Re: virus: bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?

sodom (Sodom@ma.ultranet.com)
Mon, 03 Aug 1998 10:11:40 -0400


Well Tim, I find it surprising that you see no evidence to support fear - I
think an essay is due on the subject. But as someone well read, you yourself
probably read quite often about how one should "fear" god. Certainly when you
ask youngsters about it, the concept of fear is quite imbeded from concern about
the "souls" of their pets, to punishment handed out by God for wrong actions, to
going to hell. I doubt you can find many xians who will say that "fear of god"
is not important and real. From what I can tell in the paper and literary
sources, fear seems to be the maiin ingredient in converting new people. If you
have had a Jahova witness come to your door, you will quickly discover that they
use fear in their attemt to convert you. A friend here next to me, Andrea, says
:Fear of no purpose" is a major reason for not challenginge god.

I am fairly confident that fear plays a major role, and I think the evidence is
so memetically engrained as "normal" in the way we see religion, as to seem as
though it is not there at all.

Sodom

Tim Rhodes wrote:

> Sodom writes:
>
> >I do think that fear is what keeps them (religious folk) from disbelief -
> this
> >is the only generalization I knowingly will go with.
>
> And one whose factual basis I simply question. You write:
>
> >I dont question their
> >intelligence, or capacity, or complexity. I would paint them as more
> fearful - a
> >judgement call which in debate and discussion, has mostly proven correct.
>
> Debate and discussion perhaps, but until I see some *hard scientific data*
> concluding the same (a survey with that as the only dependant variable, for
> instance), I will continue to put the <Religous people are so out of fear>
> meme in the same camp as the <Jesus loves me> meme--a comfort to the holder,
> but with no proven basis in fact or functional utility.
>
> -Prof. Tim