House of Eratosthenes

Democrats more likely to believe in ghosts

Writing in the Washington Examiner about the results of a poll by the Pew Center on Religion and Public Life, Byron York may have stumbled upon why more Democrats than Republicans agree to programs that will leave our great-great grandchildren a massive public debt, believe in voodoo economics, predict a rosy future for programs that have no solid basis in facts, and other bizarre behavior.

New study: More Democrats than Republicans believe in ghosts, talking with the dead, fortunetellers

(snip)

. . .Democrats are far more likely to believe in supernatural phenomenon than Republicans.

“Conservatives and Republicans report fewer experiences than liberals or Democrats communicating with the dead, seeing ghosts and consulting fortunetellers or psychics,” the Pew study says. For example, 21 percent of Republicans report that they have been in touch with someone who is dead, while 36 percent of Democrats say they have done so. Eleven percent of Republicans say they have seen a ghost, while 21 percent of Democrats say so. And nine percent of Republicans say they have consulted a fortuneteller, while 22 percent of Democrats have.

There’s more. Seventeen percent of Republicans say they believe in reincarnation, while 30 percent of Democrats do. Fourteen percent of Republicans say they believe in astrology, while 31 percent of Democrats do. Fifteen percent of Republicans say they view yoga as a spiritual practice, while 31 percent of Democrats do. Seventeen percent of Republicans say they believe in spiritual energy, while 30 percent of Democrats do.

I think it might have something to do with worldview.

For awhile I’ve been noticing that conservatives and liberals both see themselves as insignificant in relationship to the universe overall, but in different ways. The conservative mindset sees life as a gift, and the span of that life as a fleeting opportunity to show oneself worthy of it. The liberal viewpoint is similar; one is saddled with an obligation to demonstrate himself to be worthy. But the conservative is readying for adjudication by some unseen Higher Power, whereas the liberal, being more secular, is continually laboring to impress peers. I’m a good person; I have pure thoughts; I’m an “intellectual.”

The conservative sees his deeds and works as potentially significant. His feelings about things are not. With the liberal, it is the reverse — feelings reign supreme, but we’re not really put here by anything or anybody, therefore we don’t carry a burden to get much of anything done unless we happen to be “serving” in politics.

So if you’re a conservative, if you have some friends or relatives who’ve passed on and you’d dearly like to see them again, you’re probably inclined to figure it isn’t going to happen. Not that your love is unrequited; it’s just that the deceased have better things to do.

The liberal view of the universe is inextricably intertwined with me, me, me. All who doubt, look no further than the next Barack Obama press conference or teevee appearance for the next piece of evidence you need to explain-away — and you never have too long to wait for that! So it stands to reason that in the liberal mind it is “inevitable” you’ll see Aunt Sally again someday…it must be. When am I going to see my parents. When am I going to see that friend of mine. When are they going to be visible to me.

Naturally, whoever thinks it is just a matter of time before he sees a ghost…that guy is probably gonna see one.

I was watching the news with a friend once. A woman had been in a bad accident. Her husband was interviewed and “Thanked God” for having save her.

This friend scoffed at such a personal God.

This same friend seems to think that the only reason his horse has what’s called “scratches” is because he must have willed them there. They would go away if only he, (not the horse) could figure out why he had will them and how to imagine them gone ala “The Secret”.

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- tgoon | 12/14/2009 @ 12:18
I hate to so so mean but; anyone who believes in Astrology is too dumb for me to talk to on a rational level.

In order for Astrology to be real then the Earth has to be the center of the Universe, or a ptolemaic system. A Ptolemaic system has several features most people would find quite untenable yet to believe in Astrology you must believe these

1. The Earth is flat and in the center of the universe
2. The stars have to all be at the same distance from the Earth and in fixed position.
3. There could also be no life beyond Earth because the universal astrological signs would not be visible from another location. Thus how could someone born on Mars know their astrological sign?

Astrology is simply complete and total hog-wash.

People who believe in Astrology are probably the same peole who believe in Global Warming
- Fai Mao | 12/14/2009 @ 21:24
Morgan, pardon me for pointing out the obvious.

Actually, you were on the right track when you mentioned different worldviews, but I’m going to take it a step further.

Let’s assume that most conservatives vote Republican, and that most liberals vote Democrat. If you break it down by liberal vs conservative, this becomes a bit clearer.

Most conservatives that I know are Christians, or at the very least believe pretty firmly in the idea of God. Most liberals that I’ve run across are agnostic or atheist, and some belong to minority faiths. Yes, I know there are agnostic conservatives, and (shudder) liberals who regard themselves as Christian. But I would wager money that there are more Christian conservatives in the US than atheist conservatives, and so on.

Here’s my point. People who have a strong faith in God – particularly if they’ve actually accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior – aren’t real tolerant of “occult” practices like fortune telling. As a Christian myself, I find the practice abhorrent, as the Bible is pretty clear about that. There also isn’t really any room in my faith for ghosts or other paranormal phenomena; to the extent that such things are real and not hallucinations, we’d likely regard them as demonic activity masquerading as departed loved ones or whatnot.

People who have no firm belief about God, are much more easily manipulated into nonsense ideas about the spirit world. They’ve rejected Biblical teachings about such, and are therefore more open to notions like: stars many light-years from Earth have some bearing on my life, and some guy on the phone who charges $2.99/min can tell me whom to marry and what job to accept. Christians, by contrast, believe that a Living God will direct our steps, one by one, day by day.

Sorry for taking the long way around, but I think this observation might explain some of the percentage breakdowns.
- cylarz | 12/15/2009 @ 01:41
Let us not forget this is the “reality based community”. That is, those who believe in a 2000 year old religion grounded in history and scholarship are the ignorant rubes. Those who believe in tarot cards, palm reading and “vibes” or whateverthehell are somehow grounded in “reality”.
- Duffy | 12/15/2009 @ 20:45

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Conservatives Less Likely Than Liberals to See GhostsMonday, December 14th, 2009

Conservatives Less Likely Than Liberals to See Ghosts
Monday, December 14th, 2009