About Horoscopes and Prophecies
Many of us would believe in horoscopes or even go to prophets or soothsayers in order to see their future or determine their so called "destinies". However, think again, is it logical? are these predictions reliable? The answer is no! I have a quite strong proof to say that it is wrong.
First, let's talk about horoscopes. This thing about horoscope had caught my attention few months ago. So I started looking on articles explaining the idea behind it, and how do one obtain such predictions. Horoscopes are based on astrology. It takes account the position of planets, the moon and the sun relative to the earth. To determine one's horoscope, an astrologer must obtain information about the positions of the planets, moon and sun relative to the earth during the time he was born. Then this is drawn in a complicated, circular graph, with the earth at the centre. Then, to see that person's horoscope in a particular time, the astrologer must obtain another information, about the positions of planets, moon and the sun on that particular time. Not to mention any detailed process, people who "make" horoscopes are certainly making something based on the ancient theory that was proven false! That earth was the centre of universe! Now, how can, anything, that was based on something false, turned out to be true or even reliable? This is illogical! It's like doing arithmetic when our basic of 1+1=3, which is impossible! Another point is that, horoscopes that we see like on weekly bulletin are not accurate since it made generalisations. How is it possible that, say, all people of the same zodiacs in the world would experience the same thing like said in the horoscope. Probability-wise, this is very very very risky.
Now, about prophecies. I've heard people going to prophets to see when will they attain success in life, when will they die, and so on. Before we proceed, notice that we have made an assumption, that we believe in destiny, and there is only one destiny for a person, and this can't be changed! Thus, what the prophet say is true and will happen no matter what, otherwise, what point is it to come to the prophet if our actions could itself determine our own destinies?
Now, you may say that "yeah, I believe in 1 destiny that can't be changed, and that the prophet can tell me my destiny, and everything he said is right and can't be avoided no matter what". Okay, but consider one case : suppose the prophet tells you about the time, place of your death. This means you can't die before and after that time, and must die in the destined place. But now since we know, we can make the predictions wrong, isn't it right? Suppose the prophet says that a certain person would die 15 years from then. However, that person may commit suicide (well, it's actually practicable, but not practical of course) to prove that the prophet is wrong. The person may also go to another place so far away to avoid the destined place. There's a contradiction in here. Thus, this proofs that prophecy is, like horoscopes, unreliable. To add on, our destinies that encompasses our actions can't actually be told. Example is like if we're told beforehand that we're gonna eat or do something this evening. If we're told, then practically we are still able to change our "destinies". What is called destiny, is what can't be changed, such as the fact that we live in this earth, or the judgement day. That's destiny!
First, let's talk about horoscopes. This thing about horoscope had caught my attention few months ago. So I started looking on articles explaining the idea behind it, and how do one obtain such predictions. Horoscopes are based on astrology. It takes account the position of planets, the moon and the sun relative to the earth. To determine one's horoscope, an astrologer must obtain information about the positions of the planets, moon and sun relative to the earth during the time he was born. Then this is drawn in a complicated, circular graph, with the earth at the centre. Then, to see that person's horoscope in a particular time, the astrologer must obtain another information, about the positions of planets, moon and the sun on that particular time. Not to mention any detailed process, people who "make" horoscopes are certainly making something based on the ancient theory that was proven false! That earth was the centre of universe! Now, how can, anything, that was based on something false, turned out to be true or even reliable? This is illogical! It's like doing arithmetic when our basic of 1+1=3, which is impossible! Another point is that, horoscopes that we see like on weekly bulletin are not accurate since it made generalisations. How is it possible that, say, all people of the same zodiacs in the world would experience the same thing like said in the horoscope. Probability-wise, this is very very very risky.
Now, about prophecies. I've heard people going to prophets to see when will they attain success in life, when will they die, and so on. Before we proceed, notice that we have made an assumption, that we believe in destiny, and there is only one destiny for a person, and this can't be changed! Thus, what the prophet say is true and will happen no matter what, otherwise, what point is it to come to the prophet if our actions could itself determine our own destinies?
Now, you may say that "yeah, I believe in 1 destiny that can't be changed, and that the prophet can tell me my destiny, and everything he said is right and can't be avoided no matter what". Okay, but consider one case : suppose the prophet tells you about the time, place of your death. This means you can't die before and after that time, and must die in the destined place. But now since we know, we can make the predictions wrong, isn't it right? Suppose the prophet says that a certain person would die 15 years from then. However, that person may commit suicide (well, it's actually practicable, but not practical of course) to prove that the prophet is wrong. The person may also go to another place so far away to avoid the destined place. There's a contradiction in here. Thus, this proofs that prophecy is, like horoscopes, unreliable. To add on, our destinies that encompasses our actions can't actually be told. Example is like if we're told beforehand that we're gonna eat or do something this evening. If we're told, then practically we are still able to change our "destinies". What is called destiny, is what can't be changed, such as the fact that we live in this earth, or the judgement day. That's destiny!
posted by ardianto86 at 10:45 PM
1 Comments:
From what I know, many things could actually be explained by assuming the earth as the centre of the universe. And these were things that later were indeed confirmed by the heliocentric theory. But of course, the ability of a theory to explain many things does not make the theory correct. Many correct findings in the past were made based on the assumption of incorrect theories. Take Newtonian mechanics, for example. It is incorrect, but it practically produces correct results. This only shows that it is possible to obtain correct results via incorrect methods. Many of us surely have experienced this while doing our homeworks or exams.
Going back to horoscope, then, I think what is wrong with it is not in the matter of using incorrect theory, but in believing that the configurations of planetary objects determine one's destiny. What have those objects got to do with us? Humans are created by God; it is He alone that determines our destiny.
The same thing applies to fortune tellers. I believe you use the term prophets to refer to them, not the prophets in the Bible. Indeed it is absurd to want to know in advance a misfortune that is going to happen to us, in order to avoid it. A true prophecy will happen no matter how hard we try to avoid it. But again, the occurence of a prophecy does not guarantee that the prophecy is true.
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