From: Rhoads@aol.com (Loren Rhoads) Mon May 5 12:46:22 1997
In a message dated 97-05-05 09:24:43 EDT, Jasmine wrote:
* Too bad there aren't more cults that just keep to themselves and
* kill their own selves. I'd rather keep that trait IN the gene
* pool. It's a nice change of pace from the usual slaughter of
* everyone different.
Xactly! The only useful religious mania is self-destructive.
I see no difference between Heaven's Gate, or mainstream Christians, or Charlie's Family, or anyone else who allows a priest, guru, or visionary to tell them what to think and what to do.
In fact, I've got a friend working on the weirder aspects of Mormonism for the next Morbid Curiosity. He was involved in an exorcism for someone who was already dead.... He fully admits that Mormonism is as strange a cult as any other out there.
I grew up Presbyterian, which was pretty strange in itself. They're still debating the predestination question: If God is perfect, he knows everything that will happen. If God knows what will happen, is there such a thing as free will? If we don't have free will, are some people automatically damned?
You can guess which side of damnation the Presbyterians believe themselves to be on.
I think the Heaven's Gate people do deserve the Darwin Award (as I understand the concept). I hope we'll see a whole lot more Millennial behavior in the coming years. I have been thrilled about seeing the century turn since I was old enough to realize I'd be alive when it happened. I know others, like the Baptists in the little town where I grew up, who have been dreading it, since it would usher in the Final Days.
As my friend Claud says, I welcome the Rapture. Good riddance to all those people. We're the Meek, apparently, and we intend to celebrate after the Christians are gone. Even if there's a plague of frogs raining down from the sky, we'll be out there splashing around with them.
Anyone who wants to opt out has my blessing. As far as we know, the Heaven's Gate people went joyfully. What could be better than that?
Loren