,9 ,D\BT ,WE ,TRU/ 
,CULTS1 RELIGIONS1 & ,B,S 9 G5]AL 

#aiii 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,ROB]T ,ANTON ,WILSON 

,TEXT 3 

,CAN WE ACTUALLY 0KN[0 ! UNIV]SE8 ,MY ,GOD1 IT'S H>D 5\< F9D+ Y\R WAY >\ND 9 ,*9AT[N4 

,WOODY ,ALL5 

,LA/ WEEK1 ,I HAPP5$ TO SEE TWO ,T,V %[S AB\T 0CULTS0 -- 0,SCI5TOLOGY0 & 0,HEAV5'S ,GATE0 ON ,A@&,E'S ,9VE/IGATIVE ,REPORTS -- & !Y GOT ME ?9K+4 ,EA* %[ HAD AT LEA/ ONE GALOOT REM>K+ ?AT ! L9E BETWE5 0CULT0 & 0RELIGION0 SEEMS FUZZY AT BE/1 BUT EA* %[ ALSO HAD A MAJORITY ( FOLKS :O W]E QUITE SURE !Y C\LD DI/+UI% A 0CULT0 FROM A 0RELIGION0 BY ! 9/ITUTION'S DEGREE ( 0M9D CONTROL0 OR 0BRA9WA%+40 ,I ?9K BO? GR\PS W]E CONFUS$4 

,!RE >E TWO CLE>-CUT & EMPIRICAL L9ES BETWE5 A 0CULT0 & A 0RELIGION03 .<A.> MEMB]%IP 7VOT]S7 & .<B.> BANK ACC\NT1 .<B.> BE+ A FUNCTION ( .<A.>4 ,IF A GR\P HAS 5\< MEMB]S TO 9FLU5CE ELECTIONS1 IT WILL ALSO HAVE A L>GE BANK ACC\NT1 & !SE TWO FACTORS WILL GU>ANTEE ?AT ! POLITICIANS1 ! COPS & ! CORPORATE M$IA WILL TREAT IT ) RESPECT1 AS A 0RELIGION40 ,) FEW MEMB]S & LITTLE MONEY1 ! SAME GR\P C\LD BE CALL$ A 0CULT0 & TREAT$ ACCORD+LY1 EV5 TO ! EXT5T ( TOA/+1 ROA/+ & *>BROIL+1 AS 9 ,WACO4 

,?IS L9E REMA9S OBVI\S & VISIBLE TO ALL OBS]V]S4 ,! ONLY PROBLEMS >ISE :5 PEOPLE TRY TO DRAW A LESS 0MAT]IALI/IC10 MORE METAPHYSICAL DI/9CTION BETWE5 ONE GANG ( ,TRUE ,BELIEV]S & ANO!R4 ,MAT]IALI/IC QUE/IONS CAN BE ANSW]$1 E4G41 0,DOES ?AT MAT*BOX HAVE ANY MAT*ES LEFT 9 IT80 ,METAPHYSICAL QUE/IONS AB\T 0M9D CONTROL0 OR ANY O!R IMMEASURABLE 05TITY0 OR 0ESS5CE0 CANNOT BE ANSW]$1 & ! BE/ ?AT CAN BE SAID IS ?AT >GU+ AB\T !M HAS PROVID$ A C]TA9 AM\NT ( 9TELLECTUAL 5T]TA9M5T1 OR COMBAT1 = A FEW ?\S& YE>S4 ,AT LEA/ = ?OSE :O 5JOY ?AT K9D ( PA/IME4 ,SORT ( LIKE *ESS1 Y\ KN[4 

,I HAVE NO COMMITM5T TO MAT]IALISM AS A PHILOSOPHY ?AT EXPLA9S EV]Y?+1 S9CE NO CORRELATION ( WORDS CAN EV] DO ?AT1 & A PHILOSOPHY IS NEV] MORE ?AN A CORRELATION ( WORDS4 ,BUT RE/RICT+ MYSELF TO ! 0MAT]IALI/IC0_/SCI5TIFIC ME?OD ( ASK+ QUE/IONS ?AT HAVE DEF9ITE EXP]I5TIAL ANSW]S1 ,I OBS]VE NO DIFF]5CE 9 OP]ATION BETWE5 0CULTS0 & 0RELIGIONS40 ,CA?OLIC NUNS & PRIE/S V[+ CELIBACY SEEM NO MORE OR LESS WEIRD ?AN ,HEAV5'S ,GATE MEMB]S :O ALSO MAKE ?AT *OICE4 ,MORMON EXTRAT]RE/RIAL COSMOLOGY SEEMS AS GO(Y AS ,SCI5TOLOGY1 ETC4 ,RELIGIONS & CULTS ALL USE ! SAME TE*NIQUES ( BRA9 DAMAGE1 OR 0M9D CONTROL10 I4E4 !Y ALL 9/ILL ,B,S -- ,BELIEF ,SY/EMS4 

,B,S CONTRADICTS BO? SCI5CE & ORD9>Y 0COMMON S5SE40 ,IT CONTRADICTS SCI5CE BECAUSE IT CLAIMS C]TITUDE & SCI5CE CAN NEV] A*IEVE C]TITUDE3 ,AFT] ALL1 SCI5CE CAN ONLY SAY1 0,?IS MODEL -- OR !ORY1 OR 9T]PRETATION ( ! DATA -- FITS MORE ( ! FACTS KN[N AT ?IS DATE ?AN ANY RIVAL MODEL40 ,WE CAN NEV] KN[ IF ! MODEL WILL FIT ! FACTS ?AT MI<T COME TO LI<T 9 ! NEXT MILL5NIUM OR EV5 9 ! NEXT WEEK4 

,BUT ,B,S HAS AN EV5 MORE TOTAL 9COMPATIBILITY ) :AT ,I LOOSELY CALL$ 0COMMON S5SE40 ,EXCEPT :5 WE GET DRAGG$ 9TO A METAPHYSICAL1 OR IDEOLOGICAL1 >GUM5T1 WE ALL KN[ DAMN WELL H[ FALLIBLE WE >E4 ,WE KN[ ?AT \R S5SE IMPRESSIONS CAN MISLEAD US1 = 9/ANCE4 ,IF WE SEE SOMEBODY :O LOOKS LIKE ,JOE ACROSS ! /REET1 WE >E AW>E ?AT IT MAY BE ,JOE OR IT MAY BE SOME G9KUS :O LOOKS A LOT LIKE ,JOE4 ,WE EXAM9E HIM EMPIRICALLY LE/ WE CLASSIFY HIM TOO QUICKLY AS ,JOE OR NOT-,JOE4 ,WE HAVE LE>N$ ?AT SL[1 T5TATIVE JUDGM5TS >E SAF] ?AN RAPID C]TITUDES4 

,AFT] ALL1 ! ,E>? LOOKS FLAT4 ,WORSE YET1 IF T5 WITNESSES AT AN ACCID5T >E QUE/ION$1 T5 SLI<TLY DIFF]5T /ORIES ALWAYS EM]GE -- & SOMETIMES ! DIFF]5CES >E HUGE1 NOT SLI<T4 

,I HAVE P]=M$ ! FOLL[+ EXP]IM5T 9 WORK%OPS = NE>LY #d YE>S N[3 ,EV]YBODY 9 ! CLASS IS ASK$ TO DESCRIBE ! HALL !Y PASS$ ?R\< TO GET TO ! CLASSROOM4 ,I MU/ HAVE TRI$ ?IS SEV]AL HUNDR$ TIMES BY N[1 & ,I HAVE NEV] 5C\NT]$ TWO PEOPLE :O AGRE$ TOTALLY AB\T :AT WAS OR WAS NOT 9 ! HALL1 ! COLOR ( ! WALLS1 OR ANY SIMIL> DATA4 ,WE DO NOT WALK ?R\< ! 0SAME0 HALL3 WE WALK ?R\< A REALITY-TUNNEL CON/RUCT$ BY \R IMPR9T$1 CONDITION$ & LE>N$ BRA9 CIRCUITS4 

,! SAME EXP]IM5T WORKS ) HE>+1 & O!R S5SES1 AS WELL AS ) VISION & MEMORY4 ,TRY IT ) A HALF-DOZ5 FRI5DS4 ,LET SOMEBODY ) A WAT* SAY 0,GO60 & !N ALL ( Y\ BE SIL5T & LI/5 = ONE FULL M9UTE -- #f SURPRIS+LY LONG SECONDS4 ,Y\ WILL ALL HE> SOME S\NDS NOBODY ELSE HE>S & MISS SOME S\NDS EV]YBODY ELSE CAU<T4 

,HUMAN BRA9S >E AS 9DIVIDUALIZ$ & UNIQUE AS HUMAN F+]PR9TS4 ,WE ALL LIVE 9 DIFF]5T S5SORY UNIV]SES1 & NOBODY HAS A GU>ANTEE ?AT HIS_/H] UNIV]SE CORRESPONDS MORE EXACTLY TO ! ALLEG$ 0REAL UNIV]SE0 ?AN ANYBODY ELSE'S4 

,BUT IF \R P]CEPTIONS >E SOME:AT UNC]TA91 !N ALL ( \R IDEAS1 :I* >E D$UCTIONS OR 9F]5CES FROM P]CEPTION1 MU/ ALSO REMA9 SOME:AT UNC]TA94 

,! LATE1 GREAT ,DR4 ,TIMO?Y ,LE>Y US$ TO PUT ?IS 9 T]MS ( A BASEBALL METAPHOR3 ! BE/ BATT]S ALL HAD A LIFETIME BATT+ AV]AGE BEL[ 4#c#c#c4 ,?AT MEANS !Y MISS$ MORE ?AN TWO \T ( ?REE TIMES !Y SWUNG4 ,N[1 MAYBE Y\ >E VA9 5\< TO ?9K Y\ >E MORE ?AN TWICE AS GOOD AT PHILOSOPHY AS ,T$ ,WILLIAMS WAS AT BASEBALL1 BUT EV5 !N Y\'D ONLY HAVE AN AV]AGE >\ND 4#f4 ,TO ASSUME AN AV]AGE ( #a4 IS TO ASS]T ?AT Y\ >E MORE ?AN ?REE TIMES AS SM>T ) WORDS AS ,BABE ,RU? WAS ) BASEBALLS -- RA!R A CONCEIT$ VIEW1 NU8 -- & YET ?AT'S :AT EV]Y ,BELIEF ,SY/EM 7,B,S7 CLAIMS4 

,! FUNCTION ( RELIGIONS & CULTS1 9CLUD+ ! POLITICAL OR IDEOLOGICAL ONES1 IS TO %ORT-CIRCUIT ! NORMAL 0COMMON S5SE0 PROCESS ( D\BT1 9VE/IGATION1 FUR!R D\BT1 FUR!R 9VE/IGATION1 FUR!R D\BT1 ETC4 ,! P]SON ) ,B,S KN[S ! 0RI<T ANSW]0 AT ALL TIMES & KN[S IT IMM$IATELY4 ,?IS MAKES !M V]Y HAPPY1 & V]Y ANNOY+ S9CE MO/ ( !IR 0RI<T ANSW]S0 DON'T MAKE S5SE TO ! RE/ ( US4 

,COMMON S5SE &_/OR SCI5CE REQUIRE 9VE/IGATION & REVISION1 ETC4 ,B,S ONLY REQUIRES A ,RULE ,BOOK -- SACR$ SCRIPTURE1 ,DAS ,KAPITAL OR :ATEV] -- & A GOOD MEMORY4 

,PEOPLE ) 0FAI?0 REPRES5T M5TAL HEAL? PROBLEM _?#a1 BECAUSE MEMORIZ+ RULE BOOKS CUTS Y\ (F FROM S5SORY 9VOLVEM5T ) ! EXI/5TIAL WORLD4 ,IT ALSO CREATES ! K9D ( 9TOL]ANCE ?AT PRODUCES WIT* HUNTS1 ,9QUISITIONS1 PURGES1 ,HOLOCAU/S ETC4 

,BELIEF ,SY/EMS1 0FAI?10 C]TITUDES ( ALL SORTS1 RESULT FROM DELIB]ATELY =GETT+ ! FALLIBILITY ( HUMAN BRA9S1 ESPECIALLY ! BRA9S ( ?OSE :O WROTE Y\R P>TICUL> RULE BOOK4 ,P>ADOXICALLY1 ?IS LEADS TO A REJECTION ( ! BE/ FUNCTIONS ( ! BRA9 -- NAMELY1 ITS ABILITY TO RE?9K1 REVISE & CORRECT ITSELF4 ,IT ALSO PHYSICALLY EXHAU/S Y\1 AS ,EZRA ,P\ND NOT$ 9 ,CANTO #h#e3 

,AW>5ESS RE/FUL @& FAKE IS FATIGU+ 

,IF ! WORLD SEEMS TO BE FULL ( /UPID1 CRAZY & HALF-ASLEEP PEOPLE1 ?AT IS BECAUSE IT IS /ILL DOM9AT$ BY ,BELIEF ,SY/EMS4 ,:E!R ?IS ,B,S OP]ATES UND] ! LABEL ( RELIGION OR CULT OR ,POLITICAL ,CORRECTNESS1 IT %UTS (F ALL BRA9 FUNCTIONS EXCEPT MEMORIZATION & REPRES5TS ! SUICIDE ( 9TELLIG5CE4 

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,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #aiih 3 ,9 ,D\BT ,WE ,TRU/ -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,APRIL #b#g1 #bb 3 ,9 ,D\BT ,WE ,TRU/ -- ,ADD$4 
,JANU>Y #d1 #bbb 3 ,9 ,D\BT ,WE ,TRU/ -- ,UPDAT$4 

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