Astrology Is A Joke... And So Is Bart Bok

Astrology is a Joke... and so is Bart Bok

Bart J. Bok was an esteemed teacher of astronomy at Harvard and the University of Arizona until his death in 1983. However, despite the fact that he taught astronomy he had an unexplainable hatred for astrology, even going so far as to preach on the "evils of astrology for well over four decades. Bok also goes on to imply that people who believe in astrology are weak minded and are just "looking for firm guideposts in the confused world of the present", and even goes on to say that those people take astrology on as a religion.

Bok's claims that people who "have experienced astrology" and "know astrology to be true", view astrology as a religion. This is one of the most ridiculous claims I have ever heard. To say that would be the same as saying that some scientists believe that biology is a religion because they believe it to be true, or that Michael Jordan, Scott Hamilton, and Kurt Angle believe that their Olympic Gold Medals are religious relics because they know they are Olympic Champions. Religion is not something that somebody picks up simply because they believe in something or have experienced it.

Overall, Bok's lack of faith in humanity is shocking, especially for somebody who made a career out of public education. To believe that even a large minority of people believe in astrology enough to make it their religion is completely idiotic. While I'm sure that there are a few people out there that might take astrology to the extreme, that fraction of the human race is so insignificant that its not even worth bringing into this debate. Certain people believe very strongly in George Lucas' "Star Wars" films and idolize them, but that doesn't mean that we should put a ban on the upcoming "Star Wars: Episode 3" film because some loose cannon out their will undoubtedly do something drastic because the movie will be the final chapter in what he has convinced himself is a way of life.

As a whole, people are encouraged to look at astrology as nothing more than a form of entertainment. Commercials, websites, and even newspaper columns all carry warnings saying that their readings are for "entertainment purposes only" and that they do not carry any legitimate significance. If people genuinely looked to those horoscopes to guide them on a daily basis, what would stop them from doing the same to rolling a pair dice or even opening up their fortune cookie after