From: Phil Goetz (philgoetz@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Feb 17 2005 - 00:01:18 MST
The basic debunking approach is that people lie
or deceive themselves systematically in ways
that are interesting or attention-getting.
All the time. In large numbers.
If you believe something just because of the
testimony of hundreds of eyewitnesses, you
would have to believe in appearances of the
Virgin Mary.
The flying saucer craze was started by a
newspaper article that said an eyewitness had
seen a flying saucer. Immediately after,
many more witnesses came forward to say that
they, too, had seen flying saucers. They
quickly became the most popular type of UFO,
displacing cigars (the former favorite).
It turned out that the original newspaper article
had misquoted the subject, who had seen something
else (probably a flying cigar).
This reminds me of stigmata. We have documented,
witnessed accounts over centuries of individuals
who develop bleeding spots that will not heal in
the middle of their hands, supposedly caused by God.
But, recently scientists decided that crucifixion
was done by putting nails through the wrists, not
thru the center of the palms.
- Phil
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