Overbeliefs

The "overbeliefs" of an enlightened man rest on the firmest basis of reality available. This he finds in the scientific picture of the universe of his age. On this foundation of natural knowledge he erects a unique unproven structure of "overbeliefs" concerning his universe, origin, life, hereafter, religion and God. "A man's religion must not give the lie to the world in which he lives. It must be as intelligent as Man". If the overbeliefs of an individual cannot be proven inconsistent with current natural knowledge they constitute his "outlook"; if otherwise, the individual's myths or superstitions. It is here at this point,—in the kind of causal relationship maintained by man between his science and his overbeliefs, at which much trouble has originated, that is, as to which has been established as the antecedent and which, the result. Again, many of man's overbeliefs re¬ mind one of a thermometer. This instrument in an environment of changing temperature does not register the exact temperature at the time of observation. It always indicates some former temperature. The scientist describes this type of behavior as "time-lag". Likewise, many of the most intense emotional overbeliefs of the race have not kept pace with the strides of science. They lag in that they do not reflect the status of the prevailing science. Very frequently an overbelief of an earlier generation or age persists into a later one altho its status has become that of a "myth" or a "superstition".

Many of the bitter controversies which have occurred in various ages and not a few of the revolts against epochal discoveries in science have been due to the "time-lag" of various overbeliefs. For confirmation of this one needs to recall only briefly but two of the overbeliefs of early man, —the "geocentric theory" and the "anthropocentric theory". According to these two overbeliefs "all creation" centered in and about "the earth" and "man", respectively. "As man was the 'object' of creation so the earth was the 'center' of the universe". Therefore, the theories of Copernicus, Kepler at the center of the universe and the "mechanical theory" at the center of the universe and the "mechanical theory" of Newton, which '^relieved God and his angels of hourly responsibility" by introducing the "law of universal gravitation", met with vigorous opposition which undoubtedly had its origin in the "geocentric" overbelief. Likewise, the hostility to Darwin's great generalizing principle of nature which indicated man's biological relatives and position may be attributed to the intensity and prevalence of the "anthropocentric" overbelief. It was solemnly aflOrmed that such conceptions "degraded" both the earth and man. Likewise, modern man is very muddled in what he thinks the universe is because of a curious selection of overbeliefs from the past and the present. As a matter of fact there are very few, if any, who are not lugging around archaic overbeliefs that determine very largely their attitude towards the na¬ ture of the universe, religion, society, man and his significance. There are no No. 13 staterooms in ships at sea! Walking 'under a ladder' or "breaking a mirror' brings catastrophe! The author, himself, confesses to a feeling of dislike for a black cat on the highway!

Human beings see the world through our desires and build a universe to fit with what we want from it.