Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: andysandmikesmom
A wise paraticipant on another forum wrote, To which I had to say,

YES!

For example, the ritual of the "altar call," and the ease with which a trained stage hypnotist (excuse me, "crusade 'evangelist'") can mass-produce altered states of consciousness -- at least, temporarily. The one "crusade 'evangelist'" with sufficient integrity to do the math discovered that 96% of his "conversions" were spurious. Only 4% of Billy Graham's "converts" ever got around to living as visible Christians.

People will scream if you touch their sacred traditions -- even rituals with a 96% failure rate, rites that harden people against God, and sow a deep bitterness into the culture. Dupes who realize that they were manipulated into a meaningless humiliation (" every head bowed, every eye closed ... come forward and make my numbers look good ... ") resent having been played for fools.

The chickens have come home to roost in Lakeland. Our willingness to tolerate manipulative techniques, for more than 150 years, have heaped reproach upon the name of our Savior, and His gospel.

7 posted on 07/17/2008 3:19:42 PM PDT by RJR_fan (Winners and lovers shape the future. Whiners and losers TRY TO PREDICT IT.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies ]


To: RJR_fan

Excellent observations...


8 posted on 07/17/2008 3:27:06 PM PDT by andysandmikesmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson