When I am up late at night sometimes I watch Televangelists. What I find particularly telling is the people in the audience. They seem like they are high on dope or ecstasy. Seriously, these people are stone cold sober but they look like they are drunk or high. The power of the mind to create such a narcotic effect from just the imagination is a bit… impressive. What I like to do is substitute “George” for every reference of Jesus/God. In this case, George, is the Big Red Hamster with magical powers. To see people go into rapture over such references to George really puts it all in perspective. There is just as much evidence for George as there is for Jesus.
I’m serious, such a narcotic effect from an idea planted in the minds of believers. And they are stone cold sober. It is kind of daunting…
A friend is currently dealing with her mother , who is bipolar and refusing medical intervention. The woman is spouting all kinds of religious craziness to anyone who will listen. The funny thing is that without knowing the woman is mentally ill, she could pass as someone who is very religious.
well, having been in a manic stare before and having taken lots of drugs as well at times, this is why i find it so bewildering “normal” people can get so high on religion and be completely sober.
That is one thing I remember from the 90s: television commercials advertising Christian rock music CDs, always showing scenes of the teenage audience members looking like they are going through the most major life shattering emotional roller coaster because someone is singing about Jesus and playing an electric guitar.
It made me a little bit sad that my music never brought out such cathartic responses in me. Then the commercial ends and I didn’t care anymore.
If religion wasn’t a gold mine, there wouldn’t be so many of these charlatans in the business. Nothing sells like God; you’ve never seen a car salesman get customers worked into such a frenzy.
I caught some of Joel Osteen the other day and that guy is downright methodical about preaching to the choir. Nobody is going to listen to a guy who tells them everyting they’re doing is wrong and sinful. But they will listen to a guy who tells them everyone else is being wrong and sinful.
