Belief or Disbelief? An Exercise in Self-Examination
| Published date | 01 July 1980 |
| Date | 01 July 1980 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8005300307 |
| Author | R. H. Harbour |
| Subject Matter | Article |
R.H.HARBOUR
Formerly Clerk to the Justices
for
parts
of
the County
of
Somerset
BELIEF
OR
DISBELIEF?
An exercise in self-examination
Why do we believe the things we say we believe, or not believe the
things we say we do not believe? What determines belief or disbelief?
What is proof?
ACemetery Superintendent who lived in the Cemetery Lodge
exercised himself before going to bed by taking a walk in the
cemetery. One night whilewalking in the cemetery he heard a strange
sound which he was unable to identify. The sound seemed to come
from the far side of the cemetery and as the sound grew louder he
quickly became conscious that it was being caused by something on
the move, and approaching in hisdirection at a fair pace. There was a
curious scratching noise, as of metal passing over tombstones and
although darkness made it impossible to see he
-was
conscious of
some "thing" passing near him and continuing on its course. His
impression was that the "thing" that passed him was suspended from
the sky. The next morning he returned to the spot where he was
standing the previous night and made an examination of the
tombstones. Certain tombstones in a line running across the
cemetery bore newly made scratch marks.
BEFORE reading on, decide whether the Superintendent's
account is FACT or FICTION.
If
the issue of fact or fiction has to be determined solely on the
information given, in what process would the mind be involved in
reaching a conclusion? The reader may find no difficulty in accepting
as fact the opening part of the Superintendent's account of what is
said to have happened, although it may be thought odd for any other
person to exercise in a cemetery at night. The account may
increasingly be questioned as one reads on, and the final part of the
account of some unidentifiable "thing" suspended from the sky
passing over a cemetery at night might well lead to the conclusion
that this is fiction. There is, however, the statement aboutthe finding
of scratch marks on certain tombstones the following morning: this
might have been added merely to give weight to the account.
If
the
reader has come to the conclusion that the account is a statement of
fact he should ask himself what it was in the account that led him to
that conclusion; and if he has come to the conclusion that it is fiction
he should be clear in his mind what it was in the account that led him
to that conclusion.
Police Journal
JU~I'
1980 272
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