Big Lie

The storming of the Capitol was not excusable, but it was understandable. If I believed that the election was stolen and if a man I trusted told me that, because it was stolen, I should be angry and stop the vote, I might have done the same. Damn the consequences, let me stand up for what is right!

But there is zero evidence that the election was stolen. Or perhaps I should say there is only fictional evidence. That man, it turns out, was not to be trusted.

Amid the insurrection were many "people of faith." I too am a believer. Some of the things I believe are not provable, and yet I do believe. You might ask why I hold religious beliefs without demonstrable proof. That is a legitimate question. My answer, I confess, is that nearly everyone has religious beliefs, and not having them is beyond my ability.

But this association of fervent Christian faith with an unfounded belief in a big fat lie is deeply disturbing. If someone believes in a crackpot conspiracy, it is hard not to assume that person is a crackpot.

My sister works with a man who believes the Earth is flat. A co-worker, probably hoping to be entertained by an outburst, asked him what he thought about those anti-vaxxers. The man replied, "Those people are nuts!" Which is a great story, because we expect the guy to fall for every cockamamie conspiracy theory.

If I believe an utterly unfounded theory that is easily disproved, anyone knowing this is likely to assume my other beliefs are equally absurd.