The Worst Story of All

When I was a church leader we practiced a technique called "love
bombing." This is when you smother a newcomer with "love" and
integrate them into the organization. The goal is to make them a
"mature Christian," which I later learned was a euphemism for "good
tither."

The people attracted by this recruiting system are typically those
with serious problems -- health, addiction, financial, relationships,
etc... The goal is to stabilize them (make them "mature") and turn
them into good volunteers and revenue streams.

In regards to world problems, the flock is told that "We are living in
the end times" and that all bad things are "a part of God's plan."
This is called the Theology of Despair.

It came as a total shock to me when I realized that the evangelical
church actually WANTS to keep our world dysfunctional because it
supports their premise for existing. Unfortunately, U.S. policy is
strongly influenced by the conservative Christians, which explains the
indifference toward global warming and the lust for Middle Eastern war.

For the Christians, they are taught that God is going to destroy the
world after he lifts all the Christians into Heaven (I
will be left behind to collect shoes). The religion offers a great
"carrot and stick" package - say a three or four sentence prayer
asking Christ to "come into your life" and you spend billions of years
in a private mansion. Your days are spent petting lions and singing
hymns to Jesus. If you don't say the magic prayer, expect to spend
billions of years in the "lake of fire" where you are swimming around
with Hitler and Jeffrey Dahmer while Satan pokes you with a pitchfork.

Needless to say, such stories keep many Americans mentally screwed up. And this is exactly what the religious organizations want. To be a "mature" Christian simply means you are more screwed up, as you are forced to believe illogical and conflicting nonsense.

Author Daniel Quinn says that if someone is to give up their "story" they need a better one - one that will inspire them.

Here is their story -

The Theology of Despair: Crime, corruption, famine, environmental
ruin, tribulation, nuking Persians, Paris Hilton, etc...

Here is the story I offer -

The Theology of Hope: Slower, peaceful, non-materialistic, greener,
lifestyle. Coming to grips with our animalism, stabilizing our
population, learning to live as part of the world, with a renewed love
and respect for indigenous peoples. Most importantly, zero footprint.

This is my dream, and this is the "story" I would like to present to
the world in general, and particularly to the right-wing Christians.