From: uphrrmk@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Newsgroups: alt.brother-jed
Subject: Re: A paper I wrote for a speech class
Date: 27 Dec 92 00:46:25 GMT
Reply-To: uphrrmk@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Organization: Montana State University

In article <nate.967@psygate.psych.indiana.edu>, nate@psygate.psych.indiana.edu (Nathan Engle) writes:
>wpr@atlanta.dg.com (Bill Rawlins) writes:
>>jjt@spchsys.spchsys (John J. Turley) writes:
>>|> If I might ask about this here: Why is it that people who claim that they
>>|> somehow know what God wants always deliver the same poison? It's either
>>|> 'God hates this' or 'God must destroy that'. Then they tell you that
>>|> you must totally submit to their dogma, completely (with your mind, your
>>|> heart, and let's not forget your WALLET). They say that failure to comply
>>|> will result in eternal suffering. This is Jed's message.
>>
>    I think that you are jumping to the same conclusion that Jed et al 
>have; i.e.- that the Christian set of "divine laws" are the only acceptable 
>means to avoid damnation. I speak from the standpoint of devout Taoist; 
>from where I stand Jed Smock looks like a hateful clown. His antics are 
>intended to subliminally propagate a message about Christianity which is 
>(IMHO) not very complimentary to Christianity as a whole. I honestly don't 
>believe that Christianity is as filled with intolerance and hate as he 
>tends to imply, mainly because I know about other religions which manage 
>to convey the spirit of that message without conveying the intolerance 
>and the hate.
>
>>|> It has really gotten me down, and this is no joke. It is not about 'God',
>>|> but rather man-made religions, which attempt to explain what we don't
>>|> understand. It is these preachings of hate and intolerance which I can
>>|> not understand. I think if more people saw that organized religion is
>>|> the PROBLEM, and not the answer, that would be the first step, at least,
>>|> to a better world. 
>
>
>    Don't hold your breath. There are other religious systems which are 
>older than Christianity and (IMHO as always) which are better guides for 
>the conduct of human society. 
>
>>    Read Romans 3:23-25, John 3:16.  Jesus is the one who can reconcile you
>>    to God, if you turn to him.
>
>    Thanks, but I prefer to stick with my stodgy old belief that there 
>is more than one way to skin a cat. Jesus is only one way to become 
>reconciled to God.
>
>--
>Nathan Engle                        Software Juggler
...And a whole bunch of hateful stuff. 
I agree with Nathan, here, and am glad he spoke up.  I am a Taoist, and a
Pagan.  I am very tired of people like Jed-man, the Jedster, Jedagheddon,
Jed-a-roni telling me that there is only ONE TRUTH and this truth is a garbled
book of contradictions that he interprets to mean that you must do HIS
bidding.(his being, of course,Brother Jed's.)  I am a woman, I am a pagan, and
I am a feminist-everything that Jed hates and fears, and therefore must
eliminate.  It's funny--where I live now, instead of asking what my belief
system is like, people ask me, "Have you read the Bible?"  Like I can GET AWAY
from the thing in this society!  
     One of Jed's-Disciples?  Best Buddies?  Golf-partners? came by my campus
and stood just enough away from the campus to keep him from being arrested by
the cops for harrassment, and haraunged for 5 hours straight without a break.
One of the legitamate ministers (Black, female, and imposing, also very
tolerant) came by to watch, asked for a pamphlet, and hypothesized that the
gentleman--who did tell the Brother Jed Story, by the way, in great detail--
was very likely schizophrenic.(Many of the symptoms are there--tireless energy,
very thin, irrational arguements, and sudden conversion to a fanatic religion is
also a symptom. His pamplets had the story of his conversion, and it added
weight to the schiziphrenic guess.)  I wonder how many other Brother Jed 
converts display the same symptoms, and I think a survey might be very
interesting.  Any takers?

                            An' it harm none, do as thou wilt is the whole 
                            of the law;
                            La Mort.
Newsgroups: alt.brother-jed