> From: Richard Brodie <RBrodie@brodietech.com>
> To: "'virus@lucifer.com'" <virus@lucifer.com>
> Subject: RE: virus: God's Invisible Hand
> Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 15:56:00 -0700
> Reply-to: virus@lucifer.com
> On Monday, October 20, 1997 1:45 AM, Charmin
> [SMTP:chardin@uabid.dom.uab.edu] wrote:
> > I hardly see how you can complain about the values I live by or
> > how I come by them.
>
> I specifically did NOT complain about your values; if you remember,
> I commended them as empowering. As for how you came by them, you
> were told them by other people. Is that not correct? If not, I'm
> happily corrected.
I was told by other people? And you were not taught by other people
as well? Did your mother never say: Richard, it is wrong to lie?
If this is the type of "told by other people" then, yes, I suppose I
have been "told values by other people." We teach our children table
manners and other social skills, I think we very well ought to teach
them some values as well.
> > I picked up a copy of Getting Past Ok this weekend
>
> I'm flattered!
>
> > and I was trying to
> > figure out the hoopla. In the first place, most of the ideas have
> > been around since the beginning of pop-psychology. For example:
> > you don't have to do anything really--you have a choice. I
> > remember reading this in Dr. Wayne Dyer's book Your Erroneous
> > Zones way back in the 70s. In addition Life 101 and other such
> > books present these ideas far more creatively.
>
> No argument from me. I say in the preface that all I did was glean
> the best ideas from the various work I had done.
That is true. I remember you made that statement.
> I'm delighted you like Life 101. Did you know that the author, Peter
> McWilliams, is a homosexual with AIDS who self-published it while he
> was a member of the Insight/MSIA cult?
I think it is very creatively put together and still have some quotes. I cut
the book up and put the quotes I like in a notebook. I'm not
familiar with this person per se, but it doesn't surprise me that he
is a homosexual. What surprises me is that he had to self-publish.
It seems that these days unless you are a homosexual, writing about
homosexuality, it is difficult to get a book published period. This
seems especially true in fiction.
He put in a little footnote
> about the scriptural basis for his writing so that he could sell the
> book through Christian bookstores.
Good marketing skills. The Christians of this day and time will buy
anything. If I had a Christian bookstore, I would not sell
pop-psychology or the NIV Bible for that matter. So I have to admit
that you are right! I do try to get my values from as nearly as
possible the early church.
His co-author, John-Roger, is the
> cult leader who has been alleged to be a child molester. McWilliams
> recently wrote another book, LIFE 102: What to Do When Your Guru
> Sues You (available at the Amazon.com Memetics Bookstore,
> http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/books.htm ) in which he details
> his 15 years with the cult, during which he was so brainwashed (by
> his own admission) that he literally believed John-Roger had the
> power of life or death over him. He has since removed J-R's name
> from all his books, asserting that although McWilliams gave him over
> $1 million from book sales, J-R never wrote one word.
Sounds like a couple of sinners in bad need of a savior. Too bad
they don't believe in sin and can't see themselves for what they are.
The Bible says that sometimes when people are like this God just
leaves them to themselves own devices. See what happens?
>
> > I was very curious about your statement:
> > it is ok to lie to others, just don't lie to yourself. What type
> > of values is that to teach someone.
>
> GETTING PAST OK is not a Scripture, cookie, it's a book on using
> your mind to improve your life. I jokingly say go ahead and fib to
Maybe I didn't approach your book with the proper attitude or I would
have let that statement pass for the joke it was.
>
> One of my favorite pieces of advice is: only take advice from people
> with lives you like. I'm not sure your intelligence enters into your
> decision so much as your brainwashing, but nonetheless I'm here to
> help people grow who want to grow. If that's not for you at this
> time in your life -- no hard feelings!
>
I have no hard feelings. But I came to the conclusion a long time
ago that pop psychology isn't a big help to me. I clipped some
quotes from the 101 Book--but I wouldn't say they are guiding
lights--just something I enjoy looking at from time to time--and most
of them are quotes from other people--not the authors themselves. I love
the quotes of a lot of people from athiests to priests--usually the
more dry and witty, the better. But it doesn't mean I would hinge my
decision making on them.
Anytime someone doesn't agree with you they have been brainwashed. I
can easily say the same thing about you--except that I really don't
believe you have been. You just think you are too smart, too
sophisticated and too educated to believe in God. Humanism gives you
a way out--make you're own rules, your own laws, your own values.
All those people out there, if they were just a little bit better
educated or shown the truth about Darwin's gospel, then they would
realize the state they are in. You see? We both have our religious
beliefs--it is just that we serve different Gods.
And one other thing, Richard. While I realize guilt plays no role in
your life, you should also know that you will be held accountable by God,
not only for your own spiritual life, but those of your family.