Aren’t we just as supersticious?
May 18, 2006I was just watching the news, and they had an item on the Merapi volcano on the Indonesian island of Java. The Merapi has been in the news for days now, as the volcano is destined to erupt, maybe causing a hug disaster. The Indonesian government (and Indonesia was part of the Kingdom for a few centuries, so there’s always a special connection with it) has evacuated many people.
Anyway, back to the item. The item was about how many people refuse to leave, because the volcano’s ‘keybearer’ (or whatever) says the volcano will not erupt. He’s just sick. He will cough– but not erupt. These people see the volcano as a friend, and do not wish to abandon an ill friend. Bla bla bla.
I laughed out loud– only to be instantly ashamed of myself for doing so. Because– we Westerners might call it stupid supersticion, but isn’t it just as stupid as “God bless America” (did I just type that? I’m think I’m gonna be sick) or “Queen of The Netherlands by the grace of God”, and more of that nonsense? If people over here believe some carpenter resurrected from the dead, that columns of fire have been sent down from heaven by God, and that when we die we go to a place of fire or a place of fluffy clouds and harps, then why can’t the people over at that volcano believe in their keybearers and ill mountains?
Aren’t we just as supersticious? I might not be, since I nor believe in a god and nor not believe in a god, but sure as hell many others over here are.
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Still, if human lives are in danger, most of the christians would flew away, no matter if that meant that they would have to abandon a church or an important relic. There are many westerners who are as misguided as the natives in Indonesia, but most aren’t really — not as much as they would like to show off at least.
Comment by Eugenia — May 18, 2006 @ 11:04 pm
But people for instance pray– supersticion. They kiss their cross before a sports match– supersticion. They light candles for the deceased– supersticion. Etc.
I am not talking about what us westerners would do in a volcano situation. I’m talking about how wrong and arrogant it is to laugh at these people when in fact everyone here is just as supersticious.
Comment by Administrator — May 18, 2006 @ 11:16 pm
Being a bit supersticious is part of all cultures. But there is a difference between a bit “funnily supersticious” (e.g. some european cultures say that if you have two ‘holes’ on the top of your head you will get married twice in your life), rather than be gravely superticious and not run away from a volcano.
>when in fact everyone here is just as supersticious.
That’s the thing we disagree upon. Westerners are not JUST as supersticious. Most europeans that you would normally call them “supersticious”, when actually their life in on the line they will do the right thing. But these natives don’t.
Comment by Eugenia — May 18, 2006 @ 11:25 pm
The western world relies on and believes in science, which changes every day. Yes, that is as supersticious as they are!
Comment by LoeZ — May 19, 2006 @ 11:47 pm
Science does not change every day. Sciense means “observation”. If observations were to change every day, then we live in a very unstable universe, which is not entirely the case.
Comment by Eugenia — May 20, 2006 @ 8:55 pm
Eugenia; I meant that everyday, we get new insights on the world that might be contradictive with the ones we already had… (Like “the world is round instead of flat” and the theory of evolution.)
Comment by LoeZ — May 21, 2006 @ 1:31 pm