In the spirit of Halloween, read the following article about Superstition. What is the author's main argument and what rhetorical devices does he use to prove his point? Do you agree or disagree with his argument. Explain in depth and give examples and evidence from this text and perhaps an outside resource if needed to qualify or to counter his claims.
Here is a tune for inspiration, and who knows, maybe you can use the lyrics as a resource!!!!
Stevie Wonder Baby!!
This argument about superstitious beliefs is definitely a unique standpoint. The author is dead-set on never deviating from the established set of laws and guidelines transcribed in the Bible. He is completely against other forms of paranormal and existential communication outside of prayer and what God allows. However, his argument is seemingly flawed and very weak. He struggles to defend his argument at times. His first argument doesn't even have a leg to stand on. He states that "nonreligious people were more likely to believe in the existence of paranormal phenomena than religious people." He can of course say this statement with confidence, because he doesn't consider his faith to be paranormal phenomena. He does display some examples of "urban legends in the Catholic faith," but they're not exactly the same thing. He still believes his faith is fact, impossible to be disproven, even though it can't be proven. In another instance, he mentions the "sinful quality" of astrology while also mentioning how it doesn't work. If astrology doesn't actually work, why be so concerned with the outcome of people who believe in it? It seems completely unnecessary. He also explores the "evils" of various methods of contacting the dead, such as ouija boards, mediums, and psychics. While psychics and mediums are certified financial scams, they truly are harmless fun. There's nothing else to it. The same applies for ouija boards. People buy and use them for the thrill of it, whether they actually work or not is irrelevant. Personally, I know of people who have used ouija boards to contact the dead or whatever it may be. These people do it for the sole purpose of seeing if it works, it's just human curiosity. If we learn more about ouija boards, we become one step closer to learning more about a confirmed afterlife. At the same time, many people who attempt these things don't identify as Catholic. The basic belief system of Wicca is centered around communication with the dead and all these superstitions. Because this is what they believe, they don't find it sinful, just typical belief. Catholics don't approve of the communication with the dead outside of prayer. These beliefs show a conflict of religion. I have a personal experience of debating with someone of the religious life over this exact issue. One side sees a practice as superstition, while the other sees it as faith. For these reasons, I defend the use of these paranormal practices, due to the examination of the opposite side of the argument. Superstition and faith have a thin dividing line, and it is crossed with every different faith. For these reasons, I find every form of belief is outside forces, deities, or the paranormal as superstitious. It can't be proven right or wrong, it just has to be what it is.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Before everyone hates me for what I wrote, I never said Catholicism or Wicca are wrong wrong or right, but I simply used the belief systems of both to examine different sides of the argument. I figured I'd clear that up.
If psychics and mediums are certified scammers, I don't consider that harmless fun. How is scamming people for hundreds of dollars with lies about people they love, harmless fun? Especially when there are people who actually fall for it. Other than that, I appreciate the disclaimer at the bottom.
DeleteI found your arguments very interesting and I enjoyed seeing a different standpoint on this subject. I also found that you used the point of human instincts and curiosity. I was very intrigued with the points mentioned.
DeleteI agree with Bobbi, the disclaimer is an important addition. However, I do have to disagree with you on many points. You stated "If we learn more about Ouija boards, become one step closer to learn more about a confirmed afterlife." We do not need to become aware of the after life to know what happens to our loved ones. There's Heaven, Puragatory, and Hell. The usage of a Ouija puts the individual of great danger for your spiritual life. We need to trust that it is in God's greatest interest to protect us from the evil of satans works and games. It is in my opinion that we as Catholics do not even communicate with the dead within prayer. We pray to God asking for those souls of our loved ones to be in heaven. We simply don't ask God to talk to them and then it happens. I'm not dismissing the fact that those who lost a loved one do not experience occurances where they feel and know they are around. Paranormal phenomina's do show conflicts to faith, but it's in the notion of these phenomina's mushing the the faith into the acceptance of conjuring of the dead.
DeleteOn another note, I do find it interesting to read your view of the blogs because they are always quite different than everyone else's.
Nick, I like how you are one to alway look at things from a skeptical view. It allows all of us to learn more about topics from different viewpoints, which intern allows us to become more intelligent on said topics.
DeleteEmily, we don't know if there's heaven, hell, or purgatory. They're all part of a belief system that can't be proven true. Don't confuse facts and religion.
DeleteAlothough i disagree with you, I think it's only fair for you to think this way. You say you're atheist, you're argument only makes sense. I appreciate that even though you're outnumbered, you still not only state your belief, but you never really bash on Catholic beliefs either. That's a very good quality to have I think. Nice blog
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DeleteWhile I appreciate a good argument, I think you missed a major point that Trent Horn made. There are two main forces at work in the world, the good guys and the bad guys. If you play with the bad guys, they have the power to possess you. That is actually what Trent Horn is warning about in regards to superstition. The facts about demonic possession are not based on opinion, they are factual. I think you make a strong argument when you bring up Horn's warning about astrology. You have a point, if it doesn't work, then there is nothing overtly dangerous about it. However, your comment stating that it is irrelevant whether or not Ouija boards work is preposterous. Ouija boards do work if the devil decides you have opened a door he wants to enter. The devil is VERY powerful and can absolutely possess a human being. And knowing that there is a heaven, a hell and a purgatory is a fact for people who have faith. But faith is something that builds and changes and develops. So while Emily is in on the truth, some others may not be there yet. But she knows it is true. No one needs to prove it.
DeleteLike I said, you do a fine job challenging his points on several things. That is progress. Great blogging!! I love a controversy!
He is a buzz kill for sure!
DeleteEver since we were all young the Church has taught us that messing with the other world was a sin that should never be committed. This subject is a very controversial topic that should be taken into well consideration when discussing. The article stated well that all the objects with horoscopes, psychics, and clairyonce is a false idea of sin and should be avoided at all costs to save people from being falsely lied to about sensitive subjects of their lives. I personally find these topics of interest and I tend to try not to get involved in arguments or conversations such as these. My personality doesn't allow me to not question a subject such as spirits or horoscopes. I find myself one who loves to learn more about this. I would like to point out that I do not believe in ghosts but I question the existence of spirits. The difference is clear when comparing the two, spirits are the soul of a person and a ghost is seen as a image of a dead person. The word ghost is also used in the word "ghostwriter" meaning that someone is writing material for another individual who will get the credit for creating the work. I may be one of those people the author mentioned that is getting "duped" or committing a sin for wanting to learn more of this topic. The author angered me a bit by stereotyping the communities of people who are interesting or getting fooled by these horoscopes and fortune tellers. We are all humans with different ideals and personalities that can be interested in widely different topics and should not be grouped by what we believe in simply because one person argues that we must see "reality". But what is the true reality of this subject? Nobody can ever be one hundred percent positive of the unknown, we may never truly know what goes on in the life of a person who tells horoscopes or identifies themselves as a psychic, just as those people will never truly what goes on in individual Catholics lives. In my opinion the author may need to think of a different route on how he approached this sensitive topic that deals so much controversy in the Catholic faith.
ReplyDeleteI like how you addressed that the aituation is controversial rather than definite evil. Very well written.
DeleteNicely done Nichole! I like how you gave your own outlook to the subject. I wish there was a few more examples from the article, but overall nice job.
DeleteThat is relativism. Arguing that truth is different for everyone. It is either dangerous, or he is a liar. There is no in between. People do not like to hear the truth. He is saying that practicing these superstitions is dangerous, much like jumping off of a building is dangerous. You would not say that some people like to jump of buildings and so they should. IF superstition is dangerous, no one should engage in it, right? If you think he is right? and there is no way to sugarcoat the truth. It always makes people mad because it challenges them and tells them to stop doing something they like.
DeleteThe topic of this blog for this week has always been something that has fascinated me. The author's argument is that psychics and astrology are nothing but falsehoods-they aren't reliable. They are used with evil intentions. He uses many rhetorical devices, such as the use of the Bible and the CCC, because after all, he was arguing from a catholic viewpoint. I completely agree with everything this essay said, especially the parts about the psychics. I agree that many "mediums" use certain ploys for money and that they most likely don't speak to the dead. If they really cared about telling people messages from their lost love ones, they wouldn't charge a cent. I still don't understand how people don't recognize that. I think the most ridiculous parts about mediums are the vague statements they use that can be applied to anyone. The psychologist that gave all of his students identical readings and they all fell for them, was the most clever idea. I actually came acrossed a website that describes the seven things a psychic will do to trick you.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thrillist.com/amphtml/culture/7-tricks-psychics-and-mediums-use-how-psychics-use-cold-reading-the-forer-effect?client=safari
The first thing they talked about is the experiment the psychologist did to his students and how he got the class to believe the readings were personalized. These mediums look for a trigger in facial expressions to statements they might say. Once they see this they will expand on related topics that might trigger a facial expression in you or someone else. These statements they say that can apply to anyone allow them to backtrack and cover any base they may have missed. The website and the essay both talked about how the mediums may even do some research in you before a meeting. That seems like the most desperate attempt to make money - stalking people beforehand. I don't understand why these people dedicate their lives to scamming people and possibly ruining their lives for money. Personally, the fact that people don't realize this, it freaks me out more than "mediums talking to dead people".
I liked the points you touched on in your blog but I also am one who is on the fence about this type of subject and I would've liked to watch the video however the link did not work for me.
DeleteI am also perplexed why people are so clueless, to stay the least, about the effects these phenomina's have on us and our belief in the faith.
DeleteBobby, I like how you touched up more about the mediums. Yes, if they really cared they should not charge anything. I remember awhile ago, a person I know broken a few body parts while playing a game. Instead of having to pay loads of money, the person had it for free because the doctor really cared about the patient.
DeleteWe can't assume that the intentions are evil. People sometimes use ouija boards to contact loved ones, like you argued against my blog. They believe they respond with happy answers and let them know that everything is ok. My grandma did this after her son died, and she's a devout Catholic at the same time. Why take that away from her by saying God doesn't like it?
DeleteI like all your points and arguments on mediums! I agree with your blog and I would have to disagree with Nick. In my opinion the dead should be left in peace.
DeleteNichole I do think we should not mettle with certain things in death like demons but with what nick said was his grandmother only wanted closure and peace of mind and i only find that right she should be able to have such things as that
DeleteI've always been interested in this topic, too. It scares me, but it's intriguing at the same time. Nice use of outside resources as well
DeleteNick, I understand when you say we can't assume all intentions are evil but how do we know all the "spirits" coming through are the ones we want to speak to?
DeleteNick, intentions may not be evil, but that is why people need to be educated about the dangers of these types of things. That was part of Trent's argument. We need to help educate those people because they are t actually contacting their loved ones and telling them would save them a great amount of hurt in the end. As he said, it seems innocent until families of murder victims are given false hope or a false truth. That is so much worse than taking away their encounter with a family member.
DeleteIn "The Perils of Superstition Why Catholics Should Only “Hold Fast What is Good”" given my Trent Horn, I found it quite intriguing. Within his claim, he mentions horoscopes, mediums, and contracting of the dead (Ouija Board). I can admit that I do read horoscopes that are on the news part of snapchat. When I read them I'm like what the heck? This is just weird, or other times I'm like this is super weird because I could see it happening. I never thought anything of it being against my faith; I don't entrust upon them or believe they are concrete information, but I guess I do just read them for fun. And that's were Horn comes in and tell us we all think it's all fun and games, harmless amusement, but it's the Catholic rooted faith individuals who become fooled by the superstitions of the paranormal phenomena. In fact, there is an eight percent of continuous church attendees who fulfill a high belief of phenomena such as physics and ghost, where non church attendees skyrocketed to thirty one percent. For his argument, he includes present day pressing issues such as mediums and ouija boards. He states that mediums give their subject classified knowledge by contacting the spirits of humans who have passed away. They study them and see who is reacting to their readings. Once they distinguish that, they give generalized information that anyone can relate to their lives. When I think of mediums, I instantly think of Theresa Caputo and the Long Island Medium television series. She travels all around the county giving her clients readings. I can remember flicking through the channels and watching a full episode. I was honestly confused. I knew something most definitely had to be helping her. God creates everyone in His image and likeness, so I do not believe that he would give someone the ability to conjure the dead. I believe mediums are a high class joke trying to make money off of someone else's misfortune. Ouija boards just creep my out. I was always told never to touch a Ouija board if you came across one, and under any circumstances, do not use one. As an adolescent, I didn't really see the big deal of a game that had an age requirement of eight. Which makes absolute no sense, you have to be eighteen to buy cigarets and twenty one to drink alcohol, but only eight years old to talk to the dead. Something needs to be changed about that, obviously they are. It going to just fall off of the face of the earth like I hope they would, but the age requirement should definitely be M for mature. I can't even watch movies about Ouija boards because I feel since I watching it, they it's happening to me. I was ever permitted to watch one and I'm happy my parents wouldn't allow me because of the detrimental effects I no sooner learned about. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32) is the perfect lesson preached by Jesus. It was good that Trent Horn discussed the items my generation especially, but everyone is believing it's okay, "all harmless fun." His rhetorical devices of the Bible give a direct belief from the catholic faith against phenomena's.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this and agree with what you said! I like the use of the John verse, I think it's important to this assignment and life in general!
DeleteI completely agree on everything you said about the ouija boards. They creep me out and it scares me that people think they can be harmless. I also felt the same way when watching Theresa Caputo and her show. There is no way she can only "conjure up" the exact person her clients are looking for at the perfect moment. She was on a talk show once and they took her out into the streets and she had a hard time doing impromptu "readings".
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your argument on oujia boards🙈 They are very sketchy. If people do not believe they work, why do they use them?? Very good point about these problems happening more often in this generation!
DeleteAfter reading "The Perils of Superstition," I discovered it was an article about phenomenons. The author argues about how horoscopes, mediums, and practices such as burying St. Joseph upside down are fake and may even be demonic. He used the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church to validate his points, while also providing a rhetorical appeal to his argument. Some other devices he utilized were examples such as how mediums may not seem harmful at first, but people fall for them and lose thousands of dollars while also being provided a false sense of hope. Later he started to refute hoaxes that are related to the Bible such as Einstein debating an atheist about the development of evil and his belief in God, or how the sun was miscalculated and how Joshua predicted it.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with him on most subjects, but there is one topic that I disagreed on, and that is the Ouija Board. Such a board cannot contact the dead. When I was younger, I was really surprise to hear that it could and so I was curious. I myself will never use an Ouija Board, and botch my shot at going to heaven. So instead I just did research on it. Most of the videos on YouTube about the Ouija Board and how it supposedly works are just like the "Real Life alien" videos. They aren't real, but they do draw a lot of attention and that intern makes money. I unearthed a video I saw where a guy tries the Ouija Board in the middle of the night in a cemetery. He tries everything everyone told him to do such as using a candle, respecting the ghosts, doing a figure 8 with the little piece before starting and many more. In similar videos, he goes as far as to take temperature recordings to see if it drops, and it's not just his brain playing tricks on him (which is claimed to happened in the presence of a ghost).
This is the video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t3RAISx7JDs
This guy does so much crazy stuff such as the urban legends. As far as I know, nothing major happened that would prove the existence of ghosts in his videos.
I looked for an explanation to why such a board "works" and I discover this:
-https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PRo8TytvIDw
It's a video from National Geographic where they had a group of participants use a Ouija Board to contact a dead person. At first, they got the correct answers to the questions they asked. But when they were told to wear blindfolds, it was a mess. As the video stated "Why should a spirit care if the person can see or not." The answers they got weren't even close to being acceptable. A question that required a specific year for an answer got letters and blanks.
Now one might come and say that there are videos where people were blindfolded and they still got actuate answers. I remember hearing that somewhere. I saw a video (unfortunately I can't find it again) where a group of people were blinded folded after their initial try, much like the previous one. What's different was that without their knowledge, the Ouija Board was flipped around. The participants move the piece to where they "thought" the answers would be such as Yes or No. But again the actual answers were reversed and on the other side of the board. So one can come to the conclusion that the board is not control by demonic spirits but by the movements of the person. The person does not know themselves that they are moving it (there is some kind of scientific word to describe this action) but they are moving it to where they believed would be the correct answer. Hence why the blind folded participant with the reverse board moved it to where they believed it would of been, no spirits involved.
In this article about superstitions, Trent argues that non Catholics are more likely to believe and to be caught up with the paranormal world than Catholics. He states that some catholics do in fact believe in the paranormal phenomena but most do not. He uses logic to prove that his argument is correct. "I always cringe when a fellow Catholic forwards me an email with a story that can be disproven with a few mouse clicks." When Trent says this he is simply stating that he can easily prove a false story to be false. After reading the article I took a moment to think if I agreed with what he was saying. Did I believe that Catholics do not believe in paranormal phenomena? Do I sin by saying things are just "harmless fun"? I came to the conclusion that I agree and I disagree with the authors argument. I do believe that horoscopes and mediums are not harmless fun. They are a sin and against my religion as a catholic. However, I believe that Catholics would be more inclined to believe in such things because of the church's teachings. The church teaches us that satin and temptation is very real. She teaches us demons and evil are very much real and if you invite that evil into your life through mediums or ouija boards it will be nearly impossible to do away with it. As Catholics we are to believe that Satin is real but with the power of God we are saved and protected. "Gods grace is enough."
ReplyDeleteThis article was an argument talking about the TRUTH of topics such as mediums, horoscopes, and other "harmless fun" activities. It seems that our generation is becoming more involved with these activities because they are seen in television shows, movies, YouTube, etc. I also think that many young people fail to realize the danger of these activities because popular culture makes them seem harmless. This argument shed some light on such a controversial topic this time of year. He made it clear in most of his topics that psychics, mediums, and horoscopes are vague. This means that the readings are broader making it easier to apply to many people. This reminds me of a "one size fits all", but for readings. The author ultimately said that these people giving the readings are really in it to scam others to make some money. Reading the article, I can definitely say that I agree with most of what the author says, but these activities are still hazy to me. He did not seem to clarify if mediums are real or if ouija boards give accurate reading, but as a practicing Catholic, I do not and will not take part in any of these activities. That is the main idea that was clear in the argument. The author used the Bible to defend his argument by using 2 Corinthians 12:9, “God’s grace is enough.” I do not need some medium to tell me if my loved one is okay, or have a psychic tell me my future because I have TRUST in the Lord. God's plan is perfect, and I know His will is all good. Therefore, by having this trust why would one need anything else other than the Lord? These activities are dangerous because by going to a medium it ultimately indicates a lack of trust in the Lord and in His perfect plan. This is why we must TRUST the Lord at all times.
ReplyDeleteMy freshman year was the first time I was introduced to a ouija board. I didn't make the purchase, but a few upperclassman had bought it for what they called, "a little excitement". I was invited to go over to watch, but immediately declined. I had been warned by Sister John Paul to not dibble in the forces of the dark. As it turns out, those upperclassmen ended up not using it, and stored it away in a closet to never be found.
ReplyDeleteAs I stated before, I had been pre-warned about the dangers of contacting the dead. Never once in my life have I ever had an urge to do so, either. I personally find it very scary as I can't even watch horror films. Trent Horn offers a great theological look into the issue of superstition beliefs in the church. I agree with his argument that all forms of superstitious activities should ultimately be avoided by everyone, especially those of the faith. In my opinion, any kind of involvement in those types of activities is begging the devil to use his evil power to the fullest. Demons, ouija boards, horror films, horoscopes, and astrology all freak me out. I never believed in horoscopes, but I also didn't know that it was a sin to believe in them. I always thought it was some simple fun for people to look into. I learned a great deal from this article about what the Catholic faith stands for and against. I thought it was very important that Trent mentioned some of the controversial topics people like to point out to the Church. For example, non-believers are quick to believe that praying to the dead is the same as praying to the saints. I'm not Catholic, but even I find this belief very offending. Saints, as Trent said, only hear our petitions and relate them back to God. It's a three way conversation. Not only do we do this with saints, but Jesus and our priests fulfill the same job.
Another flaw I realized as I read this was the fact that so many people can believe in spirits and contacting the dead, but they can't wrap their heads around an all living, all powerful, and all loving God. To me, their argument is weak and can't be backed up at all. I appreciate Trent's concern for the Church and where she's headed. I feel that more Christians should be taught about the beliefs of the Church so she can become stronger and more unified instead of divided because of conflicting popular beliefs.
Nice job, Abby! I like how you put in your own life experiences and backed up those experiences with the arguments from the article. I also like the way you set up your blog. It flows nicely and is easy to follow. Great work.
DeleteI like the personal touch on this one. I think Nick used a personal experience as well. That can be a good way to bring pathos to the subject, especially since this is an informal forum.
DeleteTrent Horn's main argument is that although many people think Catholics are more gullible and will believe in any tale they are told, Horn states non Catholics are more likely to believe in paranormal phenomena. Trent also argues the fact that believing in superstition is against the church.
ReplyDeleteThere are parts of his argument I agree with and others that I do not agree with. When Trent talks about astrology, I went back and forth with whether I agreed with it or not, because although believing in it is not good in catholic faith, he made it seem like even reading the horoscopes was bad, which I don't agree with. One of the most dedicated Catholics could read a horoscope about them, but that doesn't make them a bad catholic. Along with that, although I'm not necessarily good with my faith at this point in my life, looking at horoscopes doesn't make me a worse catholic. In the section about mediums, I don't agree with most of it because a lot of people that go to them are desperate to get a connection with a loved one that's passed, and even though most of these mediums are fakes, the people that go to them find comfort in hearing what the psychic has to say. And to me, doing that isn't against catholic faith because I know someone who is deep into their faith who went to a medium once, and they felt much better afterwards.
Overall I have to disagree with his main argument of non catholics being more prone to believing in superstition because although he made some valid points on why believing in certain things is against catholic faith, that doesn't stop Catholics from believing in what the horoscopes say.
This is such a difficult subject because it involves the pain of missing loved ones who have died. Many people I know have found comfort in Mediums, but so have many found much, much comfort in being united with their loved ones through reception of the Eucharist. That is the ONLY place where heaven and earth meet. The ONLY place. That is why attending mass and receiving the Eucharist is so very important. Or at lease one of the reasons. I like to think that I am visiting with my Dad in a physical way every time I go to mass. He is there. God said he is. I believe it.
DeleteAll forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone (CCC 2116). He is arguing that we, as Catholics, are not to believe that any form of superstitions nor let others do so. Trent used facts and statistics to support his argument, but I couldn't find any evident rhetoric devices throughout. I agree with his argument because as he said, "God didn’t create us for blissful ignorance; he made us for holiness and knowledge of him." Earlier this year, I wrote a blog about how ignorance is very harmful and this essay proves that statement to be correct. Knowing what the truth is and ignoring it, as well as letting other people do so is detrimental to our souls. It is difficult sometimes to spears the truth because we think that other people's beliefs are none of our buisness, but it is because it will set them free. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). "Innocent fun" could put our souls in grave danger, according to Trent.
ReplyDelete, and I couldn't agree more. We need to be more educated on THE issues, especially ones that define our Catholic identity.