Why are people so afraid of what they don't understand?
929054
I understand where you are coming from.  I am a Vodouisant.  I practice Vodou and Hoodoo.  And unfortunately people will always be afraid of what they don't know.  I like to educate people on the truths of the religion.  Let them know that Hollywood blew it way out of proportion.  Inform people of your practice so they maybe able to better understand what it is you do.  Obvious they are too scared to inform themselves.  Plus many mainstream religions dont promote tolerance only conversion.\n\nHave you taken Cat's (luckymojo.com) course in Hoodoo.  I have not been able to take the course but I was able to read the book.  I highly recommend it.
1133646
Simple people are afraid of what they don't know and don't understand. Isn't it so much easier to go to church and swallow down all that brainwashing that they feed them? \nOf course it is - it doesn't require thinking with their own heads, it doesn't require reading and learning and researching and making mistakes and developing themselves...\nThey just get taught a pretty story and told it is the only truth. What an ideal world, isn't it?! Too bad it's ot that simple. \n\nPeople have been deceived and brainwashed through centuries and millenia. We can't expect them to suddenly start thinking. Organised forms of religion have caused much too much damage by burning everyone who dared to ponder another side of truth...
243806
because many people are scared of what they dont know and anything that isnt in the 'norm' they tend to become ignorant about. like if they go near a gay person they might become one or catch something. if only they could open their closed minds a bit and see that gay people are just like the rest of us they have hearts and they have feelings too. we can only pray that one day we all be treated as equals.
216602
Fear of the unknown.  Until people become used to an idea they fear it.  Once it is familiar it loses its shock value.
822432
Wow, that's a really deep question and a good one at that.  \nI think a lot of people really hit the mark on the nose, but I'm not surprised to see a lot of ignorant answers like that first one, Madelaine.  \n\nCompare it to a little kid who, when you try to tell him that he's doing something wrong, he puts his fingers in his ears and screams.  \n\nIt is scary that so many people blindly believe.  This is what happened with Hitler and the Houlocaust, and even more recently with Bush in Iraq.  I know I'm veering off subject here, but I'm just trying to point out that blindly believing without question is very dangerous. It's worse when people like Ted Haggard, Jim Bakker, and Pat Robertson are trusted with souls of the masses. \n\nGood for you for realizing it!  Hopefully you woke a few people up.
968112
People fear what they don't understand .. So they call it evil ... \n\nOr make excuses and say it was gods idea.. (I really love that one )  Human's are really stupid when they don't understand what is going on around them ..
1180299
I think others are afraid of things they don't know.\nLove is blind so therefore it sees no color, race or \nanything else.\nWe tend to group people on the basis of how a few act \ninstead of trying to get to know each person on individual basis.
902338
It is in the human's nature to fear what they don't understand. It is lack of exposure to differences and an ignorant attitude that create fear. Religions can foster this ignorance, yes.
518933
Some people can't comprehend anything outside to boundaries of tradition.  They don't have facts... they have beliefs
96975
Because people are afraid of what they don't understand . . . of the unknown . . . of change . . . of differences. It's like a defensive mechanism or something. People get defensive over something that they perceive as threatening to what society and religion has deemed normal.
320663
Fear.  We fear what we don't understand, and often we don't understand or misunderstand  those of different cultures. What's the answer?  I don't know that there is one.  Sure , education and learning to understand and tolerate others who are different than ourselves would help, but there will always be those in every culture who will be less open minded and try to spread their fear.  as yoda said, "fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate"  this can apply to many events in the world today.
415520
b/c truth is scary.  ignorance is bliss, so alot of people gloss over the real world and dont think about the harshness of reality
286149
people tend to dis like or even hate what they dont understand... they are frustrated at being ignorant so they act ignorant... the funny thing is if people got to know each other they wouldn't be ignorant and all this would go away...
429733
because people are tend to be scared of the unknown and they have no clue what to expect from the mentally ill or challenged there for their only response can and will be coldness and callousness.that is to protect them selves.
49820
Because they are scared of change and differences or our just ignorant.
917097
People tend to ridicule what they do not understand or feel comfortable with.
838429
Because they're ignorant, scared of them or apparently they think it's funny. Shows what they know.