THE SUSPENSION OF DISBILIEF 

Du suspenSun uv disbilEf

by Paul Stought

Updated 112505

 

Unifon

Traditional spelling

I supOz Du fcst tIm wE ekspirEunst Du suspenKun uv disbilEf wuz wen wE fInuly trustud Dat qr muDc wuz gQiN tU fEd us - wiDqt us krIiN qr heds xf.  lAtc wE submitud tU skUliN bikoz wE wc tOld - bI qr trustud eldcz - Dat sumdA wE kCd Uz wot wE lcnd.

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wiTqt Du suspenKun uv disbilEf wE kCd not hav rilijun; kCd not enjQ u bCk uv fikSun, kCd not trust u bCk uv fakt.  I spent yirz studEiN nU Aj bilEfs.  hundreds uv dolcz uv bCks or xn mI Selvz az

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u testumunt tU mI depT uv intcust.  I hav sins disIdud I wuz in pursUt uv Du wel nOn wIld gUs.  uDcz wil disugrE.  I dU not rigret haviN KAst Du wIld gUs.  it pruvIdud mE wiT untOld qrz uv intcustiN rEdiN; trips tU fasunAtiN konfcunsuz; DE ukwAntuns uv menE wundcful pEpul.  I wCd nq bE unwelkum in Der midst, bikoz I wCd - bI mI prezuns - bE u disrupSun, u Kalunj, u kritik. 

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hU kan bilEv u nU alfubet kan suplant wun Dat iz senKcEz Old?  yet I rimembc rEdiN ubqt u siNul KInumun hU wuz risponsubul for pruvIdiN DE ubilutE tu rEd tu Du milyunz uv pxr unejukAtud KInEz in his kuntrE.  not OnlE in hiz dA, but fxr senKcEz tU kum. let us suspend disbilEf wun mxr tIm.  mAbE wE kan fInd qr On "wIz KInumun".

I suppose the first time we experienced the suspension of disbelief was when we finally trusted that our mother was going to feed us -  without us crying our heads off.  Later we submitted to schooling because we were told - by our trusted elders - that "someday" we could use what we learned.

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Without the suspension of disbelief we could not have religion: could not enjoy a book of fiction; could not trust a book of fact. I spent years studying New Age beliefs.  Hundreds of dollars worth of books are on my shelves as

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a testament to my depth of interest.  I have since decided I was in pursuit of the well known wild goose.  Others will disagree.  I do not regret having chased the wild goose.  It provided me with untold hours of interseting reading; trips to fascinating conferences; the aquaintance of many wonderful people.  I would now be unwelcome in thier midst, because I would - by my presence - be a disruption, a challenge, a critic. 

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Who can believe a new alphabet can supplant one that is centuries old?  Yet I remember reading about a single Chinaman who was responsible for providing the ability to read to the millions of poor uneducated Chinese in his country.  Not only in his day, but for centuries to come. Let us suspend disbelief one more time.  Maybe we can find our own wise "Chinaman".