Hey Brother Zibjah, how are you doing man. I had to really give your thread a lot of thought. The question (Can a thing heavily persuaded become fact? Yes but first let me go to your post comments.
Believing is not a communal activity, what you believe drives what you do
You are correct however, believing can be communal. Since belief is an action and if all members attending a certain institution may all share a common belief.
Example; Folks attending a particular church who are of a certain religious faith believe in Jesus which is a common belief and therefore that belief becoming communal. Now that common belief then takes on the form of an activity or activities that all members may or may participate in together.
what you believe drives what you do
If you are saying that what somone may or may do is predicated on what they believe, I would say for the most part yes but some people who belive a certain thing can be persuaded ( in spite of what they believe) to do something contrary to those beliefs.
When you get into your vessel you don't take on the form of that vessel, your belief that it is going to take you to your destination is why you drive and neither does your congregation all drive for you
True but sometimes the congregation can drive folks to somewhere they never intended on going.
Now to your thread question;
Can a thing be heavily persuaded become fact
I get your meaning.
I feel that a thing that is heavily promoted can become a fact through very persuasive measures but that doesn't make it absolute truth. That thing (false truths) will remain a fact until there is evidence to the contrary. History is full of these accepted facts with one example being the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.
There are also those things that become accepted as fact by certain groups for political and other nefarious agendas without the slightest bit of evidence to support it.
Example; The heavily promoted accusations by the Bush Administration of WMD's to justify the Invasion of Iraq. No WMD's were ever located!
The heavily promoted attacks by Muslims terrorist cells and Osama Bin Laden perpetuated by the same administration which brought us the 911 so- called terrorists attacks that eventually lead to the controlled demolition of the Twin Towers and Tower 7. Hmmm
The recent election in which the out going president promulgated voter fraud which is still believed and perceived to be factual by certain groups of people. No evidence.
There have numerous other false flags that have been accepted as fact throughout this country's history.
Then of course there are those doctrines and dogmas (which I believe that you are referring to) perpetuated by certain religious groups and institutions to be fact and have been extremely persuasive in doing so.
Yes my brother, we live in a world where accusations and false claims and beliefs have become the acceptable norm as truth until proven otherwise. Just my take brother. Someone else might have a different one. Peace