Laika --
I guess I'm just stirring the pot -- I spent the day surrounded by people who believe that there is a city inside Mt. Shasta, that we all have spirit guides, that whatever god there is in their belief seems especially fond of protecting old white people from harm, that crystals can cure anything and so on and that starving children the world over are paying for their sins in previous lifetimes. I come away from that kind of thing kind of cranky and wanting to poke sticks into things.
One of my neighbors at the dinner table told me of some miracle herb that "cures everything. Destroys every bad thing in your body." I try not to be controversial at what is meant to be a pleasant occasion, but I wanted to say things like, "then why are you still sick?" "Hmmm, why haven't the pharmacies gotten hold of that one?"
When I talk to individuals I do bring up these questions, but they have such bullet-proof circular reasoning they just ignore the questions and go on spouting their jargon. The attitude the folks around here have taken is, "isn't she cute? She's an atheist, our token atheist." They almost pat me on the head.