Barry Karr is an American skeptic and paranormal researcher, currently the executive director of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He has been consulted by the media on the paranormal. Karr has been involved in many investigations including faith healing, UFOs, firewalking, ghosts and others. He is a published author in two anthology publications, and as an editor of two others. Karr is a proponent of scientific skepticism and a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
Early life
His parents are Angelina and Leo Karr of Arkport, New York. His mother taught speech therapy for five years in Scio, New York, before becoming an elementary school teacher at North Hornell School in Arkport. She was on the school board from 1973 to 1988 and was active on the New York State School Boards Association and president of the Steuben County School Boards Association. Both parents were members of the American Legion. Karr and his four siblings went through the Arkport school system.
Career with CSICOP
Karr began by stuffing envelopes part-time at Committee for Skeptical Inquiry during his second year in college, and he was hired in their fifth year. After graduation from University at Buffalo with a political science degree, Paul Kurtz hired Karr full-time as the assistant public relations director. In 2012, Karr was awarded for his 25 years of service and recognized as honorary Trenches winner at the Skeptic's Toolbox. He has been involved in many investigations including remote viewing, ghost hunting, firewalking, UFOs, Satanism and faith healing.
He has said, "People are looking for the mystical. It's exciting and fun". As far as proving or disproving God, Karr was said in an interview, "CSICOP takes no formal stance on the existence of God... some members are skeptical." Karr feels that holding a belief in the supernatural and superstition can "detract from the advancement of the human race". People want to make decisions rationally but to do that they need to be aware of science and technology, that does not mix with the supernatural. "We believe before you jump into the realm of the paranormal... you should explore some of the rational alternatives."
Karr feels that "newspapers are in the business to sell newspapers, and people love a mystery". He has become worried that "mainstream media had fallen into the mode of hype now, explain later", and has often been asked to test claims of weeping statues but states that "such claims are denied by the churches involved. I think they want people to believe some kind of miracle is going on, I don't think they wanted to hear the truth."
Faith healing
As a part of his work with CSICOP, Karr attended many revival metings to investigate "faith healers" such as Peter Popoff, Charles Hunter (The Happy Hunters), Willard Fuller and W. V. Grant. During one event, Karr pretended to have back problems and limped to his seat heavily leaning on a cane. Popoff came down the aisle and asked Karr to throw away his cane and "run around" which Karr proceeded to do. The couple next to Karr had brought a severely disabled baby to be cured by the faith-healer (who ignored them throughout the revival); the parents wanted to know why God had "healed" Karr and not their baby. Karr explained that he did not have back problems and could walk fine before the healing. (This proves nothing - perhaps the faith-healer knew from discernment from the Holy Spirit that he was faking his injury). The parents were devastated, as if a miracle had been wasted on someone "who didn't even deserve it".
According to Karr, the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion sent investigators to Popoff's faith healing sessions in Houston and San Francisco. One person moved close enough to see a receiver in Popoff's ear. The investigations led by James Randi used more than $20,000 worth of scanning equipment and "were able to intercept the frequency and tune in to what was being said". They discovered that Popoff was being fed information by his wife who was using hot-reading based on cards that people had filled out when they arrived at the faith healing event. Karr said that when confronted, Popoff first denied it, then later said "that people were aware of it" and "now admits to using the transmitter, saying it is the 'age of television'". Karr said that one member of the Bay Area Skeptics, Don Henvick, "has been healed five times by Popoff. Once was in Detroit when dressed as a woman, he was healed of uterine cancer."