THE RANT THREAD!

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I was sitting here,thinking(Scary right) and began to ponder what it is that turns a perfectly normal person into a fanatic religious crazy...You know I am very open to everyone having their own vision of spiritual things... This is different,and I have seen it happen to people I knew very quickly..My Mother for one...She was a kinda happy go lucky person until something went "SNAP" and suddenly she was Torquemada riding on the crazy train. It boggled my mind at the time,and I wondered if you guys have had this happen to people you know.?

Well, my aunt got into the new agey stuff pretty fast. The way I see it with her was, she was raised Catholic, disagreed with the dogma, etc., years ago, and when she retired, she discovered that she's just not the kind of person who can be truly independent, although she'd never admit that. She needs to follow something, to listen to some "leader", and to be "busy". So she started watching online seminars, and got involved in some metaphysical stuff, and now she's a life coach and if you call a special phone number and enter a secret code, you'll be in her down-line and you, too, can be eternally happy just by thinking you are!

Years ago I was good friends for 12-13 years with a woman who, upon marrying her 2nd hubby, got into the far right evangelism stuff. He got her into it. It makes her the obedient wifey, don'tcha know. She was a real follower type anyway, always depending on some guy's opinions, or fashion, or whatever. No independent spirit whatsoever. It was like one day we were on the phone laughing about stuff and the next day she said she couldn't talk to me anymore because I didn't believe what she did. I honestly thought she was joking, and I laughed, and she hung up, and I called back a million times but we never spoke again. It's like Invasion of the Body Snatchers or something. One day someone is there, and the next, they're not.

[anunitu]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

First time I ran into this was with "Jesus freaks" stoners I hung out with that started the "Have you found Jesus?" thing...

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

^^^ I remember a bit of that in high school, when Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell were really big. A friend took me to some coffeehouse once. There were kids there from different towns, playing guitars, singing folk songs, talking....it all seemed nice. Then I went to the girl's room and there was a bunch of vicious gossip going on in there. So I saw the hypocrisy immediately, and that was the end of that.

[iris]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I was sitting here,thinking(Scary right) and began to ponder what it is that turns a perfectly normal person into a fanatic religious crazy...You know I am very open to everyone having their own vision of spiritual things... This is different,and I have seen it happen to people I knew very quickly..My Mother for one...She was a kinda happy go lucky person until something went "SNAP" and suddenly she was Torquemada riding on the crazy train. It boggled my mind at the time,and I wondered if you guys have had this happen to people you know.?

I've been pondering the same thing... my mother has always been pretty laid back with religion. Until she stopped being laid back and started being obsessive. Well over a year ago now. She's all "angels everywhere" and everyone who disagrees, no matter how politely, are dark an evil. I'm frequently dark and evil. I don't particularly like it, it often borders to delusions i think, but I have no idea what to do about it. Hers started as a kind of midlifecrisis i think, it seems a desperate attempt at inventing purpose and blaming misfortune (we've had a lot of death, illness and accidents in our immediate family as long as i can remember) on some higher force. And others. The key seems to be blaming others.

[anunitu]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

You know,if I was not such a scrupulous person,I might have taken advantage of this type person.. I can from time to time create a fantasy image of religion and you know just go free style BS to the max.
I am however not good with conning people for my own gain,though it seems there are some who will turn a religious thing into a cash cow for themselves.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

^^ That's what these "leaders" do. Just think, you could have a megachurch made of gold and be on TV every week, flashing your veneers and telling us to manifest our own destiny, and that we, too, can be prosperous if only we believe....and send you a donation.

[iris]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I might skip uni and start a sect instead. I really wanna be an actor, but isn't actor and religious leader (often) the same thing? ^^

I just put on foundation for the first time in my life. I mean, i act, I've worn layers and layers on stage, but I never did it just to enhance my looks. I don't actually wear any make up. But there was a sale, and I figured it's nice to have some and look my best for job interviews and stuff, I won't pretend that people don't judge based on looks. still don't get it though, sure my skin looks nicer... but why wear it every day?

[B. de Corbin]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I might skip uni and start a sect instead. I really wanna be an actor, but isn't actor and religious leader (often) the same thing? ^^

If you do, I have one piece of advice - put your aporkylips far enough into the future that you can scam a fortune off the gullible before it becomes obvious that you're selling bologna.

[iris]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

If you do, I have one piece of advice - put your aporkylips far enough into the future that you can scam a fortune off the gullible before it becomes obvious that you're selling bologna.

I'm thinking something like "he world will end with me! now feed me"... I die, they realise it's a scam, couldn't care less

[anunitu]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Well,the big sell right at the moment is the "Blood moon" thing...even a few variations floating around...there is the planet Nibiru thing hooked in there.

That is only one of more than a few "connections" with so called "Blood Moons"...End of the world crazy stuff in general..The Christian one from Hagee seems to have a comet hitting us in there somewhere.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisr...s-Blood-Moons/

Might be a few hollow earth types too,and can't forget the contrails from planes..
So,dig your bomb shelters(hidy holes) so you can survive to see the zombies hungry for your brain...

[iris]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Tin foil hats for everyone! Get your free tin foil hat here!
Sorry. I couldn't make myself watch it all the way through, the comments on the article are precious though. I've managed to completely avoid all mention of blood moons and new planets until now, I'm gonna go back to ignoring it now I think.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I'm thinking something like "he world will end with me! now feed me"... I die, they realise it's a scam, couldn't care less

That's a good scam...

About 10 ears ago one of the U.S. big name televangelists started telling his followers that, unless the donated enough money to build some project, God was going to recall him to heaven.

Does anybody remember who that was? I forget...

[anunitu]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

I do remember that,it was(Off to Google)Oral Roberts...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_Roberts

Roberts' fundraising was controversial. In January 1987, during a fundraising drive, Roberts announced to a television audience that unless he raised $8 million by that March, God would "call him home." [37][38] However, the year before on Easter he had told a gathering at the Dallas Convention Center that God had instructed him to raise the money "by the end of the year" or he would die.[39] Regardless of this new March deadline and the fact that he was still $4.5 million short of his goal,[40] some were fearful that he was referring to suicide, given the impassioned pleas and tears that accompanied his statement. He raised $9.1 million.[41] Later that year, he announced that God had raised the dead through Roberts' ministry.[42] Some of Roberts' fundraising letters were written by Gene Ewing, who headed a business writing donation letters for other evangelicals such as Don Stewart and Robert Tilton.[43]


And lo,I am a master of Google...and God sends me signs when I search for random things...(Send money guns and lawyers)

[Medusa]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

God did not bless that man when he named him that. No. He did not.

[kalynraye]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

My Aunt hit her fanatical crazy at age 22, I was 13. Her and her husband had married very young she was 17 and they had been having marital problems. They separated, and started seeing other people. She got pregnant and didn't know if it was his or someone else's. She miscarried and they got back together. After that they started going to church, and thats when her fanatical crazy kicked in. I think was her guilt that pushed her over the edge. She has mellowed in the years since but sometimes it rears its ugly head.

So I'm going to say guilt is one of the big things. People play on your guilt and know how to use it.