Misconceptions

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
The black belt in martial arts does not necessarily indicate expert level or mastery. As introduced for judo in the 1880s, it indicates competency of all of the basic techniques of the sport. The first five ranks all have black belts; holders of the third rank can act as local instructors and may be addressed as sensei. Holders of higher ranks in judo and other Asian martial arts are awarded belts with alternating red and white panels (6th to 8th dan), and the very highest ranks with solid red belts (9th and 10th dan).

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
The forbidden fruit mentioned in the Book of Genesis is commonly assumed to be an apple, and is widely depicted as such in Western art, although the Bible does not identify what type of fruit it is. The original Hebrew texts mention only tree and fruit. Early Latin translations use the word mali, which can be taken to mean both "evil" and "apple". German and French artists commonly depict the fruit as an apple from the 12th century onwards, and John Milton's Areopagitica from 1644 explicitly mentions the fruit as an apple. Jewish scholars suggested that the fruit could have been a grape, a fig, wheat, or etrog. Likewise, the Quran speaks only of a forbidden "tree" and does not identify the fruit.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Although common conception says that Noah was told in the Book of Genesis to bring two of each animal onto his ark, the book actually contains differing passages about the number of animals he was told to bring; in Genesis 6:19, he is told to bring "two of all living creatures", while in Genesis 7:2 he is told to bring "seven pairs of every kind of clean animal […] and one pair of every kind of unclean animal" – although in some translations (e.g. the New King James Genesis ) this is rendered as seven animals, rather than seven pairs.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
The historical Buddha was not obese. The "chubby Buddha" or "laughing Buddha" is a tenth century Chinese folk hero by the name of Budai. In Chinese Buddhist culture, Budai came to be revered as an incarnation of Maitreya, the Bodhisattva who will become a Buddha to restore Buddhism after the teachings of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, have passed away.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
The Buddha is not a god. In early Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama possessed no salvific properties and strongly encouraged "self-reliance, self discipline and individual striving." However, in later developments of Mahayana Buddhism, notably in the Pure Land (Jìngtu) school of Chinese Buddhism, the Amitabha Buddha was thought to be a savior. Through faith in the Amitabha Buddha, one could be reborn in the western Pure Land. Although in Pure Land Buddhism the Buddha is considered a savior, he is still not considered a god in the common understanding of the term.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Nowhere in the Bible is Satan described as ruling over or being in Hell. Throughout the Bible Satan is described as constantly on Earth, and the Book of Revelation says that after Judgment Satan will be cast into Hell.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
The Immaculate Conception is not synonymous with the virgin birth of Jesus, nor is it a supposed belief in the virgin birth of Mary, his mother. Rather, the Immaculate Conception is the Roman Catholic belief that Mary was not subject to original sin from the first moment of her existence, when she was conceived. The concept of the virgin birth, on the other hand, is the belief that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while remaining a virgin.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say exactly three magi came to visit the baby Jesus, nor that they were kings, rode on camels, or that their names were Casper, Melchior and Balthazar. Matthew 2 has traditionally been combined with Isaiah 60:1–3.
60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Another popular myth is that having sex in the days leading up to a sporting event or contest is detrimental to performance. Numerous studies have shown that there is no physiological basis to this myth. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that sex during the 24 hours prior to sports activity can elevate the levels of testosterone in males, which potentially could enhance their performance.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Mental abilities are not absolutely separated into the left and right cerebral hemispheres of the brain. Some mental functions such as speech and language (cf. Broca's area, Wernicke's area) tend to activate one hemisphere of the brain more than the other, in some kinds of tasks. If one hemisphere is damaged at a very early age, however, these functions can often be recovered in part or even in full by the other hemisphere (see Neuroplasticity). Other abilities such as motor control, memory, and general reasoning are served equally by the two hemispheres.