Dumbing down in Britain

SouthernN'Proud

SouthernN'Proud

Southern Discomfort
So y'all won't think I made this up and such

LONDON (AFP) - Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll out Monday which showed that nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

The survey found that 47 percent thought the 12th century English king Richard the Lionheart was a myth.

And 23 percent thought World War II prime minister Churchill was made up. The same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually exist.

Three percent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain's most famous writers, is a work of fiction himself.

Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi and Battle of Waterloo victor the Duke of Wellington also appeared in the top 10 of people thought to be myths.

Meanwhile, 58 percent thought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Holmes actually existed; 33 percent thought the same of W. E. Johns' fictional pilot and adventurer Biggles.

UKTV Gold television surveyed 3,000 people.
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So it ain't just 'Mercans that are getting stupider every day.

It's truly sad when you think about it. The typical adult can tell you who won American Idol three years ago, but doesn't know whether Davy Crockett was real or not. Apparently the Brits are in the same boat. I guess we only know what wikipedia and such tells us these days. And we wonder why things are so screwed up.
 
hmmm. interesting. mythical figures and the guy or gal with that actual name are often quite different. i'm not sure i'd choose to beleive the 'reality' of how churchill has been constructed.

cuz there' the mythical, miserly and rational ben franklin ...who was only miserly when dirt poor and really liked to chase skirts and drink a lot...

and, dare i say, that mythical cultural hero, good old honest abe lincoln.

not that them thar brits are making such distinctions. meh, they're prolly just dumb. or ignant.
 
Last time I bothered to check, 90% of people believe there was a Robin Hood and King Arthur too. It may go towards explaining my belief that the planet could do without 90% of it's human population.
 
Professur said:
Last time I bothered to check, 90% of people believe there was a Robin Hood and King Arthur too. It may go towards explaining my belief that the planet could do without 90% of it's human population.
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As long as I get to do the culling, I'd go for that.
 
Professur said:
Last time I bothered to check, 90% of people believe there was a Robin Hood and King Arthur too. It may go towards explaining my belief that the planet could do without 90% of it's human population.
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A lot of people think Jesus Christ existed as well. :shrug:
 
Despite the dearth of anything but questionable anecdotal evidence and damned little of that. :thumbup:
 
2minkey said:
well there was a guy named jesus. now all that savior stuff... that's a matter of opinion.
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There were lots and lots of guys named Jesus. Still are. Yeshua was a very common name (Mary and Joe, OTOH...). The specific one about whom all the shouting is about fails to hold up as a historical figure. Look it up. You either believe all the stories or you don't, a lot of people do. It cannot, however, be verified historically with any degree of confidence. :shrug: This has been fairly well understood for hundreds of years. If you have faith, you shouldn't need any proof. Amazes me how few people understand that one fact. ;)
 
SouthernN'Proud said:
Just shut up, SnP...just shut up.

For now.
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why start now?

A lot of people DO believe Jesus existed, so many they started a religion.

A lot of people don't believe, but that is my..their right.

as for Arthur and Robin Hood, those stories are loosely based on factual people.
 
paul_valaru said:
why start now?

A lot of people DO believe Jesus existed, so many they started a religion.

A lot of people don't believe, but that is my..their right.

as for Arthur and Robin Hood, those stories are loosely based on factual people.
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The general consensus among historians seems to be that both Robin Hood and Arthur were actually based on multiple characters (both historical and mythical) who were consolidated into one character each as the legends were condensed over time. :shrug:

I've always felt it worth noting that both were significantly more recent than that other guy as well.

Oh, and yes, a lot of people DO believe I'm headed straight to hell. I, of course, have a differing viewpoint. ;)
 
chcr said:
If you have faith, you shouldn't need any proof. Amazes me how few people understand that one fact. ;)
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yeah that's exactly what one of my old professors (who has written books on comparative religion and spirituality) used to tell me. and a point i've mentioned a few times here before when the supposed faithful try to "prove" something factually.

and yarp i'm familiar with how the words, deeds, and 'miracles' of jeebus are actually a composite of several different folks. and as soon as folks realize that has nothing to do with ethical thought and conduct in the world, and stop picking teams and identity trippin'... yeah, let's not hold our breath.
 
spike said:
Wait, you mean if I just shout "faith" I don't actually have to think?
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Got it in one!

Note that this in no way implies that you won't or don't know how, just that you don't have to. If you require proof then you do not have faith. Next we can talk about apologetics if you like. :D
 
chcr said:
If you have faith, you shouldn't need any proof. Amazes me how few people understand that one fact. ;)
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Holy crap, mark your calendar, we are in philosophical agreement! Must be that planetary alignment that's going on.
 
there are lots of orthodoxies embraced in lieu of knowledge and careful consideration around here.
 
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