From: dgraham@bmers30.bnr.ca (Douglas Graham)
Subject: Re: Jesus & the Sin of the World
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 92 23:29:24 GMT

In article <1992Sep4.204058.21413@tc.fluke.COM> emery@tc.fluke.COM (John Emery) writes:
>In article <1992Sep02.041200.7810@bmerh85.bnr.ca> dgraham@bmers30.bnr.ca (Douglas Graham) writes:
>>Of course there are few non-Christians who are fearful of the gospel
>>message.  If they believed the tripe enough to be afraid of it, they'd
>>probably join your cult.  But the fact remains that threats of eternal
>>damnation for those who are not members of the cult are quite clearly
>>scare tactics designed to coerce the credulous into signing up.  And
>>staying signed up.
>
>Thanks for sharing your perspective, Doug.  From our perspective, our
>action is one of love and deep concern.  We believe the words of the
>gospel are true and that the Lord Jesus Himself compels to reach out
>with His promise of salvation.

From my perspective, you folks have taken the word "love" and played
games with it, till it means the exact opposite of what the dictionary
says it means.  You wouldn't know love if it bit you on the ass, but
you're sure real good at the sales pitch.  Of course, I don't imagine
you'd get many converts if you explained honestly that the religion is
really about fear, hate, and ignorance, and that all this spewing about
love is just to get people in the door.  But then, you don't know that
yourself, so I can hardly blame you.

BTW, I notice that you've gone off on the usual spacey tangent above.
Where's your explanation for the eternal damnation nonsense?  How can
you sit there with a straight face and talk about a religion that promises
that the majority of mankind will burn in hell, as being about love?

>>>I have the wonderful joy of seeing many people come to the Lord.  Yet I
>>>see joy and freedom rather than fear.  
>>
>>You should try looking at it from the outside in.  Not a pretty sight
>>at all.
>
>I guess it's all what side of things you look at it from.

Rather, it depends on how objectively you look at it.  But I know it's
impossible to take an objective view of it when you're immersed in it up
to your eyeballs.  Just like any other cult.

>>You are believers because you succumbed to scare tactics and other
>>psychological manipulation, possibly as a child.  You try to gain members
>>because that's what the virus which has destroyed your brain tells you to
>>do.  In words: "Go and make believers of all the nations."  The virus has
>>rendered you incapable of stopping to consider that by spreading it, you
>>may be doing far, far more harm than good.
>
>The reason is because God so loves us and has drawn us to Himself.  There
>was no such thing as you describe in my life.  Rather I learned of the
>love that Jesus has for me and the demonstration of that love by His 
>giving up His life on the cross for me.

It sure must have been a shock to find out about that heaven and hell
stuff after you signed up eh?

Oh, and BTW, I think that there something extremely sick about a religion
which just loves to revel in the agony of a poor Jewish chap who died a
very painful death.  I think this has lot to do with how you've managed
to pervert the word "love" in your mind.  When you hear the word, your
mind must fill up with gruesome images of death -- hardly a thing that
any sane person would associate with love.

>The virus is what we refer to
>as the Holy Spirit of God.  Those who have been reached have been reached
>at various ages from that of a young child to that of one on their deathbed.

The key point is that you get to somebody while their defenses are down.
Children make ideal victims, because they haven't learned to think yet.
People who are sick are also good targets.  That's why you'll find lots
of religious drones hanging about at hospitals.  Also notable, are people
who are undergoing emotional trauma, such as living away from home for the
first time in their lives.  The Campus Crusade for Christ covers that angle.
All in all, the vultures do a pretty good job of getting at people at
their most vulnerable periods in life.

>Thanks for sharing your opinions, Doug.

Hey, no problem.  Thanks for regurgitating your propaganda, John.
--
Doug Graham         dgraham@bnr.ca         My opinions are my own.