How Religions Whip Up Mass Hysteria

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 26 April 2023 One Pastor Paul Mackenzie, who runs the Good News International Church in Shakahola, Malindi, Kenya, made the news after a massacre took place in the Shakahola forest. People were left shocked after Kenyan police found dozens of bodies in the eastern part of the country. Soon after this, Paul Mackenzie was arrested as he allegedly asked people to starve themselves so they could meet Jesus and attain heaven. He reportedly converted people to his beliefs and engaged them in fasting. This has shocked the whole world. Believers from affluent countries might argue that since this happened in Kenya, a rather poor African country where tribal superstitions and shenanigans overwhelm religious beliefs, this is a rare and isolated incident that has nothing to do with mainstream Christianity. They're mistaken. Go to the US. According to the ' Christianity Today, ' " There're more than 1450 known as well as obscure cults of Christianity in the States that indulge in Doomsday Prophecies, Wandering Jew Myth ( plagiarised from the Accursed Ashwatthama Legend in Mahabharata; who was condemned by Krishna to live till the end of the world....all bogus), Apocalypse, Armageddon and what not. Often the heads of such cults convince the credulous believers to commit suicide or go on hunger strike (an alternative form of suicide) to attain heaven where they would be hobnobbing with Jesus, the man who never existed. Scores of moronic believers take the words of these charismatic Pastors, Fathers and evangelists as Gospel Truths and commit suicide or starve themselves just to meet Jesus or attain heaven. Muslims are often criticised that suicide bombers blow themselves off to get 72 Houries and 28 Gulmas ('Beresh Launde' in Urdu) in heaven. But this stupidity is more or less prevalent in all faiths. Out of 18 Puranas in Hinduism, four Puranas clearly and categorically state that celibates (Brahmachari) will be making love to ever-youthful Apsaras ( Hindu Houries!) all the time! Quite possible because heaven of all faiths is a place for idlers and lewd people having no worries to earn and run a family. So, keep indulging in perpetual orgies and debaucheries. By the way, have you ever thought how come what is condemnable or illegitimate in this world becomes perfectly legitimate in heaven? Don't drink here. You'll get rivers of wine flowing in paradise. Don't have sex on earth. There'll be damsels up in the heaven to give you earth-shattering orgasms sans refraction intervals in between! What nonsense! But legions of believers think that they'll get all this if they lead an unexciting life on the planet earth! A recent convert in Punjab's Kapurthala (he was a Sikh who embraced Christianity) wrote in a Christian magazine that now Jesus accompanies and guides him wherever he goes. He has got a personal god whereas all the Gurus in his erstwhile faith never guided him personally. Obviously, this neo-convert to Christianity is a deluded man who was brainwashed by unscrupulous missionaries. These unethical missionaries go to the extent of making the bovine brains believe that after accepting Jesus as their saviour, he'll protect them 24 x 7 ! What a great marketing gimmick! It's time to think rationally and apply the prudence nature has endowed us with. Whichever religion it may be, at the end of the day, you're going to be disillusioned with all esoteric mumbo-jumbo of all faiths. But then, to be disenchanted, one has to have a semblance of reason and sanity. Alas, we don't seem to have that. So, from the cradle to the grave, we remain yoked to a plethora of irrational religious beliefs and obfuscated customs. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/religions-whip-hysteria/d/129644 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism