From: onder@ISI.EDU (Bruce Onder)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: THINK AND GROW RICH
Date: 17 Apr 92 01:53:53 GMT
	<1992Apr15.f9cc0@f8.n154.z1.fidonet.org>
Organization: USC-ISI
In-reply-to: jack@myamiga.mixcom.com's message of 15 Apr 92 19:07:00 GMT

In article <1992Apr15.f9cc0@f8.n154.z1.fidonet.org> jack@myamiga.mixcom.com (Jack Decker) writes:

>You may not appreciate this, but for those not already familiar with Hill, BE
>CAREFUL!  I would personally avoid his teachings like the plague.

Yes, quite dangerous stuff.  Please don your holy water and start
speaking in tongues for protection.

>This is especially true if you consider yourself to be a Christian, or if you
>simply do not wish to be involved with the occult.

>Here is a quote from one of Hill's books:
>
>	   "Now and again I have had evidence that unseen
>      friends hover about me, unknowable to the ordinary
>      senses.  In my studies I discovered there is a group
>      of strange beings who maintain a school of wisdom....
>	   "The School has Masters who can disembody
>      themselves and travel instantly to any place they
>      choose...to give knowledge directly, by voice....
>	   "Now I knew that one of these Masters had come
>      across thousands of miles, through the night, into
>      my study....
>	   "I shall not set down every word he said...much
>      of what he said already has been presented to you in
>      the chapters of this book and will follow in other
>      chapters.
>	   "You have earned the right to reveal a Supreme
>      Secret to others," said the vibrant voice.  'You
>      have been under the guidance of the Great School....
>      Now you must give the world a blueprint....'"
>	   [Napolean Hill, _Grow Rich With Peace of Mind_
>      (Ballentine Books, 1967), pp. 158-160, as quoted by
>      Dave Hunt & T.A. McMahon in _The Seduction of
>      Christianity_ (Harvest House Publishers, 1985), pp
>      18-19.]

Brrrrrr!  Scary stuff, eh, kids?

>I really can't do justice to Hunt and McMahon's writings in a short message
>like this one, but the bottom line is that when you are buying into Hill's
>teachings you are really buying into a religion.

No.  Your perception, based on huge leaps of faith, is that we would
be buying into a religion.

>The weird part is that Hill's
>teachings have become what is now called "Positive Mental Attitude" and have
>permeated both the secular and religious spheres of influence.

Weird?  You have to admit that the quoted text above sounds more like
"angels" or benevelont monks from Planet Wazoopie than demons.

>Inany case, when you read Napolean Hill, bear in mind that you are reading the
>writings of someone who attributes his teachings to "unseen friends" and
>disembodied spirits (which Hunt and McMahon believe are really demons).

And Timothy Leary believes are cosmic dope dealers.  And Geraldo
believes is Elvis.  Et cetera, et cetera...

Besides, couldn't it possibly be that "unseen friends" are angels?

>Sorry if this offends anyone,

more likely to amuse than offend.

>but I think that those who haven't heard about
>Hill deserve to be warned about what they might be getting into if they start
>reading his books.  Please note, I am NOT telling anyone what to think (but
>Hill does!), 

People wouldn't buy his book unless they expected to learn how to
_THINK and Grow Rich_.

>nor am I telling you what you can or cannot read.  But if you do
>decide to walk into the valley of Hill's teachings, you should at least be
>aware of what you're getting into.  I would hope that you'd also want to know
>what's behind the philosophies and teachings you're reading.  When the author
>himself admits that he's into the woo-woo stuff(as a girlfriend of a friend of
>mine so aptly put it :-) ), I tend to stay away!

Hill seems to be something of a crackpot, just like Hunt & McMahon.
To each his own.  Personally, I follow the teachings of DEVO.

But who cares.

Bruce

--
		Bruce W. Onder		onder@isi.edu

	But still I'd rather be famous than righteous or holy
		      Any day, any day, any day

Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs