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From: credmond@watmath.UUCP (Chris Redmond)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: On the Power of Arcane Symbols
Message-ID: <17027@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Oct-85 11:45:17 EST
Article-I.D.: watmath.17027
Posted: Tue Oct 29 11:45:17 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 08:39:29 EST
References: <1516@vax3.fluke.UUCP> <1227@mhuxt.UUCP> <2002@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: credmond@watmath.UUCP (Chris Redmond)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 20

>At one time, a number of researchers substituted randomly selected
>horoscopes for the normal ones in a newspaper for a period of some weeks.
>Not suprisingly, the change went unnoticed; what was suprising was the
>number of 'hits' the random texts produced.  I myself believe that most
>oracles work in the same way.  So I treat these things with great respect;

Sure they do.  But they "work" not because they have any "power", but
because (1) horoscopes and oracles are written ambiguously, to maximize
the number of "hits" and gain a reputation for credibility; (2) people
are predisposed to believe in them, and so they interpret whatever 
happens in a way that gives them validity; and (3) such people are
sometimes influenced by the prediction to behave in a way that makes 
it come true -- e.g. if it is predicted that I will have an automobile
accident, and I believe the prediction, my driving will likely become
nervous and jerky, and you can guess what will happen.

One may argue that these are undesirable effects, but I do not think
a Christian can rationally believe that the fault lies in some
devil-driven oracle or spell. It lies in human stupidity, gullibility,
desperation or misplaced faith.