yoel-
To anyone entrenched in any absurd philosophy, the absurdities of that
particular philosophy seem normal. They convince themselves that they are
happy... and they are. This does not prove the truth of a sect, rather, it
proves the gullibility of the believer.
Take the phrase "Jesus died for your sins". To Americans, even secular
Americans, who are drenched in Christian culture and have seen the John
3:16's at football games, seen the banners outside the OJ Simpson trial,
sung the Christian hymns, seen the Bumper stickers, been indoctrinated as
children... that phrase "Jesus died for our sins" has lost some of its
immediately apparent ridiculous nature.
On the other hand, someone raised in a non Christian culture, unaware of
the Christian world view, upon first hearing the phrase would say "What the
hell does THAT mean?". In order to be fully converted, this person would
have to acclimate himself to Christian culture and outlook... and only
after he had saturated his mind with the absurdities of Christian claims
and quelch all skepticism would he be able to say: "Jesus Died for my sins!
Now I see!"
So, when a Christian claims that Jesus is as real to him as his wife, that
Jesus "lives in his heart", he is no different than the cult members who
have acclimatized themselves to the philosophies and claims of the cult and
forced their outlook and opinion to conform to the cult's absurdities. He
just belongs to a much larger and socially more accepted cult.
Another example: You have all heard the Christmas Carol "Noel, Noel... Born
is the king of Israel" in Safeway, Burger King, TV, Church, School. You are
not aware of HOW RIDICULOUS that song is, and how incorrect historically,
especially to a Jew, who's history includes no king, queen, prince or
princess called Jesus.
yoel
Hide, witch hide!
The good folk come to burn thee
Their keen enjoyment hid behind a gothic mask of duty.
Jefferson Airplane