How do folks end up converted to whackos, zealots and extremists?

[Gretch]

I think there is a lot of merit in this theory. It is SOOOOOOOooooooooooo easy in the human mind to go from being content with one's life to angry with everyone for depriving one of that most "richly deserved".

I have watched jealousy make incredibly ugly specimens out of more than several humans........

Originally Posted by zelrik911

relative deprivation

It starts with "the perception of an unfair disparity between their own situation and that of others in their peer group"

For example: the woman might be quite attractive herself, but she feels that its unfair (& she's deprived) that other girls are prettier. The guy might be well off compared to the wider community, but feels that its unfair (& he's deprived) that others like him are richer.

People who are overtaken by deprivation anxiety in situations like these are fair game for organisations that can quickly spot the symptoms.

If they are lucky they will be 'found' by a reasonably harmless support group like a mainstream religion that may provide benign comfort & support . If you are unlucky you will 'found' by a cult or a sect that will exploit you for everything you have and leave you far worse.

[VINMAN]

Too much free time.

.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by mreid

It has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with acceptance.

This, humans are pack animals, it only seems complicated. The lone wolves are generally fame whores. There is the odd person like Mr Whitman who gets a brain tumor, but that is literally like a one in a million deal, more like one in ten or twenty million, thankfully.

[Por_sha911]

Organized atheism will always be there to prey upon weak-minded fools who need to be angry and attack people who are strong in their religious beliefs. It's expert at extracting their loyalty, money and in many cases, their final eternal destiny.

[widgeon13]

Crazy to begin with and then put attention whore on top of some serious personality issues.

[snbush67]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Organized atheism will always be there to prey upon weak-minded fools who need to be angry and attack people who are strong in their religious beliefs. It's expert at extracting their loyalty, money and in many cases, their final eternal destiny.

Really? Please provide some examples of atheist attacking people to further the cause of atheism.

Comparatively , see how many examples you can find of religious extremist.

[Por_sha911]

Now don't get your undies in a wad snb. I was just making a parody of PoP's post #11 to voice a disagreement. If you want to attack religion take it to PARF.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Doesn't bother me. I'm agnostic, not atheist per se. I think the evidence shows that there are things we don't understand but it also suggests that the notion of an anthropomorphized giant invisible sky fairy with a zombie son obsessed with death, suffering and what human beings do with their genitals is pretty ridiculous. I find any discussion of religion (or passionate anti-religion / militant atheism) to be a waste of time. It just doesn't matter, evidence suggests that when we die we just die. That's it. Maybe some people have a hard time coping with that. I don't. I think it underscores why our time here is so valuable and why we should spend it on worthwhile things as much as we can. Believe whatever you want just leave me the hell out of it.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I find people unwilling to discuss their beliefs are not particularly secure in them. I have atheist/agnostic friends, and have had some excellent intelligent discussions on the topic. If your beliefs don't hold up to questioning, they aren't very strongly held....

[Por_sha911]

Believe whatever you want but I don't plan on going to Hell.
(Disclaimer: another play on words parody to show disagreement with PoP's PARFy statement).

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

If your beliefs don't hold up to questioning, they aren't very strongly held....

I agree. I am very confident in my convictions and I have solid answers but they aren't accepted by those that disagree with me. We shouldn't consider other people's lack of approval to measure the validity of our beliefs.

[pavulon]

I think I understand the spirit of the statement below but would add that there are LOTS of beliefs which people hold very tightly (almost all of these seem to be religious beliefs) and yet the foundations of those beliefs don't stand up very well to questioning.

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I find people unwilling to discuss their beliefs are not particularly secure in them. I have atheist/agnostic friends, and have had some excellent intelligent discussions on the topic. If your beliefs don't hold up to questioning, they aren't very strongly held....

[sc_rufctr]

Perpetual victims.

I have known a few people that seem to always be at someones mercy claiming victim status. Like everything in their life is crap and that's because someone has taken advantage of them.
On and on it goes. There's never any light at the end of the tunnel and these people are ripe for the picking by some religious nutter with an agenda.

One lady in particular has detailed her long and drawn out rape case on Facebook. She was raped as a teen and now at 40 something it's till ongoing on if you can believe that.

I'm sympathetic but I have to ask why did it take her 20+ years to do anything about it?
........... And you guessed it. A few years ago she joined the local branch of the Church of Scientology and shortly after that made the complaint to the police.
Meanwhile the guy that did it is in his late 70s.

I guess better late than never but the fact that she posted all of this stuff on Facebook tell me she's not all there.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Believe whatever you want but I don't plan on going to Hell.

(Disclaimer: another play on words parody to show disagreement with PoP's PARFy statement).

No need to worry. You won't. Hell doesn't exist. It's a manmade construct. You're good.

[snbush67]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Now don't get your undies in a wad snb. I was just making a parody of PoP's post #11 to voice a disagreement. If you want to attack religion take it to PARF.

Panties have been unwadded

No attack on religion from me, just fed up with people who don't tolerate other people's rights to believe / or not.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by pavulon

I think I understand the spirit of the statement below but would add that there are LOTS of beliefs which people hold very tightly (almost all of these seem to be religious beliefs) and yet the foundations of those beliefs don't stand up very well to questioning.

Actually being an atheist/agnostic is also a form of belief, because everybody that knows the truth is dead.

[patz]

Hang out with Sammy and perhaps pee on his lawn?

[pavulon]

That's very true and will likely remain so for a long time to come...unless reincarnation really happens...but I can't believe that!!

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Actually being an atheist/agnostic is also a form of belief, because everybody that knows the truth is dead.

[Hugh R]

Different theory.

1.2 Billion Muslims, if 0.1% can be easily influenced isn't that 12 million easily recruited people?

Having said that, there is a FOX (yes FOX) news contributor I think her name is Bridgette Gabriel who has made an interesting point that while most Muslims aren't into the actual violence jihad thing, about half of Muslims, in her opinion, aren't opposed to it, if someone else does it.

Sounds like BS? show me the droves of Muslim leaders lining up to decry this crap. Yes a few showed up in Paris this week, but not much until then. How many non-muslims and muslims of a different sect have been slaughtered in the last few weeks in Africa by other muslims, 10,000 or more? In just a few weeks? Little or no MSM, or anyone else, on that side of the coin.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

No need to worry. You won't. Hell doesn't exist. It's a manmade construct. You're good.

In the true atmosphere of PARF, you can't let someone just believe what they want. You INSIST on stating they are wrong. Whatever.