Jan. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Most of us acknowledge that some of
our most cherished beliefs are based on faith, not facts. Even
so, it takes a lot to dislodge those beliefs. When we are
confronted by contrary evidence, we may dig in even more deeply.
Consider a cautionary tale, exotic to be sure, but helping to
explain why evidence-challenged thinking persists in a lot of
areas, including politics and business.
Harold Camping, a Christian radio talk-show host, predicted
that the world was going to end on May 21, 2011, with the coming
of the rapture. He contended that the Earth would be ravaged,
that all human beings would be judged, and that believers would
ascend to heaven. He said that those who weren’t saved would
experience five months of “hell on earth” until the annihilation
of creation on Oct. 21, 2011.
