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Strange Beliefs

randd1

The world isn't short of them. Conspiracy theories, religion, cultural, there's some really weird beliefs out there.

The handful I really can't wrap my head around any intelligent person believing in;

Flat Earth.
Angel readings/Aura cleansings.
Fortune telling.

For me, you have to have something really wrong with you actually believe in crap like that.

And of course that's not to mention the concept of religion, which in itself is merely a collection of weird beliefs.

But we've all heard of them.

What I want to know is what are the most obscure ones. Like no-one going near an old house in a nearby because a baby died in it 150 years ago. Most houses of that vintage that still exist almost certainly has had an infant die in them, likely during childbirth, doesn't mean you avoid walking near them, yet people still do.

Or a lad I know that used to bless himself before going onto the pitch even though he was an atheist, and would only wear his socks inside out.

Stuff like that.

What's the craziest belief/superstitions/conspiracy theory/religious practice/cultural strangeness that you've heard of, modern or historic?

Local beliefs/superstitions or weird habits people persist with for no logical reason are especially welcome.

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Comments

antfin

All of the "healer" nonsense is bizarre in the sense that people think that there's magic that defies science. I had no idea until recently how prevalent it still is in Ireland and there seems to be a local magic healer in most areas! Even more strange when you consider that it's usually devote Catholics that believe in it yet its more akin to tribal medicine men and Shamanic beliefs.

El Gato De Negocios

That someone can become a man or woman by simply saying they are now a man or a woman.

[Deleted User]

Driving a particular type of car will change the weather.

endacl

T’was ever thus, and ever thus shall be…

Enjoyable documentary presented by Patrick Moore from 1969. 😉

https://youtu.be/H9bVF_f9hmw?si=yO4sdpepsLJGKZEy

Atlantic Dawn

Sticking 50 cent of carbon tax on a litre of petrol will mean no storms next winter.

Strumms

family had / have this thing New Year’s Eve that as the clock strikes midnight or maybe just before i forget which, they’d open the front and back door of the house.. I think the idea was you let the bad luck out one way and allow the good luck in. No I don’t get it either but it was some tradition from way back and they always did it. Considering some challenges they endured in life, I’d just have not bothered to be fair. Probably filed under cultural strangeness or perhaps superstition..another neighbour roughly their age does the same so it’s a ‘done thing’….in places I’m reading…

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949481#Comment_122949481

Tbh in cases like that people are carrying on a folk tradition without necessarily taking it literally. Its largely harmless. There's a big difference between that and people who convince themselves that some celebrity is an alien from outer space involved in harvesting children's foreskins as part of Beelzebubs plan to take over the world.

ancapailldorcha

People who eat sausages being worried that vaccines aren't safe.

People who disregard facts when reported by the media but internet grifters only have their best interests at heart.

EmmetSpiceland

Users, on boards, believing that a talent agency is paying people to post in the ‘Radio Forum’.

silliussoddius

Rapturism/end times

Lost high tech ancient civilization/atlantis

UFOs are aliens

Homeopathy

Young earth creationism

Chemtrails

Joe Rogan is a non-partisan just asking questions every day man

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949434#Comment_122949434

2 posts is all it took for anti-trans rubbish to appear on an AH post. Just need to wait for people to complain about social welfare recipients and travellers to get the trifecta…

El Gato De Negocios

That the majority of travellers offer anything constructive to Irish society.

🫡

antfin

I can't believe it was so quick to descend into transphobia and climate change scepticism! Now I'm just waiting for the holy Boards trinity of using random threads for immigration bashing! It's killing Boards at this stage!

ancapailldorcha

I was chilling on the roof of the building I work in with a cuppa when I had a look at the BT tower. It had "Merry Christmas" on the side and it reminded me that there are people thick enough to believe that wishing someone a merry Christmas is illegal.

[Deleted User]

That any criticism, however mild, of one's favorite, fashionable, topic-du-jour amounts to a phobia or -ism.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949421#Comment_122949421

TBF, once you believe that something will cure you it can actually make a difference via the placebo effect and therefore actually "work" even though it scientifically doesn't "work"

L Grey

The belief that Roderic O'Gorman was anyway suitable to be a Minister for Children…

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949469#Comment_122949469

Can't believe you actually think someone said that.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949521#Comment_122949521

yeah i do one or two NYE traditions that my family did when i was younger purely for the sake of it, i dont believe doing them/not doing them will actually change anything.

my partner is from south america and they also have a load of things to do on NYE, dont think they actually believe in them either but just want to keep some of the tradition going

MrStuffins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949469#Comment_122949469

Nobody has ever said this.

tphase

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949744#Comment_122949744

apparently the placebo effect can also work even when you know you're taking a placebo (it's an example in a book by Ben Goldacre, 'Bad Science'). Get your head around that one…..

tphase

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949841#Comment_122949841

they have now

MrStuffins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122950097#Comment_122950097

Saying someone has made a claim is not the same as making that claim.

DayInTheBog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949434#Comment_122949434

That's called magic. 😁

There is also that strange belief in a guy who lives in the north pole and delivers toys via flying reindeer. That's equally as magical as the above belief,😱

DayInTheBog

Nope, they've just said it will stop the Maldives and Bangladesh from being flooded.

SuperBowserWorld

~~That Santa cares about poor children.~~

Ah screw it, staying away from this thread, it's like some other threads.

Note to self: if you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all 😁

buried

People in northern Europe adhering to a sandy death cult that originated over 5000 miles away in the middle east that basically worships a vengeful murderous wrath filled demonic entity, but this yoke "loves" everybody too.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949535#Comment_122949535

Worse still, people who wouldnt take the covid vaccine but had no problem snorting cocaine that they bought from the local halting site.

chicks4free

I love when Catholics look down on Scientologists as being a mad cult.

Its all just woo.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949666#Comment_122949666

Happy Holidays @ancapailldorcha