WTF do you mean that yellow writers/money grubbing frauds passing bad fiction for real history would be of historical significance?
Sure, pseudohistory has a long tradition in mankind, from impostors trying to pass off for dead people to whole mythologies springing from half forgotten historical facts... but that people would make up such imaginary histories and be believed be in itself an important historical fact... that I don't get.

Well actually I meant the whole "Holy Blood" phenomenon and it's effect and influence on popular culture not to mention how they show the uselessness but entertaining nature of belief.

[Tero]

Democracy. I thought people with few $ actually had some say in things.

[Svartalf]

I don't know if I ever believed in that as an adult... I was struck from a young age by the mass aspect and anonymousness of the whole process.

[mistermack]

My Irish Uncle had me once.

He told me it was completely impossible to break an ordinary glass bottle, inside an ordinary empty plastic bag. I was so sure it could be done, I would have bet him anything, but he proved it was right.