Backed Up, with a Sinking Feeling
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I’m officially struggling with my next essay. I have an extreme aversion to the type of manipulative bastard that is my subject. I would rather clean hair out of the sinks at a college women’s dormitory (in summer when there’s no one around to break up the monotony) than think about this parentally-condoned exploitation.
Here instead are a couple of odds and ends.
I wanted to post a video of Zeitgeist’s “The Greatest Story Ever Told” for my contribution to The War on Christmas (Reg. US Pat. Off. By Fox News), but I was unable to find it. You-Tube just says “…may not be available.” I guess it’s mommy signed a permission slip and it’s on vacation. Seriously, did someone find this “offensive?” There was a lot of buzz when it first came out. Some people opined that some of the dots connected in this film were sketchy at best. Decide for yourself. Here is the transcript, including citations and supporting material. On the other hand, perhaps Zeitgeist had it pulled by exercising the copyright because they would like to make some money.
Best one-line summation of the Jesus myth I have ever heard:
“It’s a great story, in that a lot of people fell for it.”
A whole tapestry in a single thread!
A recent conversation about a less dangerous manipulator, Joel Osteen (I talked about him here), yielded this (paraphrased):
Q: These people seem to be happy in their delusion… a lot happier than I am. Where’s the harm in that?
A: The harm is, that it’s a lie. Joel is exploiting basic human needs for belonging and acceptance. Since God does not exist except as a concept, the top of the pyramid does not exist. When a preacher says, “You need God”, the real message is, “You need me”. That’s the big lie. None of those followers need him, but they have been conditioned to believe that they do.
Q: But he makes people feel good about themselves. How is that different from, say, what John Gray does?
A: John Gray does not create addiction. Joel’s ministry is not about sending people out with a clearer understanding of themselves and others. Joel makes between 30 and 40 million dollars annually from filling his stadium-church week after week, and from donations from his TV audience. He says he needs this money to “keep his ministry going”. In other words, everybody gets paid. This is a huge production. This is not a fresh crowd every week. He strokes their egos, but gives no lasting insights for self-direction, so they have to come back for more next week. This is a classic reinforcement trap. With someone like John Gray, once you get the message, you hang up the phone.
Another video that I wanted to post and discuss is not yet available on You-Tube. The United Methodist Church has created an advertisement showing a kid attaching a note to a kite and flying it. He reels the kite in, opens the note, and slaps an “Oh Wow!” look on his face, implying that he has received an answer from Big Daddy in the Sky. That doesn’t really happen.
Ok children, can anybody tell me what that’s called? Anybody? Starts with “Buh”…”Bull”… That’s right, it’s BULLSHIT! And who relies on bullshit to get their message across? Bullshit artists. Very good. Class dismissed.
For those who found the Zeitgeist link a bit overwhelming (I know I did!), Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth is a lot more fun.
Hair clog photo boosted from Chicago 2-flat.blogspot.com. Thanks for doing the dirty work!
Here instead are a couple of odds and ends.
I wanted to post a video of Zeitgeist’s “The Greatest Story Ever Told” for my contribution to The War on Christmas (Reg. US Pat. Off. By Fox News), but I was unable to find it. You-Tube just says “…may not be available.” I guess it’s mommy signed a permission slip and it’s on vacation. Seriously, did someone find this “offensive?” There was a lot of buzz when it first came out. Some people opined that some of the dots connected in this film were sketchy at best. Decide for yourself. Here is the transcript, including citations and supporting material. On the other hand, perhaps Zeitgeist had it pulled by exercising the copyright because they would like to make some money.
Best one-line summation of the Jesus myth I have ever heard:
“It’s a great story, in that a lot of people fell for it.”
A whole tapestry in a single thread!
A recent conversation about a less dangerous manipulator, Joel Osteen (I talked about him here), yielded this (paraphrased):
Q: These people seem to be happy in their delusion… a lot happier than I am. Where’s the harm in that?
A: The harm is, that it’s a lie. Joel is exploiting basic human needs for belonging and acceptance. Since God does not exist except as a concept, the top of the pyramid does not exist. When a preacher says, “You need God”, the real message is, “You need me”. That’s the big lie. None of those followers need him, but they have been conditioned to believe that they do.
Q: But he makes people feel good about themselves. How is that different from, say, what John Gray does?
A: John Gray does not create addiction. Joel’s ministry is not about sending people out with a clearer understanding of themselves and others. Joel makes between 30 and 40 million dollars annually from filling his stadium-church week after week, and from donations from his TV audience. He says he needs this money to “keep his ministry going”. In other words, everybody gets paid. This is a huge production. This is not a fresh crowd every week. He strokes their egos, but gives no lasting insights for self-direction, so they have to come back for more next week. This is a classic reinforcement trap. With someone like John Gray, once you get the message, you hang up the phone.
Another video that I wanted to post and discuss is not yet available on You-Tube. The United Methodist Church has created an advertisement showing a kid attaching a note to a kite and flying it. He reels the kite in, opens the note, and slaps an “Oh Wow!” look on his face, implying that he has received an answer from Big Daddy in the Sky. That doesn’t really happen.
Ok children, can anybody tell me what that’s called? Anybody? Starts with “Buh”…”Bull”… That’s right, it’s BULLSHIT! And who relies on bullshit to get their message across? Bullshit artists. Very good. Class dismissed.
For those who found the Zeitgeist link a bit overwhelming (I know I did!), Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth is a lot more fun.
Hair clog photo boosted from Chicago 2-flat.blogspot.com. Thanks for doing the dirty work!