The World Didn't End... - by Queue
CCCToad on 22/5/2011 at 20:22
Personally, I believe that the world ended awhile ago and we're living in hell.
PeeperStorm on 22/5/2011 at 21:44
Damn, I was looking forward to getting ruptured.
It's not the end of the world as we know it, and I don't feel fine.
SubJeff on 22/5/2011 at 22:41
Quote Posted by CCCToad
Why would they?
They are a lot like your stereotypical gangster or Wall Street banker. No conscience exists in their minds, only a steely-eyed greed for money (or in some cases, fame).
Please tell us how Camping made money out of this.
Muzman on 22/5/2011 at 23:29
Yeah, it seems completely unbelievable but you can't underestimate it. It seems in the US you barely need to throw up your shingle as a religious organisation and half the country will throw money at you.
I can't find it right now but some mad percentage of the country still tithes to their local church. Tithes. 2011!
Handing over money to the religious, without them even explicitly asking a lot of the time, is deep in the culture.
I would ad that I don't think most of them are as cynical and self absorbed as Wall Street traders or whatever. They actually believe this stuff so much they lack the self consciousness. It's quite a different pathology.
CCCToad on 23/5/2011 at 00:35
Eh, nope, there's quite a few who don't seriously believe any of it. For example, Westboro Baptist Church (who, coincidentally, was protesting a Catholic Cathedral where some family members worship today). I've heard rumor that ole' Phelps doesn't really believe any of the drivel he spouts. Their game is solely to provoke people to infringe their "rights" so they can sue for millions of dollars.
Of course, its funny when the two groups clash. Both throw out the predictable lines of "you're evil" and "you're too stupid to understand" respectively.
(
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-17-2010/holier-than-dow)
AR Master on 23/5/2011 at 00:56
Quote Posted by Muzman
Yeah, it seems completely unbelievable but you can't underestimate it. It seems in the US you barely need to throw up your shingle as a religious organisation and half the country will throw money at you.
I can't find it right now but some mad percentage of the country still tithes to their local church.
Tithes.
2011!
Handing over money to the religious, without them even explicitly asking a lot of the time, is deep in the culture.
I would ad that I don't think most of them are as cynical and self absorbed as Wall Street traders or whatever. They actually believe this stuff so much they lack the self consciousness. It's quite a different pathology.
hmm yes how bizarre that people would willingly contribute to an organization they perceive as stabilizing and cohesive in their otherwise fractured and stressed life what odd creatures *plays lute, bathes in wine, sees no obvious problems in the future*
Muzman on 23/5/2011 at 01:09
Quote Posted by CCCToad
Eh, nope, there's quite a few who don't seriously believe any of it. For example, Westboro Baptist Church (who, coincidentally, was protesting a Catholic Cathedral where some family members worship today). I've heard rumor that ole' Phelps doesn't really believe any of the drivel he spouts. Their game is solely to provoke people to infringe their "rights" so they can sue for millions of dollars.
Yeah well, quite a few is quite a few. There's plenty of cases where it's pretty obvious (Peter Popoff, Oral Roberts asking for X amount or "God would take him") but most of them it's harder to pick than it looks. Old man Phelps is tricky since no one really gets to talk to him, but I don't think there's really any doubt Shirley and the rest of them are fully into it all. Not a single crack showed in Louis Thereoux's docos for example and he was there a lot longer than most.
Quote Posted by AR Master
hmm yes how bizarre that people would willingly contribute to an organization they perceive as stabilizing and cohesive in their otherwise fractured and stressed life what odd creatures *plays lute, bathes in wine, sees no obvious problems in the future*
Yeah thanks Baccus. The point is giving to church is traditional in ways other English speaking countries might not grasp. (actually it's not as much as I thought, looking at it now. I think I remembered some region being discussed. Church donating is really big though)
Queue on 23/5/2011 at 03:00
Quote Posted by Muzman
... Oral Roberts asking for X amount or "God would take him" ....
Back then, the one thing that struck me as silly about that whole thing is: isn't that the goal, to have God take [you]? Why beg for bucks (and why did followers fork their kid's college funds over) to prevent what is ultimately wanted in the first place?!
CCCToad on 23/5/2011 at 03:11
I'm just curious who would fall for that. Perhaps the same kind of person who believes that there actually is a Nigerian prince who needs their help to move money offshore.
