The Vatican tried yesterday to draw a line under a conspiracy theory that has dogged the Catholic Church for decades — that it was harbouring details of the predicted apocalypse.
In an unusual criticism of its own product, the board of the Louisville-based Presbyterian Publishing Corp. says a book fell short of its editing standards with its spurious claim that the Bush administration orchestrated the 9/11 terror attacks.
No matter how implausible, we’re drawn to tales of power and plotting. Virtually every major event in history has spawned conspiracy theories. The Freemasons (as well as the Federalist Society, the Trilateral Commission and Bilderberg Group) have designs on global domination; the Apollo moon landing was faked (with Stanley Kubrick directing the footage, in one variation); the Challenger space shuttle was purposely blown up as part of the coverup for the faked moon landing. The list of events with alternate theories is endless, as is our fascination. So why are so many Americans taken by conspiracy theories? Part of it
Tony Blair decided to wage war on Iraq after coming under the influence of a “sinister” group of Jews and Freemasons, a Muslim barrister who advises the Prime Minister has claimed. Ahmad Thomson, from the Association of Muslim Lawyers, said Mr Blair was the latest in a long line of politicians to have been influenced by the group which saw the attack on Saddam Hussein as a way to control the Middle East. A Government spokesman confirmed last night that ministers and officials consulted Mr Thomson on issues concerning Muslims but refused to be drawn on his views. “We talk
Experts say predictable reactions include the bizarre, tasteless and opportunistic San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 2, 2003 http://www.sfgate.com/ Ryan Kim, Chronicle Staff Writer The debris from the Columbia space shuttle had barely crashed to Earth when the first conspiracy theories came to life. It took a couple of hours for someone to post a piece of wreckage for sale on EBay. Meanwhile, experts in humor predicted that old Challenger shuttle jokes would soon be resuscitated after more than a decade in storage. While much of the country mourned Saturday’s shuttle disaster, a small minority responded in bizarre, tasteless and opportunistic ways.
The Kansas City Star, via The News-Sentinel, Dec. 8, 2002 http://www.fortwayne.com/ By KEVIN MURPHY A woman’s seven-year search for what was behind the Oklahoma City bombing that killed her two grandchildren and 166 other persons has culminated in a 90-minute documentary that suggests a radical right conspiracy in the crime. Kathy Wilburn did research for “Terror From Within: The Untold Story Behind the Oklahoma City Bombing,” which producers are hoping to show at independent theaters across the country or on cable television. The film, produced by Colorado-based MGA Films, had a weeklong public screening in Los Angeles in September to
The Swiss. The CIA. Israelis. Big Oil. The Antichrist, even. With Sept. 11, the politically paranoid hit the jackpot. But many of their conspiracy theories are chilling, even dangerous, and they’re catching on fast. The Ottawa Citizen (Canada), Sep. 1, 2002 http://www.canada.com/ Kelly Patterson The Swiss did it. Sure, it sounds far-fetched — that’s what they want you to believe. But as shocked investors dumped stocks for the more stable commodity of gold in the days after Sept. 11, who do you think was yodelling all the way to the bank? At least that’s one of the many conspiracy theories