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Original poster

The anti woo thread.

538 replies

LetThereBeRock · 04/02/2011 16:22

Can all those who don't believe in homeopathy,ghosts,talking to the dead,reading minds etc,please check in here?

There must be a few of us.

I feel as though I've logged onto allthingswoo.com rather than Mumsnet.com at the moment,and I'm not referring to this particuarly forum,but chat and AIBU?.

And if anyone says anything about how we should be openminded,I'm afraid I'll have to beat you to death with a a stick,one cut from an ash tree by the light of the first Summer moon of course.

OP posts:
sethstarkaddersmackerel · 05/02/2011 18:49

and I would like to point out that we are considerately doing it on a special separate anti-woo thread where people can avoid it rather than laughing at their crazy beliefs on the threads where they are discussing them.

Pan · 05/02/2011 18:50

just the way I feel about it,undutchable - probably I ahve more investment in the powers of people 'healing themselves' through practices of meditation, self-reflection and prayer, which should be respected more than some hoocky set of life-enhancing marbles.

bigbadbarry · 05/02/2011 18:52

I didn't know TENS was woo, thought it was to do with interfering with the pain signals! Bah. Feel cheated by my midwife now (though the dial was definitely helpful)

Undutchable · 05/02/2011 18:53

But that is personal to them, no? If they believe it, that is fine. I have no trouble with that. I would think it was for different reasons than the ones you give, (it may not surprise you that I don't believe in the power of prayer)... if it has such a positive effect on people's lives why would my cynicism have any impact on them?? Surely they would just feel sorry for me?

thefirstMrsDeVere · 05/02/2011 18:55

I am not too keen on mocking really. I dont care if people want to believe this stuff. I do wonder why Princess Diana features so heavily though. There was a woman on 'may the best house wins' who swore she was the queen of woo and Princess Di showed her the way. I swear that woman is busier now than she ever was 'on this side'.

I have been to a few Spiritualist churches. They have all been full of the sweetest people and they never ask for money. They really believe what they are doing is right and they get comfort from it. Its no different from any other religion as I see it.

I reserve my distaste for those who peddle wonder cures and mostly for those who infer that if people just tried harder they would get better. It implies that those who 'lose the battle' against cancer are just fucking lazy or their parents are.

There is a guy who actually posts this sort of toss on bereaved parents's FB pages. He is into a vitamin and diet regimen that he says cured his son. I am glad his son is alive but knowing what I know about cancer, its not down to a what he ate.

HHLimbo · 05/02/2011 18:57

Heal yourself, through your amazing real immune system, developed through millions of years of evolution.

People can heal themselves from gentle afflictions of the nose, throat and ache of the head, by meditating quietly on the bed or sofa, keeping warm and drinking heated infusions of thee lemon and honeye.

Pan · 05/02/2011 18:59

well, just because you may have a spiritual side to you, it doesn't mean the draining effect of being mocked for it isn't detrimental and sometimes fecking annoying. I don't think you would be pitied, just accepted that you don't see your world in that way.

Am curious as to why 'wooism' appears in this "philosophy/religion/spiritual" section. It's just as eligible to appera in only joking,AIBU, or style and beauty even!!

HHLimbo · 05/02/2011 19:06

All you woo doubters should watch this video!

If that doesnt convince you, I dont know what will.

Pan · 05/02/2011 19:11

A freind of mine is a homeopath practitioner. He would probably say "very funny. Utterly misses the point about homeopathy, but still v. funny".

coldtits · 05/02/2011 19:13

So what is the point of homeopathy? onestly? HOw does it work?

jaggythistle · 05/02/2011 19:15

you beat me to it!

what point is being missed?

thefirstMrsDeVere · 05/02/2011 19:18

My friend cracks me up. She swears by echinacia (sp) for every time she gets a cold. She gets loads of colds and they last just as long as mine do (although I dont get many). Yet she is still convinced it works.

Pan · 05/02/2011 19:18

not sure coldtits. Will ask him tomorrow. (he does lots of things otehr than that)Suspect he will say A&E work/immediate trauma stuff is usually outside of their reference. It's prob. more concerned with longer term well-being and using body energy positively to fend of illness. I THINK it has a basis in chinese medicine, but I am only speculating.

A homeopath will probably come onto this thread in a minute to illuminate us.

or..or..not.

Undutchable · 05/02/2011 19:27

Why would this thread belong in Style & Beauty?

"well, just because you may have a spiritual side to you, it doesn't mean the draining effect of being mocked for it isn't detrimental and sometimes fecking annoying. I don't think you would be pitied, just accepted that you don't see your world in that way."

But I can say things, can't I? I mean, on an online forum with free speech and all that? I don't go to churches on a Sunday and start haranguing people. In the same way as a CHristian might say "Love the sinner, hate the sin" I am NOT in the business of telling people I think they are stupid...some of my best friends are CHristian Wink.

But I CAN and I WILL express my opinions, especially amongst like-minded individuals.

And no, I don't have a spiritual side...I am a dried-up husk of a woman. Grin

Undutchable · 05/02/2011 19:33

"body energy positively to fend of illness" - what like our immune system? He's obviously way ahead of his time! Wink

Original poster
LetThereBeRock · 05/02/2011 19:45

I see the wooers/wooies/wooites? have found us.Grin

I've a lot of catching up to do,but I've seen that much.

There's so much woo on MN at the moment that I felt the need to have a thread where we didn't have to follow every 'I don't believe that ghosts./fairies/wheeled unicorns exist,with a disclaimer of'But we can't know for sure',or 'We should remain open minded'.

If it offends,well tough. There's no shortage of threads on MN at the moment where we're being told that we're deluded,close minded,ignorant etc,so I fail to see the problem with having a safe haven here where we can discuss such issues with like minded people,just as I'd have no problem with you doing the same for people who believe in the supernatural and 'alternative medicine'.

And why,oh why,would I put in AIBU,when I know I'm notGrin,or in only joking,when I'm quite serious,as for style and beauty...shakes head.

OP posts:
sethstarkaddersmackerel · 05/02/2011 19:48

'woo' is a big catch-all word; it covers things that would come under style and beauty (detoxifying to improve your skin), relationships and bereavement (ghosts and mediums), health, employment issues (rescue remedy for job interviews), childbirth.... But what unites opposition to it all is what you could call a philosophy of life, scientific rationalism. So really it is a thread for scientific rationalists - if it had been called that instead of 'anti-woo' you wouldn't have asked why it was in this topic would you?
also it wouldn't be in Only Joking because the OP didn't say 'let's make fun of....', it just said 'sign in here' (though the tone was light-hearted); it's just that once you start talking about some of this stuff it is so absurd you can't help laughing/satirising which tips over into simple mocking. IMO.

Pan · 05/02/2011 19:51

undutchable - you ARE off on one!

of course you can say what you want. No-one can stop you, or wish to. I was merely indicating that people with a spiritual element to their lives aren't immune to annoyance, no matter how 'potent' their beliefs. That's all.

S&B? I was being playful. We can still introduce some levity round here can't we??Smile

have to be off. Got some rationalista types to annoy!

Undutchable · 05/02/2011 19:53

Eh? I answered your point I thought?

Appletrees · 05/02/2011 19:53

actually I don't buy any of it -- homeopathy, crystals, feng shui, reichi, reflexology, having your colours done, whatever

I'm sure it must all be in the mind, but then mind is a powerful thing so that's why it looks like it's working

osteopathy worked on my baby when it was a last resort, and I like nutritional health

apart from that -- I don't feel the need to shout "look how clever I am, you're stupid and I'm clever because you believe in this stuff and I don't you stupid irrational brainless person"

Why would anyone need to do that

Pan · 05/02/2011 19:56

apples,

I don't mock rationalistas at all. Really I don't.

No. Really really. Some of my best friends are rationalistas. Really.

So I don't mock them.

Really.

bye.

coldtits · 05/02/2011 19:56

For the same reason that people build churches, I suppose. It's human naturew to a) think you're right and b) want everyone else to think you're right too.

Undutchable · 05/02/2011 20:00

Oh so when you were putting your point that was fine, but now I am making mine I am 'defensive'? Hmm

Appletrees · 05/02/2011 20:01

don't know if you intended to put abusive rationalism in the same bag as evangelical Christianity but, you know, job done

sethstarkaddersmackerel · 05/02/2011 20:02

It is not 'Look at me and how clever I am' it is 'Look at this STUFF and how stupid it is.' The post about having a brain big enough for rational thought looked to me like, you know, a joke. But you don't think Hopi ear candles are hilarious so we obviously have very different senses of humour.