Cargo Cults

I'm busy reading Richard Dawkins' latest book, The God Delusion. It's interesting, if quite opinionated and arrogant, but there are quite a few things within its pages that I was surprised to learn of.

One example is the existence of Cargo Cults in the Southwest Pacific. From wikipedia:

Cargo cults have been recorded since the 19th century. The cult participants generally do not fully understand the significance of manufacturing or commerce. They have limited purchasing ability. Their understanding of western society, religion, and economics may be rudimentary. These cults are a response to the resulting confusion and insecurity. They rationalize their situation by reference to religious and magical symbols they associate with Christianity and modern western society. Across cultural differences and large geographic areas, there have been instances of the movements independently organizing.

The most famous examples of Cargo Cult behavior have been the airstrips, airports, and radios made out of coconuts and straw. The cult members built them in the belief that the structures would attract transport aircraft full of cargo. Believers stage "drills" and "marches" with twigs for rifles and military-style insignia and "USA" painted on their bodies to make them look like soldiers.

Utterly amazing! The Cargo Cult demonstrates, in a way more real than any other, how an unexplained phenomenon can spark a religion, complete with rituals, a messiah, and miracles. And it can happen independently, again and again. Dawkins talks about one, the cult of John Frum

The cult is still active today. The followers believe that John Frum will come back on a February 15 (the year of his return isn't known), a date which is observed as "John Frum Day" in Vanuatu. The name "John Frum" is possibly derived from World War II GIs introducing themselves to the locals as "John from America".

Humans will believe anything, and rationalize to continue believing it. I can't wait until the aliens come, and we worship them.