"What if" card

[KeyserSoze]

A co-worker of mine received a "whatifcard" at work today from a customer. Here is the same version of the card online.
(only $5 by the way :rolleyes:) http://www.customtractsource.com/What-If_p_9.html

I'm starting a topic on this because it is by far the worst religious tract that I have ever seen before. It's almost like it was intended as an attack on Christianity. I'm sure it's not though; I just can't figure out why they wrote it this way.

The message is simply a transgression of hypothetical questions. What I can't understand is why the first three questions are non-religious, knowingly supernatural fantasies, and there is no distinction between these fantasy questions and the final religious questions. The concepts of mind reading, predicting lottery numbers, being invincible, and Jesus dying for our sins all are lumped together into the same set of questions.

What is the point that they are trying to make with the introductory questions?

[devnull]

What if theyre just crazy?

[Richard Masters]

A co-worker of mine received a "whatifcard" at work today from a customer. Here is the same version of the card online.
(only $5 by the way :rolleyes:) http://www.customtractsource.com/What-If_p_9.html

I'm starting a topic on this because it is by far the worst religious tract that I have ever seen before. It's almost like it was intended as an attack on Christianity. I'm sure it's not though; I just can't figure out why they wrote it this way.

The message is simply a transgression of hypothetical questions. What I can't understand is why the first three questions are non-religious, knowingly supernatural fantasies, and there is no distinction between these fantasy questions and the final religious questions. The concepts of mind reading, predicting lottery numbers, being invincible, and Jesus dying for our sins all are lumped together into the same set of questions.

What is the point that they are trying to make with the introductory questions?

I think they are just intended as a hook to engage the reader.

[rdaneel]

I'll bet the lottery part is supposed to equate to "gaining the riches of heaven". Reminds me of a scam I read about on this board once where you get offered a thousand dollars to go to church for a month, then a month later you get told that your reward in heaven will be greater than any thousand dollars (or something like that).

[Trent Wray]

Yes I think it's called marketing and manipulation and misdirection.

The beginning part is to mask the alterior motive of the card, and get the reader to follow it down to the bottom where hopefully they've been influenced enough to continue exploring the motive behind the card further. As you read the card downward, it assumes it will be "speaking to you personally" ---- like a cold read from a psychic. If you feel it does, then the card worked.

If it draws you to church, Jesus, or whatever the motive was .... then it worked.

If it pissed you off, it still worked .... just not in the way it intended.

If you had a neutral response after reading the whole thing, then the marketing didn't work.

As it is, the card worked .... because you're spreading it's information here now. It just might not work the way the author of the advertisement for his faith intended :)

But if only one person on this forum might see it and change their mind about Jesus .... you were not responsible for them changing their mind, but you were obviously part of the chain events that helped to influence it .... right?

[Hux]

Its a way of showing that jesus worship is no better, requires no more credence than, any other supernatural fantasy.

[Beerina]

What if there is a just Judge who knows even our thoughts? What if He holds us accountable for every thought, word and deed?

I think televangelists and religious leaders have much more to worry about than little old atheist me.



What if the judge wasn't an ass, and didn't demand we jump through a bizarre hoop like believing without proof, in order to not fear death, a terror which said creature does not share, and thus is in no position, ethically, to lord over us over?

[bobcarp]

"What if" they put more emphasis on Logic and Critical Thinking in the school systems?

[AvalonXQ]

What if human beings were psychologically incapable of considering counterfactual hypotheticals?

What if people learned to properly use the subjunctive mood, saying "were" instead of "was" even in the singular?

[KeyserSoze]

You guys are probably right, it's just a simple hook. I just find it funny that the author didn't consider that it would change the context of the entire set of questions. At least that's how I see it.

How about adding, What if there are many other religions in the world and no possible way of deciphering which one, if any at all, is true?

If this person comes back into my work and gives me this card, I think that's what I'll ask him. Or does anybody else have a better one?

[AvalonXQ]

If this person comes back into my work and gives me this card, I think that's what I'll ask him.

Why ask him? Make up your own version of the "What if" card with this question and/or others like it.

[Ladewig]

What if people learned to properly use the subjunctive mood, saying "were" instead of "was" even in the singular?

I have a personal goal to be less pedantic but you are pouring out a big goblet of backslider wine for me. It tastes so good.