At least there's one place in the world where people can be sure that there won't be any anti-Americanism. Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
A place for Americans to go when they're feeling down?
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
I still haven't read that book...
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
Interesting article. I did find this a little sad:
quote:A Christian youth worker told me how he thought the cult was childish. "It's like a baby playing games," he insisted. "Those people are holding on to a dream that will never come true," he said.
It bothers me when people of faith expect their own beliefs to be accorded respect but are readily willing to belittle the religious beliefs of others.
So what if, scientifically speaking, it is fairly clear to outsiders how John Frum's followers' beliefs came about? Some followers of religious traditions that are of considerably longer standing get all bent out of shape when someone dares suggest that there are historically-based rather than supernaturally-based explanations for the origins of their belief system. Yet they are all too quick to do to other belief systems exactly what they are offended by when it is done to their belief system.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
To be fair, said youth worker is quite right, in the same sense that the kettle really is black.
Posted by RunningBear (Member # 8477) on :
Well Said.
Posted by stihl1 (Member # 1562) on :
Didn't they do a Survivor from that island?
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
In the 70's, I think it was, a member of the Cargo Cult was brought to a modern factory so he could *see* that cargo was constructed, not granted from heaven.
He left with the conclusion that we have places called "factories" for catching the blessings of heaven before they could get to *his* people.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
"Further violence" is a bit scary, that a minor religious war could ignite there. The idea it will last a thousand years, though, seems a bit pessimistic.
Posted by RunningBear (Member # 8477) on :
Wonderful, further Christian persecution of minor sects.
Also, I think it is presumptuous to call them a cult and refer to Christianity as a religion.
Posted by Hitoshi (Member # 8218) on :
quote:Originally posted by littlemissattitude: It bothers me when people of faith expect their own beliefs to be accorded respect but are readily willing to belittle the religious beliefs of others.
I, sadly, have to agree.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
Clarification: I, at least, call them "Cargo Cult" because it's a proper name, not because I want to classify them as a cult, whatever that means.
[ February 17, 2007, 10:42 PM: Message edited by: Will B ]
Posted by Liz B (Member # 8238) on :
quote:I still haven't read that book...
Read it!! It's terrific.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 233) on :
You know...the followers of "John Frumm" have a point. But so do the followers of Prophet Fred.
The return of "John Frumm" (with attendent lucrative blessings) is probably inevitable. But the cargo cult really does need to move with the times, the next coming of "John Frumm" is probably going to be of the fairly conservative Christian variety.
A dream? More like a nightmare. But it's going to come true, one way or the other.
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