Is there an Atheist in the Cockpit?

By Tim Gibbons: Published in the High Plains View August 8, 2008.

Psst, hey did you hear the latest? An airline company has a policy that forbids having a Christian pilot and co-pilot on the same flight just in case the rapture comes and takes them both away, causing the plane to crash! Isn't that wild!...
...okay, so maybe this story about this airline company isn’t true, and it isn't the newest thing on the urban legend circuit, but, I have to admit it was one I laughed the hardest on while reading.
Urban legends, also known as, untrue or unverifiable stories have become so common place that the average person probably hears several over the course of a week.
Most urban legends come from a variety of sources and generally prey upon human emotion. In a real sense, an urban legend is gossip gone bad.
Take for example the slew of e-mails concerning Senator Barak Obama being a radical Muslim, sworn into office on the Quran, being endorsed for President by the Ku Klux Klan, holding a phone upside down, descriptions of Obama's connection to political events in Kenya and more. All of these rumors are wide spread and all are completely false, untrue and made-up.
Yet despite having proof that most of these rumors are false, many Americans still believe them.
There’s another legend that started back in the 1960s about the razor blades in Halloween candy.
Despite numerous warnings issued by police and state agencies there has NEVER been a reported case of such a thing happening. Then why do people believe it?
Urban legends and rumors tend to stick because they either: a) invoke a strong emotion such as loathing, compassion, horror or lust; b) we are bombarded with so much information that we tend to accept as fact information that comes from a friend and/or “authoritative” source; and c) a legend provides justification for thinking the way we do.
Let's explore these one by one, starting with emotion. Human beings being emotional creatures, a story that touches something within our soul, be it positive or negative will be viewed with a strong sense of interest.
Take for example the legend concerning a pregnant couple who named their child after the husband's father who died while saving individuals during the September 11 attacks.
While there were many heroes that day and many were wearing the garb of the New York City Fire Department, this particular story about the grandson of one Jake Matthews never happened. There is no record of such an individual having died in the tower attacks.
This story, like so many other legends, invokes strong emotions, in this one it touches upon the aspect of hero worship and finding a glimmer of light in the wake of a terrible tragedy.
The problem with stories like these, is that while they may be inspiring, they detract from the efforts of the real heroes, those unsung men and women who gave their lives in the service of their fellows.
Often we will accept a story at face value, especially if it comes from a friend or some, “authoritative” source such as the media after all, “They couldn't print it if it wasn't true.” All one has to do is pick up a tabloid at the grocery story in order to see that not everything the media prints is gold.
The best way to avoid falling into the snare of an Urban Legend is research.
Websites like www.snopes.com are wonderful resources for not only providing information on stories both true and false, but also help one learn how to spot an urban legend on their own. The main problem is with the amount of information and data the average American receives on a daily basis, few people feel that they have the time to research a particular story. It is simply easier to accept it as fact and pass it on.
This leads us to the third and perhaps most damning reason for believing an urban legend, justification for a set of mind.
Take for example some of these tales: NASA scientists discover a lost day in time; Siberian scientists drill a hole into hell; a petition drive to stop a “homosexual” Jesus film; and my favorite, Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair is circulating yet another one of her anti-Christian petitions.
All four of these are false. In the case of NASA, there is absolutely no way to PROVE that there is a lost day in time, this assumption is based upon a poor understanding of science and wild rumor. Same with drilling a hole to hell, no such event took place and, as far as we know, the earth remains solid, not hollow.
A movie about a homosexual Jesus, while keeping in line with the quality Hollywood is putting out these days, is false. No such movie is being planned, nor has ever been planned.
And finally, that pesky O'Hair and her constant war against Christian values. While O'Hair was heavily involved in banning organized prayer from public schools and championing for a separation of church and state that is about as far as it goes.
As for RM-2493, the petition that many claimed would ban religion broadcasting, the actual measure was merely designed to ensure that channels reserved for educational purposes would only be used for education. It did not put a restriction on religious broadcasting, but simply ensured that educational channels would remain such.
Despite the weight of evidence against such legends and rumors, they are perhaps the most widely circulated and quoted stories out there. The reason is simply, it provides justification. In the case of NASA and Siberia it proves that even science and scientists must bow down and acknowledge the almighty power of God. The homosexual Jesus and O'Hair provide proof of the depravity of the world and the persecution of the Christian faith respectively.
Let's consider another Urban Legend, this one during the Middle Ages. In the end this series of rumors and legends left thousands dead across Europe and America including several of my ancestors. I'm speaking of the witch trials.
Contrary to the propoganda distributed by the Church at that time, witches were anything but evil. The word witch comes from the old English word wicca, itself a concept descended from the ancient Druid Ovates, aka, healers. The Druids are perhaps the oldest organized culture and society discovered, predating the arrival of the Hebrews by thousands of years.
The word witch is quite literally translated as healer. Ancient and medieval witches were well versed in herbal and spiritual healing. Cannibalism wasn't practiced and black magic was rarely practiced prior to the appearance of Christianity. Witches were simply healers who believed in peace and harmony.
That we view witches with fear and suspicion is an example of an urban legend out of control. A legend built not on fact, but superstition. This superstition caused the death of thousands of innocent people, persecuted for having a different faith.
So the next time you get ready to hit the forward button on your email, ask yourself, “would I stake my life on this story.” If not, maybe its better off to delete it.
“A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.” - Albert Einstein