The Way of the Master

It’s been a long time since I’ve written, and I wanted to write a Top 5, you know, to get back to basics, but then I came across something so ridiculous that I had to write about it, and it really just doesn’t fit the Top 5 format. Anyway, a friend of mine forwarded me a link to Kirk Cameron’s new website, www.wayofthemaster.com , and so I checked it out. It was something, all right. Apparently Cameron didn’t make enough money from the Left Behind films to continue to support himself, or maybe he felt like he just hadn’t sufficiently gotten his message across. In this day and age, with celebrities like Tom Cruise, Madonna and Prince touting obscure religions such as Scientology, Kabbalah, and…um….I’m not really sure, b-list celebrities such as Cameron with their warped versions of Christianity can get overlooked. Seriously, though, Way of the Master has made quite a place for itself on my list of “Crazy Religious Groups To Be Avoided At All Costs”, in the tier just below the Westboro Baptist Church and their lovely sites, www.godhatesfags.com and www.godhatesamerica.com. They aren’t as destructive as the WBC, because their beliefs less overtly encourage hatred and violence, but their beliefs are just as scary and depressing. Also, Way of the Master ranks high on the “Ridiculous Profiteering Outfits Playing on People’s Superstitions” scale (right of there with The Secret) because they’re actually trying to sell their beliefs, materials, and methods to make money. Sure, most religions are For-Profit organizations if you look closely at them, but if you go to WOTM’s website, you’ll see it runs just like an infomercial (it even has an Australian guy to make the product look exotic/cultured with his accent!)

The site begins with standard religious rebukes of Darwinian Evolution and atheism, saying things like, “There are gaps in the Fossil Record!” and “The scientific method leaves room for doubt!” and “Atheists would have to know everything in order to disprove god’s existence, but they can’t, so really they’re agnostics, because they can’t know that God doesn’t exist.”  But it’s their “appeals to the heart and conscience” of people that they wish to convert that I find truly laughable. They interview people on the street (a la Michael Moore) in order to convince them all that they are liars, thieves, and blasphemers, to show them their need of grace. They claim that if you’ve ever told a single lie, or taken a single thing that didn’t belong to you (setting aside the subjectivity inherent in the concept of “ownership), then you are no longer a “good person”, at least according to God’s standards.

To give you all a sample of the ridiculousness, here’s a quote from the site, taken from their “Are you a good person?” quiz. Basically the quiz is supposed to show you that you are a sinner in the context of each of the 10 commandments, in order to convince you that you need Christ in order to be saved.  The question is framed around the 2nd commandment, which deals with idolatry. And here it is:

“Who is God to you? Is he only a God of love and mercy who would never judge anyone and never cast anyone into Hell? If that’s your god, then you’re right. Your god couldn’t cast anyone into Hell, because he doesn’t exist. He’s a figment of your imagination. You’ve created a god in your own mind that you’re more comfortable with. You may call it your ‘personal belief’, but God calls it idolatry. It’s the oldest sin in the Book, and the Bible warns that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.”

So, apparently, if you believe that God loves sinners, and possesses infinite love and mercy for all of his children, not only are you mistaken, but you’re going to hell for it.  Apparently damnation isn’t just for sinners, atheists and agnostics anymore, it’s for anyone who has an optimistic view of God and the universe. I’m not sure that’s a religion I would want to be a part of, even if it meant that I would be saved. If God condemns people for believing that He loves everyone, then he’s not a god that I would be inclined to revere and worship. But I would gladly pay $49.95 for flyers, books and dvd’s about it!

For the moment, I’m thankful to know that WOTM’s star power is limited to the likes of Kirk Cameron, and there isn’t an Oprah-sized personality driving its products of the bestseller list, as was the case with The Secret.  Not that I think mainstream America would go for it, but you never know. If only people could find something more worthwhile to occupy their time, like exercising, then we wouldn’t have to pay people millions of dollars to help us “improve our lives” with worthless superstitious nonsense. If you decide to go to WOTM’s website, please do me a personal favor, and don’t give them any money. Tootles.