Jesus Made Me Puke

[mina.magpie]

A bit after the fact, but I came across this article from Rolling Stone last year about the reporter's experiences while undercover in the Religious Right, and it really gave me a lot to think about, especially when it comes to why it seems so hard to find common ground with fanatically religious people.

[Matt Taibbi] Jesus Made Me Puke (01 may 2008, Rolling Stone)

Mina.

[Hypatia]

That is frightening.

[tekla]

It was very snarky in Rolling Stone kind of way, and though he came to a good observation or two, he was pretty clueless as to what it really meant because he was too busy writing the next clever phrase.  Really.

[Julie Marie]

That was actually painful to read, let alone imagine trying to last three days with these fanatical, mindless drones.  But it's a powerful reminder there are people who will fight to the death to rid the world of anyone and anything they don't understand.  They are simple minded & weak and will follow anyone who is strong enough to break them down then send them over the cliff.  Lemmings anyone?

Julie

[Lisbeth]

Buried on a clearance rack next to the underwear section in a nearby mall, the Gap shirt was one of those irritating throwbacks to the Meatballs/Seventies-summer-camp-geek look, but stripped of its sartorial irony, it really just screamed Friendless Loser!

Jeez! That's the kind of stuff I might wear. I'm glad to be a friendless loser, I guess.

[tekla]

Well the problem is that he spent way too much time worrying about what people were wearing, and not what was really going on, which in fact, I think is a lot more scary then he even gets close to.  The relentless attacks on using your intellect, or experience (something that he doesn't even touch on, but is very key in these belief systems) your feelings, your heart - don't rely on anything that is within your power to control.  Its all about giving power over to a somewhat dubious concept that someone else will interpret for you.  And oh yeah, got a donation my child?

[Julie Marie]

It's not surprising a man who excelled in the military excels in this.  The concept is the same.  Take confused, insecure, weak-willed people.  Break them down.  Beat them over the head with repeated mantras.  Get them to do things they wouldn't normally do on their own.  And them congratulate them for being a success because they followed your orders.

But instead of sending your drones into battle, you tell them they have to donate to your coffers.  A tried and proven method of gaining control over people.

Julie

[tekla]

Take confused, insecure, weak-willed people

In fact, the military is so good at it that it doesn't even need that kind of fodder.  They can do the same with secure, composed, and confident people who are very smart too.  They got it all over this.

[Miniar]

It's not about intelligence.
You can be a highly intelligent, well educated, sensible person, and still get caught in something like this. All it "really" takes is wanting to be loved, accepted, treated as one of the team, one of the group. All it takes is our own basic human nature of wanting to "fit in". If a good looking and charismatic person of your choosing would walk up to you and promise you that you can fit in with people just like you, be loved and accepted as exactly who you are, and find good friends, all the support you need, and respect, just "sign here", can you seriously say you wouldn't be tempted?

[Hypatia]

Well the problem is that he spent way too much time worrying about what people were wearing, and not what was really going on, which in fact, I think is a lot more scary then he even gets close to.  The relentless attacks on using your intellect, or experience (something that he doesn't even touch on, but is very key in these belief systems) your feelings, your heart - don't rely on anything that is within your power to control.  Its all about giving power over to a somewhat dubious concept that someone else will interpret for you.  And oh yeah, got a donation my child?

That is exactly what frightened me. And unlike you, I think this exposé conveyed it to the reader well enough, snark or no snark. It doesn't even need commentary to be very scary. He did explicitly make the point of how disturbing it is for a politician to subscribe to this stuff, which comes across as a sinister fascist mind control cult.

[Lisbeth]

Fortenberry began to issue instructions. He told us that under no circumstances should we pray during the Deliverance.

"When the word of God is in your mouth," he said, "the demons can't come out of your body. You have to keep a path clear for the demon to come up through your throat. So under no circumstances pray to God. You can't have God in your mouth. You can cough, you might even want to vomit, but don't pray."

What!?

[mina.magpie]

"In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, I cast out the demon of the intellect!" Fortenberry continued.

...

In the name of Jesus Christ, I cast out the demon of philosophy!"

These two lines left me completely lost for words. Honestly, right there is where I'd have to give up, because how can you reason intelligently with somebody that regards both as demonic possession.

Mina.

[Hazumu]

Uh, where did you find this stellar bit of writing?

=K

[tekla]

Its from Rolling Stone, which was once described as a magazine for "People who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read."

[Hazumu]

Hmn, serves me right to think that Mina's post (for which I commented) was the lede post in the topic

=K