Non-believers, conspiracy theorists and Doubting Thomases will get a kick out of today’s holiday. Then again, maybe they won’t. But believe it or not, October 13th is International Skeptics Day.
Sceptic (plural sceptics)
1. Someone who is undecided as to what is true and enquires after facts.
2. Someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs and claims presented by others, requiring strong evidence before accepting any belief or claim.
Skeptics are folks who doubt the truth and question the validity or authenticity of something most believe to be factual. For instance, some skeptics question the validity of global warming despite claims made by experts in the scientific community. Other skeptics do not believe we ever landed on the moon and the famous images of the moon landings are fakes. Some refuse to believe President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald while others believe the late Princess Diana was murdered. And some wonder if Elvis faked his own death? And some people believe the horrendous terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were part of a conspiracy. Not to mention the Area 51 and the controversial incident that took place in Roswell, New Mexico back in 1947.
Doubting Thomas
A doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience—a reference to the Apostle Thomas, who refused to believe that the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the eleven other apostles, until he could see and feel the wounds received by Jesus on the cross.
In art the episode (formally called the Incredulity of Thomas) has been frequently depicted since at least the 5th century, with its depiction reflecting a range of theological interpretations.
