RE: Re: Cults

From: debadger <debadger_at_pacbell.net_at_hypermail.org>
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 22:31:36 -0700

What bothers me is the way religion is being pushed as the 'answer'. It's
usually well wrapped in some sort of nostalgic imagery, 'remember when'..
warm fuzzy safe 'childhood' memories that are like Pleasantville, the place
that only existed on TV. With the hint that if only, if only... if only we
lived that way, thought that way, returned to those fabled days of
yesteryear all would be fine and safe again. But of course it wasn't all
that safe or pleasant if you weren't one of the few in power and there's a
reason we've had to continue to work so hard to keep religion out of secular
power.

You're right, the SSR's used every propaganda weapon in the arsenal to try
to coerce thought; they didn't have god to use as their boogie man so they
were rather stuck there. But the Islamic states who do use god to enforce
their secular laws and use secular power to back up the clerics have found
to their sorrow that they destroy faith in both - there's no virtue in
personal morality if it's forced by the nightstick, and once a person
realizes they CAN flout secular law they routinely flout 'morality' as well
if they are able to. There's little personal integrity, it's all what's
expedient.

Elena

-----Original Message-----
From: tschibasch [mailto:tschibasch_at_yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 10:52 AM
To: OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: [OliveStarlightOrchestra] Re: Cults


This is an excellent piece!

I agree that some (many?) corporate settings are like mini-feifdoms. I
don't know the numbers. I have seen some amazing stuff at some of my
jobs. And yes, the people who work the hardest often get little or no
credit.

And continually obsessing is an unhealthy trait, which some people,
cults, religions, and governments will do. Atheistic governments
especially can be accused of being religious, in their own way:

In 1985 when I was in the USSR I saw Lenin's face everywhere. Though
my Russian guides boasted there were no tacky advertisements, banners
were plentiful, saying "Long Live the Communist Party of the USSR",
"Lenin - a Friend of the People", and my own favorite, "Glory to
Labor". These beautiful colorful banners were mostly on top of ugly
crowded apartments which looked like they were about to fall apart.
All the newspapers had Lenin's face on the cover, and boasted about
the 'great achievements' of the USSR. On almost any subject, it
seemed, we would always return to how great the government was, how
great Lenin was, etc, etc.


John
Received on 2004-07-27 22:26:18