The Sheeple Doctrine

[The Backlash Cometh]

"Living a life of faith means you never know where you're being led."

Just heard it from a tv evangelist. There's the disconnect we have with our right-wing Christian brethern. They think it's okay for their priest, ministers, pastors, etc., to do their thinking for them. I know, because I've had a conversation with a sheeple, and he thought my life would become easier once I allowed a pastor to ultimately guide me in life. To paraphrase him, just like you allow your parents to guide you when you're a child, so should you allow your pastor the same confidence.

So, all we need to do to break those right-wing Christians from their brainwashing, is to convince them that their pastors, priest, minister, deacons etc., are not God, and that just because they can quote verse and psalm, doesn't make them the ultimate interpreter of God's word. And that as Americans, they shouldn't be allowing other people to do their thinking for them.

[polichick]

1. The whole point for some people is to let others think for them...

They want a "strong leader" in the WH and a big wise man in the clouds.

[ananda]

2. hmm..

I've never allowed anyone to do my thinking
for me.. as hard as they tried. lol

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. And boy do they keep trying.

I guess that they haven't figured out yet, that many of us learn by example. If their actions don't hold up to scrutiny, we get turned off very quickly.

[HereSince1628]

4. Yes, a great gift of the enlightenment was the freedom to challenge authority

with regard to the veracity of its pronouncements. Nonetheless, many people are quite comforted by having someone else do their thinking for them.

Jost et al. saw the appeal to authority as one of the basic cognitive motivators behind conservative behavior.
see Physchological Bulletiin 2003 Vol 129 No. 3, 339-375

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. It goes beyond the church.

At every level of local society, they reward those who follow, punish those who don't.

[HereSince1628]

9. Yes, appeal to authority is a core feature of a conservative personality

which is probably why Manacheaism is also popular with conservatives. Conservatives often prefer sorting things into simple dichotomies with criteria that is handed to them from some source of authority.

[treestar]

12. Exactly, explaining why they cannot or pretend they cannot

get the difference between supporting the troops and supporting the need for the war.

[Echo In Light]

5. Double Plus Un-Good

"I Am A Sheeple" {anonymous source}

Oh yes, I am a sheeple and so proud to be
I am way to smart to believe in a conspiracy
Three Towers falling straight down--It all makes sense to me
They're all just jealous of me, because I live so free

Terrorists in hiding everywhere I can not see
I know they're out there because I heard it on TV
My paper is honest, it would never lie to me
Oh yes, I am a sheeple and so proud to be

The UN is so stupid, as blind as it can be
Antiwar protesters should be hanging from a tree
They and all the traitors-ship them off to Germany
But me, I am a sheeple, and oh so proud to be

We saved the Iraqis, the bad guys had to flee
Now those people love us, they're dancing with such glee
The whole wide world should thank me, all on bended knee
Oh yes, I am a sheeple, and oh so proud to be

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Nice work!

[mrcheerful]

6. The problem is these types that follow do it for a very personal reason

they don't have to take responsibility for themselves. Everything they do wrong is either the will of god, the devil did it or someone made them do it. No matter what part they played in any negative action, they are always the victims. It's never their fault when events happen in their lives, it was the devil at work or god was testing them, when things go right in their lives, its praise jebus that they made the right decision, never once do they realize they are just repeating the praising, deep down they are smug in the knowledge that they are Superior then those around them and they had very little to do with whatever good thing happened to them, sort of like how a rich kid who inherited a fortune and say they are self made millionaires.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. I don't know how you go around holding these people responsible.

for the support they give to politicans who do unChristianlike things.

[mrcheerful]

13. Funny how that thinking works for them

they are not responsible for the people they elect but we are held responsible for every action the people we elect. That complete disconnect from any and all responsibility, we didn't know * was going to turn out to be such a wanker even though we voted for him twice. Yeah right they couldn't tell how * was going to turn out because * was so responsible before 2000.

[CanSocDem]

7. Hmmm....

Teaching them that they can form their own reality....!!???

Interesting idea!!


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