Spreading the "Good News"
LIBENTER HOMINES ID QVOD VOLVNT CREDVNT.
Men gladly believe that which they wish for.
(Julius Caesar, Comentarii De Bello Gallico, III.18)
Since I started putting myself in a position to hear the sales pitch from every type of Christian, I have had the opportunity (from an objective standpoint) to see the draw of religious faiths. This may be misleading, because saying "religious faiths" implies that Judaism and Islam proselytize, which they do not, in general. No, just Christians and some weird cults, like Scientology (Clarification for the reader: 1000 followers = Cult, 2 billion followers = Religion; toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe).
There are some in the atheist culture on the Internet that call Christians brainwashers, which they are. But such an accusation implies that Christians know they are doing it. Most don't, they have just learned the style of speech and atmosphere taught by their predecessors to "bring more people to Jesus". Analysis by experts shows their techniques are similar to hypnotism, but this was never the intention of preachers, I believe. The style slowly evolved, keeping what worked and changing what didn't. Evangelistic Darwinism at its finest. I love irony.
On the Internet, atmosphere is controlled and speech intonation is in the mind of the reader, so Christian sales pitches must stand on their own merits with no smoke or mirrors. This gives the advantage to the secular side, which can always fall back on reason, logic, and common sense. It doesn't do much for the already devout, mind you, but debates are a cakewalk.
That said, there is another powerful draw to religion, and this time I mean all religion. Christians are right when they say that people naturally flock to religion, and atheists are right when they say that religion preys on the weak. What neither side realizes is that these attributes are two sides of the same coin.
People naturally want to be part of something bigger and better than themselves; it's a sociological fact. Those most likely to seek this are those who feel alone, downtrodden, or like an outcast. This is the draw of the Boy Scouts, street gangs, political parties, cults, and religions. It is also the reason we form governments and have societies at all.
The religious may claim that people come to them because "God moves them", but the truth is this instinct is a throwback to the ape days. That's right, I'm talking about Cro-Magnon cave dwelling. People with a natural instinct to form groups and work together survived, while those who preferred to go off on their own died--simple Darwinism in a truly social sense.
Religion cropped up with the development of larger societies. Few feel important or needed in a large group unless they have a strong purpose. Religion is a group in which the individual is important--vitally important--in the grand scheme of things, and crucial to the advancement of an important goal (or at least a perceived important goal). Think about it: Is there any popular religion that contains, as a core belief, the idea that individuals are irrelevant or insignificant? Not one exists.
The whole notion of the importance of individuals in society is the reason why communism will rise dramatically, then crash and burn: Impoverished workers feel empowered, then come to find that they are secondary to the state. If the USSR had allowed organized religion, they would have had an outlet for the people and remained in power another 30 years.
People want to be part of something bigger and better than themselves, even if they have to invent something to be a part of. We all are part of something, like our families, the company we work for, our school (school pride), various organizations, and government at the local and national levels. For those who are alone, downtrodden, or outcasts, religion is they place they feel like they belong; it is the place they feel individually important.
I have a lot of instincts left over from the ape days. One encourages me to form groups, and another encourages me to play an active, important role. Hopefully, I'll continue to listen to the instinct that tells me when something's fishy--and avoid street gangs, cults, and religions.
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