You must not have noticed the P.S. I wrote to you, or the PM I sent you. I mixed up your reply with someone else's, and actually responded to that individual, not yourself.
Nate
Nate Merit
JoinedPosts by Nate Merit
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What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
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41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
My response to you was actually motivated by a reply from someone else, not you. You, on the contrary, come across as quite genuine and caring, not at all the prick I was when I was a mainstream Christian.
All good things to you dear Kate,
Nathan -
41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
Hello Apostate Kate
When I was a "born-again Christian" as you are, I too was 100% sure of my own salvation, 100% sure that God loved me, and 100% sure that Jesus Christ was the only Way. I was 100% certain that everyone else who did not know Jesus Christ would be thrown into the Lake of Fire.
I saw other people as "souls" to be saved, rather than a whole persons. Nothing really mattered except getting the gospel to everyone. I waited patiently for the Second Coming when my specialness as one of God's Elect would be revealed to All, and my life of service to Jesus would be Vindicated, Justified, before all the world that had thought me nothing more than a religious crank. Little did they know what Glory awaited me, and what a terrible mistake their own lives had been! Hallelujah! Glory!
Yes, I was all wrapped up in my smug snug religious rug. I was among the ranks of the "chosen" the "special" just as you are. I was one of the "saved" just as you are. I was not among the ranks of the "damned."
Thank you for posting Kate. Say hi to Jesus for me.
Nate -
41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
Dear Mr. Shakita
Your thoughtful and intelligent post is much appreciated. I wish the world was filled with reasonable folks such as yourself.
I can only concur with the thoughts you expressed so well, and add that my own father is a miniature version of the raging, mercurial, arbitrary, despotic, irrational, unreasonable, violent Screwball in the Sky we find in the Bible Ergo, it was an easy thing for me at age fifteen to extrapolate from my earthly father to my heavenly father. Since my earthly father is a nutjob, why not my heavenly father? It made sense to a fifteen year old boy.
I have no use for Biblegod Joe Hovah, nor for any personal God at all. I don't even like the word "God" because it cannot be cleansed of its silly anthropomorphic connotations.
The universe is all there is, ever was, and ever will be. It is eternally oscillating, being born in a Big Bang, then dying in a Big Crunch, then being reborn like the mythological Phoenix. There is nothing "outside" and such notions are foolishness.
I am convinced that mystics have intuited the eternally dying and rising nature of the universe, and have expressed this intuition in such myths as the Phoenix as well as the many myths of the dying and rising Godman. Since the universe is in fact eternal, and has been eternally dying and rising, then every conceivable universe has already been played out an infinite number of times. You and I have existed an infinite number of times throughout eternity. Mystics (and even non-mystics) have intuited this, hence the notion of "immortality" has arisen.
The best thing a person can do is simply to relax, let go, enjoy life, and let the universe do what its been doing forever, and will continue to do forever, and I will see you in another fresh universe an infinite number of times.
As to the true Holy of Holies, the deepest Secret of all, it is wisely kept secret, as far as is humanly possible. As the Bible says (in one of its rare moments of truth and clarity): "Cast ye not your pearls before swine, nor give what is holy unto dogs, lest they tample them underfoot, then turn about and rend thee." For anyone reading this who would like help in discovering the true "Holy of Holies" within themselves, feel free to email me at [email protected]
Nathan -
41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
Hi Diamond
The answer is B.
Nate -
41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
Hi sKally
I like it. Excellent acronym!Nate
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41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
Hi DiamondBlue
As I said in my PM to you, but will repeat here for the benefit of others, Buddhism uses the threat of a terrible rebirth here on earth, or even in a hell-realm, as the stick of fear. Even Buddhist "fundamentalism" (Which is Theravada, the"The Way of the Elders") uses fear of a nasty rebirth.
Most of the world's Buddhists, however, do not believe in literal reincarnation, so this really only applies to a minority of the world's Buddhists. Vajrayana ("Diamond Vehicle"), better known as "Tibetan Buddhism" is a tiny minority of about five million out of over a billion Buddhists. Yet this tiny group gets so much press the world thinks they are normative, when in fact they are not. Most of the world's Buddhists are Pure Land, whether Shin ("Sheen") or Sukhavati.
Nate -
41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
LMFAO! Yeah RIGHT Minimus!
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41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
Hi Bryan!
Yes! The Unity School of Christianity is the anti-Tower. The exact mirror image of the WTBTS!
I love Unity, if if they are a bit overly positive for my tastes.
Thanks for the reminder Bryan.
Nate -
41
What Religion DOESN'T Use Fear Tactics and Threats?
by Nate Merit infear of the unknown (and certainly death is the great unknown) is the primal motivator in religion.
those who clue into this learn to manipulate others through fear of punishment and promise of reward.
yes, it is in fact that childishly simple.
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Nate Merit
Hello Mysterious
You wrote:
"I would say a lot of pagan faiths and some eastern religions don't use fear tactics and threats. There is no negative result for not following them and therefore it is hard to instill fear in someone to subscribe to that belief system."
I'm only superficially informed about Neopaganism. Far Eastern thought, however, is another matter entirely. Most forms of "Hinduism" as well as Jainism and Buddhism do in fact use fear tactics. Rebirth into horrible hell realms or a horrible rebirth on earth unless one follows their instructions. Please do not patronize me on this. I was a Buddhist priest and rubbed elbows with plenty of other priests of various Dharma gates, as well as a Guru or two. (Nice rhyme)
As to religious Taoism (not philosophical Taoism), there are numerous little sects that do in fact use fear tactics. To please a friend I was inducted into one such sect and was promptly informed about hell and terrible rebirths unless I faithfully chanted "OO Tai Fo Mila." My friend was pleased, and I got to see the inside of a truly kooky little Chinese sect.
Nate
