Holy Koolaid: Revising God's Election Prophecy!

[thucythucy]

7. I imagine it's desperation.

I run into this in the disability community from time to time. Just one instance--a friend who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, whose disease was progressing so that he knew he would eventually lose his ability to walk.

A Jesus group latched onto him and convinced him if he prayed with them (and gave them all his money) God would cure his disease.

Of course it didn't work. When that failed he found another cult--this one preaching some "Eastern" philosophy--instead of praying it was a chant he needed to repeat. Oh, and also, give us your money.

When none of this worked he was told it was his fault--his faith wasn't strong enough, his prayers weren't acceptable, and oh yes, he hadn't given them enough of his money.

It's understandable that people facing their own mortality will grasp at any straw. What's contemptable is how many people there are out there willing to exploit that desperation for their own gain.