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Using Popular Superstitions to Justify Slaughter

It is hard to believe that the world can get any crazier.  There is so much shameful, embarrassing, and reckless talk about Biblical prophecies today because of the conflict between Israel and Gaza.

We live in a world of nuclear energy, microelectronics, and 5G telecommunications.  And yet people invoke ancient superstitions to justify mass-slaughter.  When will the world say, "Enough!  These ancient superstitions are not needed in the world anymore."  I doubt that politicians in the US ever will say that.  What was it that Tocqueville said about America in the 1830s?: 'Religious insanity is everywhere prevalent in America,' or something like that. 


By chance I watched an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation last night that fit in so perfectly with the situation today.  It was season 3, "Who Watches the Watchers?"   Some anthropologists were on a planet, covertly studying proto-Vulcans at a Bronze Age level.  But their technology used to disguise themselves broke down, causing the prot0-Vulcans to actually see them.

Once the proto-Vulcans saw the technology and powers of the Federation people, they concluded that Captain Picard was a Deity.  They easily slid back into fables and superstitions that they hadn't believed for centuries.

Watching this episode brought some relief.  Otherwise the world events of today would drive somebody crazy.



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