Power of superstition

India’s astrologers have been in the news a lot lately, and for all the wrong reasons—spreading superstition and religious bigotry.

The first shot was fired earlier this month when the high court in Delhi struck down a 148 year old British colonial law banning gay sex. An astrologer and a yoga guru challenged that decision—proving that religious nuts aren’t confined to the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions (although Hindu, Muslim and Christian groups also opposed the ruling, they didn’t challenge it).

According to the BBC, an astrologer said in his petition that India's ancient scriptures and values do not permit homosexuality, and he argued that the recent court judgement would lead to the spread of HIV and AIDS. This proves that stupidity isn’t confined to the main religions.

The Indian astrologers are in the news again because of an upcoming total solar eclipse. Like people in ancient times, the astrologers believe an eclipse is a sign of some sort of impending doom. The astrologers are predicting all sorts of dire things, from natural disasters to terrorist attacks to birth defects (seriously). This proves that superstitious nonsense isn't confined to the main religions.

I’m dismissive of religious stupidity, no matter who’s behind it. These astrologers, while playing a different societal role than those in the West, nevertheless also make their living by trading on peoples’ superstition and ignorance. They have a vested interest in promoting “traditional” beliefs in order to shore up the ignorance and superstition their livelihood is built on. In these cases, they’re putting people at risk—challenging peoples’ humanity in the court case, and fomenting panic over the impending eclipse.

All of which is further evidence of what I’ve said many times before, that religious fundamentalism is the greatest threat to freedom and democracy the world faces. It doesn’t matter if the fundamentalists are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, from any other organised religion or even just astrologers or gurus, their religious fundamentalism is a profound threat to the world and humanity. Clearly some are greater threats than others, but sometimes that’s only for lack of opportunity.

The world will have to face up to this, and the negative force of superstition, sooner rather than later.