Do you believe?
It’s not a simple question.
And although it’s generally associated with religion — Do you believe in (add your preferred deity here)? — the question means many different things to many different people.
For me, and for the purpose of this post, it begins a discussion of the unknown — God, ghosts, UFOs, conspiracy theories, urban legends, mythological creatures, etc.
So while most would fill in the blank with “God,” one rural Staples family was recently asked “Do you believe in bigfoot?” And their answer was “yes.”
The Harne family believes they had an unwelcome visitor at their residence July 23 around 9 or 10 p.m. Long story short, three witnesses claim to have seen what one witness described as a creature “seven feet tall at least, dark brown, hairy” and with a head “almost like that of a wolf.”
A follow up story in the Sebeka Menagha Review Messenger details a supposed investigation into the reported sighting. One of the investigators allegedly said he believes their is a link between reported crop circle sightings and bigfoot.
I know, I know, you think it’s crazy right? But there are so many reports of similar sightings that you have to believe that at least some of the people are telling the truth. You have to believe that at least some of the witnesses are seeing what they claim to be seeing.
I find the topic fascinating because any given person’s belief system is so different from that of the next. For instance, someone can have a devout belief in God but think bigfoot or UFO sightings are bogus. But it’s very difficult for one of these socially accepted “believers” to satisfy the question “why?” Why do you believe in one thing without any physical or scientific evidence, yet you refuse to believe in another? It’s arguably an impossible question to answer.
Belief is faith and, for many, the terms are interchangeable. For me, I have faith in people. I believe that human beings are inherently good.
And while that’s an opinion that is certainly a topic of its own debate, for the purpose of this post, I ask a different question to readers. I would like to know what do you believe in?
Whether it’s a spiritual (God, miracles, ghosts, etc.) belief or not (UFOs, bigfoot, JFK assassiation conspiracy, etc.), let me know what you believe in.
Who knows, maybe you’re like the Harnes. Maybe you believe in bigfoot.
