Elvis Lives and Eats Donuts in Ohio

I started reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol this morning; and then I turned on the television and got caught up in a History Channel program on Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. It is indeed an interesting preoccupation that many of us have with conspiracy theory.

Do you think that our fascination with conspiracy is instinctual? Remember how as children we would taunt our siblings with stories of how they were left on the door step and Mommy and Daddy weren't Mommy and Daddy at all? There are aliens among us and they take the form of teachers. And then there were the ghastly tales of the witches that would kidnap the bad children and take them off into the dark forest? I lived in Miami and I still believed there was a dark forest hidden somewhere at the beach.

The stories of the magical and mystical heightened our curiosity and plunged us headfirst into the concept of conspiracy theories. Who are these puppet masters that weave the tales of a more powerful sect of humans; that can conceal the great treasures of the world? Who can promote people of seemingly common origins into greatness? How do you get invited into the secret societies that guard the "truth"? What is the real truth? And tell me again why we are hiding it?

I don't believe the theories are strictly countermanding the sides of science and religion. There are theories that attempt to promote opposing political views, the opposing sides of law and order; all in the name of gaining control. What of the creation of Santa Claus? Who is he really and how does he know if we are good or bad? A merchant's conspiracy?

The Kennedy assassinations; man walking on the moon; Freemasonry; buried treasures; Elvis lives and eats donuts in Ohio. Our blessed ability to think stretches our faith to believe that anything is truly true.

Ooh. . .is it a conspiracy of a group of the extremely wealthy to plunge us into an economy of unemployment and recession; and then to take our allegiance by providing us a way out? Do you think it is really true that television commercials have encoded subliminal messages that make us more and more accepting of the conspiracy theories themselves? Is is a vicious cycle? Am I part of the conspiracy theory? Is someone else really writing this?

I think I will leave the weaving of conspiracy theories to Dan Brown. Is he part of the conspiracy theory that leaves the writing of conspiracy theory to him? I'm putting down the book, turning on a football game. Football? A conspiracy? Don't get me started. . .