From: Jerry Bryson (jbryson@infionline.net)
Date: Sat 21 Jan 2006 - 23:29:27 GMT
On Jan 21, 2006, at 5:47 PM, Dace wrote:
> Ben writes:
>
>> A man believes he's the reincarnation of Elvis Presley. He's utterly
>> convinced of it. He brings his two young children up to believe he's
>> Elvis too, and demands that they address him as "The King". Every
>> Sunday, he takes them to the local music hall and subjects them to a
>> horrendous karaoke rendition of his favourite Elvis classics. He then
>> offers them each a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, in
>> commemoration of his past incarnation. He tells them that as long as
>> they stay true and believe in the Power Of The Quiff, they'll all go
>> to Elvis-land when they die and make some great rock-and-roll music
>> together.
>>
>> It's a relatively harmless belief, just like Christianity, and just
>> like your faith in Christianity, it's a belief that is based on the
>> man's subjective personal experience.
>>
>> OK, it's a hypothetical situation (I hope), but do you think this
>> man's behaviour is ethical?
>
> I hope Kate doesn't mind me jumping in here.
>
> It is absolutely unethical for this man to impose his delusion onto his
> children.
He doesn't know this is an illusion. It's ethical in his case; he's
acting in good faith. If we think something is true, we tell the kids.
> But this says nothing about religion. The word "religion" is
> derived from the Latin "ligare" meaning to bind. The point of
> religion is
> bind oneself to divinity, to forge a link with a power greater than
> oneself.
And to the nation-state
> For this reason, the essence of religion is humility. To the extent
> that
> religion teaches humility and respect, there's nothing unethical about
> cultivating this belief in children.
No doubt, Daddy was teaching children to be humble before him.
>
> The Elvis man is doing exactly the opposite. Essentially, he's stolen
> the
> divine and incorporated it into his own inflated ego. This
> hypothetical
> example, strange as it seems, isn't very far removed from what actually
> happened with L Ron Hubbard and the "church" of Scientology. Hubbard
> made
> himself into the god around which his church revolves. While
> evangelical
> Christians aren't quite as bold as Hubbard, they tend to treat God as
> sort
> of an alter ego.
Need examples here; I didn't see this as I grew up fundamentalist.
> The infantile need to be all-powerful is institutionalized
> in the form of cultlike churches in which humility is brushed aside in
> favor
> of taking pride at one's special relationship with the Almighty.
> Those who
> don't belong to the only true church are to be despised and cast into
> hell
> rather than being respected as children of God who took a different
> path.
Some do, some don't. Frex, most Christians recognize those of
different denominations as Christian--just a little off-track. As for
that "special relationship with the Almighty," that's what brings
everybody to the same level. There is a difference between narcissism
and the positive self-image that comes from this relationship of God
and each human. And proper Christians will tell everybody that
relationship is open to all.
>
> The main thing is not religion versus atheism but narcissism versus
> humility. Plenty of atheists are narcissistic, and plenty of theists
> are
> wise and humble. What's unethical is imposing a narcissistic
> worldview onto
> children, be it religious or atheistic or even Elvistic.
>
> ted
Also, plenty of atheists are wise and humble; while plenty of theists
are narcissistic.
Jerry
"In theory, theory and practice are the same, but in practice, they're
different."
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