The term “coincidence theorist” is sometimes used in contrast to a “conspiracy theorist.” Either something was planned and it’s a conspiracy, or it’s all just a coincidence. Many people believe that there are no coincidences, proving a conspiracy theorist’s point.
 
A 1983 editorial in the Augusta (GA) Chronicle credited Congressman Larry P, McDonald (1935-1983) for the term. McDonald possibly coined it.
   
“The Coincidence Theorist’s Guide to 9/11” was a popular essay that was printed on many websites in 2004.
 
     
Wiktionary: coincidence theorist
Noun
coincidence theorist (plural coincidence theorists)
1. (chiefly derogatory) Someone who rejects the claims of conspiracy theories, believing that any observations or occurrences are better explained by more mundane causes.
             
3 November 1983, Augusta (GA) Chronicle, “Playing on fear” (editorial), pg. 4-A, col. 1:
Larry McDonald, the Georgia congressman who headed the John Birch Society until he perished in the downing of KAL Flight 007, was once twitted by publisher William A. Rusher for holding “conspiracy theories.” So McDonald inscribed in a book, “To Bill Rusher, noted coincidence theorist.”
 
24 September 1988, Washington (DC) Post, “The Iran-Contra Scandal Was No Coincidence” by Daniel P. Sheehan, pg. A21:
Although (Mark—ed.) Hosenball concedes that “certain personalities do seem to appear with startling regularity” in these episodes, he apparently finds what he sees as the “ultimate conspiracy” to be so noxious that he reverts to the opposite extreme. He has assumed the role of Coincidence Theorist, presuming that the misdeeds of Contragate, Watergate and U.S. covert action on every continent establish no definite pattern of illegal behavior.
         
Newspapers.com
20 December 1991, Chicago (IL) Tribune, “Shots heard ‘round the weird” by Paul Galloway, sec. 5, pg. 1, col. 6 and pg. 2, col. 1:
(Spoken by John P. Judge, who talked about the film JFK and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.—ed.)
“Because I make connections between certain facts and certain events, I’m called ‘a conspiracy theorist,’” he said in a telephone interview from his home in Washington. “That’s better than ‘assassination buff’ or ‘conspiracy nut,’ which I’ve also been called.
 
“But notice that people who support the Warren Commission are usually called historians. If you’re going to be fair, either they should be called ‘coincidence theorists’ or all of us should be called historians.”
   
Google Books
The Mother of All Webs
Who Gotcha!
By Gyeorgos C. Hatonn
Carson City, NV: American West Publishers
1992
Pp. 204-305:
I like what I heard yesterday from a speaker that I greatly respect: When asked if he is a “Conspiracy Theorist”, he responded: “No, I am a Coincidence Theorist. Everything MUST be ‘just coincidence’ for surely no one in their right minds would actually conspire to pull off such atrocities.”
 
28 February 1995, The Village Voice (New York, NY), “Son of shrinkage” by Michael Tomasky, pg. 20:
So what’s the notion of this administration about how people—poor, working-class, middle-class, any household, really, that takes in less than $80,000 a year or so—are supposed to live? I’m no conspiracy theorist—however, to use Wayne Barrett’s great line describing those who spend their time refuting all notions of conspiracy, I’m not a “coincidence theorist” either. Things do happen according to plan sometimes.
 
Google Groups: alt.conspiracy.jfk
Why Are There No Coincidences?
Lisa Pease
9/18/96

Mark D Hiatt (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) wrote:
: In reading and studying assassinalia for the last twenty years I’ve often
: wondered why there are no coincidences in the JFK shooting?
 
Ah yes, the “coincidence theorist.” A more scary breed even than the “conspiracy theorist.”
   
Google Groups: soc.culture.african.american
Coincidence Theorist Howie Kurtz, Internet Laughingstock
Steve Hancock
12/15/97
[ Article reposted from alt.current-events.clinton.whitewater ]
[ Author was Bill Nalty ]
[ Posted on Sun, 14 Dec 1997 16:39:36 -0600 ]
[ Original subject: Zehr: Coverup and Coercion—Things The Media Would Rather Not Tell Us ]
 
The Washington Weekly
December 15, 1997
COVERUP AND COERCION—Things The Media Would Rather Not Tell Us
By Edward Zehr
 
911Truth.Org
The coincidence theorist’s guide to 9/11
A Coincidence Theorist’s Guide to 9/11 was first posted by Minstrel Boy at Democratic Underground in early August of 2004. By mid-August, Jeff Wells added a number of more entries, and links for all.
By Staff -August 18, 2004
That governments have permitted terrorist acts against their own people, and have even themselves been perpetrators in order to find strategic advantage is quite likely true, but this is the United States we’re talking about.
 
Urban Dictionary
coincidence theorist
coincidence theorist, noun, someone who believes what the mainstream media and government tell them, without questioning it for themselves.
a coincidence theorist would believe 19 ‘cave dwellers’ with boxcutters made NORAD stand down on 9/11, therefore hijacking 4 planes and flying them into 2 trade towers (with another falling without being struck by anything) the pentagon with the other crashing in a field in pennsylvania with no debris left behind.
#herd member#mainstreamer#sheeple#typical american#fool
by bubba himz September 04, 2010
   
Twitter
phoon
@weirdfigs
the term “coincidence theorist” was coined for this
Quote Tweet
Huw Lemmey
@huwlemmey
· Aug 10
At this stage if you believe Epstein killed himself *you’re* the conspiracy theorist
9:46 AM · Aug 10, 2019·Twitter for Android
 
Twitter
Major Patriot
@Q2ndWave
Replying to @prayingmedic
What a coincidence.  😉
(speaking of…I heard a great term the other day…Coincidence Theorist <--what those that call us Conspiracy Theorists must be)

4:14 PM · Oct 23, 2019·Twitter Web App