8:50am Thursday 17th July 2008
SIR - "Just because somebody does not believe in something, it does not make it untrue, or indeed fraudulent.” So Jason Smith of UKIP tells me (July 4).
Well, obviously! If belief entailed truth and disbelief entailed falsity, then beliefs wouldn’t be beliefs, they would be instructions which bent the world to our will.
However, if the belief in question is a completely unsubstantiated superstition about magical powers, then disbelief is the rational position.
If I told you, Mr Smith, that I am harbouring a full grown (and magical) elephant in Cathedral Ward, you would probably say “I don’t believe you”. Imagine I replied with the following: “Just because you don’t believe in it, doesn’t make it untrue.” You would rightly think that I had completely overlooked the very reasonable nature of your doubt. The shenanigans of ‘psychics’ are just like my magic elephant.
The onus is on the believer to produce some proper evidence.
Jason Smith appears fairly unconcerned about the massive and growing industry of ‘psychic’ frauds operating expensive ‘hotlines’ and now even opening shops (there’s one coming in Sidbury).
These charlatans are ripping off vulnerable people all over the country.
Bob Churchill, Worcester
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