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I brought up the Vampire paper I wrote because it really frustrates me that these individuals are not actually reading my paper. They are not looking at the information that I am presenting to them, specifically, that the vampire legend is based off of diseases that caused "vampire-like" symptoms. Instead of considering this possibility, they immediately leap to how much they like Edward Cullen, or why they think vampires are real-- not in a biological sense, but instead in a bridging fantasy and reality kind of way. It relates to the idea of fiction and non-fiction and Dennett's idea about skyhooks and cranes. 

These individuals are completely immersed in their skyhooks. They insist that their skyhooks are cranes, that there are reasons why vampires exist, and here they are, and there may not be a lot of concrete data behind it but darn it! they believe. Belief is what makes a skyhook. 

Evelyn's post really makes me think, as well. I know that we talked about early science fiction, the concept of man entering space-- and how it was fiction. No one believed that it could happen. People postulating about the future spouted wistful ideas of flying cars and vacations on the moon. Those were skyhooks... and now they are cranes. In 1969, we got onto the moon. So when does fiction become non fiction and when does fantasy become reality?

Should I stomp on these vampire lovers, or should I just let them go on their merry way, despite the fact that they have no real evidence to back up their claims?... In that same way, am I attacking other ideas that rely almost entirely on faith? Do I (or did I) have faith in anything?

I hope that this evolution problem can be solved. I'm still not sure where I stand... up until now, I thought that people should stop shoving their beliefs down other people's throats, onto schoolchildren. But if I believe in evolution... trust in science... than what am I shoving around?