Written by a 15 year old boy.

[Mangee]

Since the Pledge of Alegiance  and the Lord's Prayer are not allowed in schools anymore because the word 'God' is mentioned, a kid in Arizona wrote the attached.

                    NEW SCHOOL PRAYER

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of him very odd

If scripture now the school recites
It violates The Bill Of Rights
And any time my hide I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now

Our hair can be orange, purple or green
Thats no offense; it's a freedom scene
The law i specific the law is precise
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice

For praying in a public hall
May offend someone with no faith at all
In silence alone we must meditate
God's name is prohibited by the state

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks
They've outlawed guns but First the Bible
To quote the Good Book makes me liable

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen
And the 'unwed daddy' our Senior King
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong
We're taught that such 'judgements' do not belong

We can get our condoms and birth controls
Study withchcraft, vampires and totem poles
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed
No word of God must reach this crowd

It's scary here I must confess
When chaos reigns the schools a mess
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot;my soul please to take!
Amen
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[Savas]

That is a time honored tradition that's been used...well...forever. Say it until everyone thinks it's true!!!

I think a lot of it is people want to believe what the WANT to be true. Spin is taking this statement to a scientific level.

I was just commenting on this on another thread. The best way to fight this is preparation through early education. Teach people how to THINK and PROCESS information... how to recognize spin when they see it... and you may have a fighting chance.

[mrwjd]

Oral Roberts saying that if he did not get 7million dollars by June the Lord was going to take him home.
_______________

At the time, I was ready to concede that the Lord needed Oral Roberts much more than we did here on earth.

Turns out I was right.  Have you read anything about the no-law school he founded later?  Putting out plenty of new lawyers to oppose the First Amendment; they are already turning up in the Bush White House, without experience or ability but thoroughly trained to attack, like trained dogs, any remaining tatter of the First Amendment they come across.


Your post addresses one of the great phenomena of the new 21st Century, one that makes me nuts and almost wipes out any faith I might have retained in humans.  Another Rovian concept, at least as practiced now:  Look them in the eye and lie, lie, lie.  Say it until it's true.  Don't answer questions, don't argue points, just say it again and again.  Knowing that some of the faces into which you are lying know the topic much better than you, and know you are lying, and many of the others will know it later, just don't flinch.  Lie, lie, lie.  And then, one day, it'll sound like truth.  [The most incredible practitioner of this policy to my mind, besides Rove himself, is Condoleeza Rice.  She'll say anything, over and over, even when the whole country knows it's false.]

It works because, for whatever reason, we are just plain gullible, and we don't seem to be able to outgrow it.

I have to warn that I'm not done, but I am done for, for tonight.  If I don't see you, have a dramatic 4th.

[Mangee]

The mind is a wonderful mechanism when, if used right can do wonders. However I back away when I see thingsnsuch as Oral Roberts saying that if he did not get 7million dollars by June the Lord was going to take him home. This was a few years back and he got the money because all the believers cashed in their bonds etc, to keep him alive. His son is all of a sudden a faith healer. All healers act exactly the same. The healer places his hand on the ill (supposedly) person, shouts, "Heal," and the healed falls backward, eyes rolling and then suddenly stands erect and begins running, jumping and dancing around the hall, shouting, "I am healed." It never occurs to anyone that a person who has supposedly been in a wheelchair fot many many years would have the strength in those stick like legs to dance and jump and run. Any doctor will tell you,"Impossible," You will notice that at no time do they do this to children with neurological problems. Who would have more faith than an innocent child? If the miracle was authentic, mothers would be lining up their children to be healed. The cured is always an adult. As a parent, if this were true and I had a child that was wheelchair bound, had cerebreal palsy or any type of drastic disease, I would be knocking down doors and offering every thing I own to have my child healed. This never happens because the healer knows that no one has more faith and more willingness to be healed than an innocent child. The failure would expose the healer as a fake and he would no doubt say it failed because the child did not believe. The electronic evengelist and the like were once known as,"Snake oil salesmen." they have since broadened their scope knowing from experience, trial and error that,as Barnum used to say,"There is a sucker born every minute." It is not only the Electronic Evangelists that believe that saying. The oill companies, the pharmaceutical companies, the super grocery stores, the government etc.etc.etc.have all shown that what Barnum said is a monumental truth. What is the average man's answer to this,"Well, what can I do about it?"

[VOR]

You beat me to the punch on this one.  I was laboring over the right words, but didn't get them out in time.  I too, agree that there are cases of miraculous healing, however, far too often the "healing preachers" have contracted agents in the audience, ready-willing-and-able to act out the part of a needy invalid.  This is scary b/c many live through ignorant belief/hope.  

Endorphins (a.k.a. endogenous morphine), adrenaline, seratonin, norepinephrine, and so on play a huge role in how people feel, both physically and mentally.  That being said, I do believe that there are cases where there just is no logical explanation of a miraculous healing.  With all the research and knowledge we have, we still can’t explain even a fraction of why the body can do what it can do.  I believe it is possible that someone can “will” themselves back to health.  The mind is a powerful tool!

[Savas]

Hey, my favorite Indian restaurant does that! They've got dusty old Christmas lights in the shape of jalapeno peppers hanging from the ceiling inside. It's been that way for over 15 years.
Despite the horrible decor *the lights, the exposed pipes, the cheap tables) they make the best food. Cheap, too. :)  )

-----
I've read quite a bit on faith healing in the past. Once you get past the obvious con's of plants in the audience and the like, there are documented results for it's success.  However, the scientific supporting evidence is that the healing is either of two types; either physiological conditions that have left psychological impressions, or a temporary endorphin rush that overpowers the system causing the illusion of healing.

In the former case, the person's condition has lessened over time but they're "used to" the infirmity and have convinced themselves it still exists.

The latter is the one that upsets doctors the most. There've been reports of people with conditions who were "healed"... got up and ran about...only to cause injury to themselves that after the adrenaline rush receded showed up after a good night's sleep.

I'm not disputing the possibility of miracles here, I'm just saying this is commonly what happens when you see "real faith healing" on t.v.

[mrwjd]

I agree with you--it would be very interesting to know what is going on before and after the faith healing episode.  After all, just a tiny fraction of a percent of wheelchair-bound people are healed; what traits have they in common?

Specifically, first I'd ask what is the situation before the incident?  Are these people able to move from wheelchair to bed or to toilet on their own?  If so, they may have the capacity to stand for a few seconds (which is really all we see before the pastor sweeps them up in a celebratory embrace).  I'm sure these people are screened carefully for the physical capability of standing briefly.  

Hysterical paralysis would be perfect, if the preacher could be certain of its lifting at the right moment.  Trouble is, hysterical illnesses aren't usually very cooperative.

I've seen only vignettes of these programs, I have seen the actual healing a couple of times, but I don't think (you may know for sure) that they show the healed person walking out at the end with his or her friends and relatives, do they?  (Of course, blindness and deafness is easier, but also less dramatic; it relies on the acting ability of the person showing surprise and excitement.)

Second, if I were this pastor, my most coveted guest spots would be annual appearances by the healed people, walking in under their own power.  Does that ever happen?  Is there ever any mention of what happened to these people?

Answers to those questions would go far in answering your final question.  Otherwise, like science fiction fans, the audience will just have to suspend disbelief for the duration.