Are conspiracy theories becoming a religion?

How you do you think you and people in general would react if it was proved to you/them beyond doubt that all conspiracy theories are just that.


Is it not part of our nature to belief in more and question things in the same way that we believe machines might do if they become too clever and develop a conscience.


Could your mind take it if you found out that we really are just a walking digestive system that is not destined to travel the distant stars or any form of greatness?


Are conspiracy theories in general, something that we need, something to help disguise our boring world and help us believe our dreams?


Not a dig at conspiracy theories but they seem to be becoming a religion on their own.


How different is someone who devotes their live to the questions of supposed truths to someone who devotes their live to the answers of supposed truths? Surely both are just people believing in more than they can see, except one is blind and the other is suspicious.


Its just kinda funny cos I believe if the pope came out and said that catholicism is a hoax then the current (conspiracy loving) non believers would become the new devout followers and assume that he's hiding something where as the people with faith would become the new skeptics! Brilliant!!! Half this site would become devote catholics!!!

Not unless you're an idiot.

They are theories, ie the word theory.

i can kind of see where your coming from here, because as most of you probably know the brain like to make things into patterns and make sense of random stuff etc. so in a way it could be just us thinking of a way to make everything more interesting, but on the other hand how can it be that the world is so normal, it has to have something different right?

I agree that some people may be like this, but any rational and semi-intelligent person definitely is not. However, like a religion, many conspiracy theories are generated and supported by fear. There are those theories though, that are genuinely searching for the truth, as some (few) religions do.

Nice post, to this staunch atheist, I see a striking similarity.

Specifically, like most religions, some forms of conspiracy theory put immense store in the idea of higher powers. In the case of religion, the higher power is very often seen as omnipotent and omniscient, therefore capable of revealing and concealing secrets of the universe, punishing or rewarding people, and so forth.

I think the reason for religions and analogous forms of conspiracy theory are one and the same. Because we, as humans, can intentionally control and alter our environments, we massively overestimate the degree to which events in the world are consciously controlled and manipulated.

I'm not saying conspiracies don't happen; they're a part of every day life. Here, I mean conspiracy in the sense of secret agreements between two or more people that cause or have the potential to cause some kind of harm to others.

I think, though, the vast majority of conspiracies are rather ad hoc, local, often downright tenuous and often frought with internal conflict. Evidence indicates certain conspiracies have been a little grander, but even then I think we tend to attribute way too much intention.

A useful analogy can be drawn with the response of an organism to biological threat. If a foreign body, especially a pathogen, enters the internal body of a complex organism, its immune system is triggered into action. Its action is incredibly complex, seemingly orchestrated, and may consume substantial energy and resources if a disease poses subtantial threat.

Doesn't this describe the hallmarks of what people interpret as elaborate and orchestrated conspiracies?

I think social, governmental and organisational systems behave a lot like complex adaptive systems such as the human body. Denials, cover-ups, threats and so forth are very real when any such system encounters threats to itself. However, this doesn't imply anything more than networks of local, ad hoc conspiracies; nothing grand.

For example, suppose a drug company is sued for harmful effects, a PR employee might meet with directors, decisions will likely be made to actively keep it under wraps. The same applies to a situation involving a threat to profits.

Reacting against threats to interests is an integral function of the organisation. Unfortunately, having worked in government, I think the same applies there, although it is more cancerous, serving primarily to protect itself for no ends (not even profit!).

Unchecked, it becomes a problem, but no matter how endemic such problems may become, there is no need to ascribe grand and orchestrated conspiracy to higher powers. Things just tend to react in their own interests when those interests are threatened. All cases of conspiracy have this in common.

It seems to me that like most religions, some forms of conspiracy theory do put immense store in the idea of higher powers. I've seen no evidence of deities. I question the attribution of immense 'higher' power in the hands of very few in relevant conspiracy theories and, as an atheist, see striking parallels with religion in such cases.

I think dictator-types likely create the external impression of conspiracy in some cases where palpable harm occurs, at the emotional cost of those who unwittingly aid the dictator.

Given that to avoid harm, one needs to understand its sources, I think this is a very important topic.

9

[edit on 10-1-2009 by 987931]

[edit on 10-1-2009 by 987931]

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
Not unless you're an idiot.

They are theories, ie the word theory.

Oh, defensive response!



Not looking to bash conspiracy theories or theorists. In general people don't look to be either but stumble upon a supposed truth and want to spread the word but I'm refering more to people who look for conspiracies to latch onto and believe that everything's a conspiracy.



and yea religion is a theory, i.e the fact that no evidence exists but God and religions can be true in theories.

Originally posted by 987931

I'm not saying conspiracies don't happen; they're a part of every day life. Here, I mean conspiracy in the sense of secret agreements between two or more people that cause or have the potential to cause some kind of harm to others.

I think, though, the vast majority of conspiracies are rather ad hoc, local, often downright tenuous and often frought with internal conflict. Evidence indicates certain conspiracies have been a little grander, but even then I think we tend to attribute way too much intention.

I believe in conspiracy theories and double edged swords and i also agree with the conspirers on some accounts like not disclosing alien info or technology etc if it exists cos i don't think people in general would react positively.

However i do find it harder to swallow NWO conspiracies cos how come then there has never been public power struggles or assassinations etc for such coveted positions of power.

And if there is a higher force looking over the world affairs why would they automatically have to be evil?

Why couldn't they be people who have prevented horrors rather than perpetrate them? The answer i believe is because we'd rather believe that they were evil because conspiracies in general have to be of a darker nature.

What if a NWO was really a "Jedi Knight Council" thing of great minds trying to help control the world. Could that be any worse than thoughts of all the power being in the hands of our tyrants and incompetent leaders? I believe not but hey what do i know!!!

Originally posted by hey1212

I believe in conspiracy theories and double edged swords and i also agree with the conspirers on some accounts like not disclosing alien info or technology etc if it exists cos i don't think people in general would react positively.

Agree with you there.

Originally posted by hey1212
However i do find it harder to swallow NWO conspiracies cos how come then there has never been public power struggles or assassinations etc for such coveted positions of power.

That's a really good point, never thought of that. I suppose NWO conspiracy theorists might argue even the power struggles or assassinations are suppressed. Then we're in that dangerous territory, as with many things -- impossible either to prove or disprove.