It sounds crazy, but it is crazy like a fox!

There's a very interesting article on the MRFF's web site where Mikey Weinstein calls out a Christian fundamentalist blog for hinting at demonic possession because of his opposition to military mandatory prayer ceremonies, implying that he and his MRFF clients might be possessed because, you know,

It is the Trinity that such people abhor, especially any reference to Jesus, Our Lord. May the devil and all of his demons be cast out, wherever they are, in the name of Jesus, Our Lord, who commands them to leave. Look at Our Lord suffering on the Cross for us! His Love is what they hate!

It is frustrating to a high degree that these cretins think they know what is in my head.  Or do they?  Do they really think that?

Or is there something else going on here?

The reality is that they don't think that at all.  That's what they want their believers to think, though.  This is an attack against atheists and non-christians that goes back centuries.  It is subtle and insidious and turns your real beliefs and world view invisible so their flocks see you as an enemy.

Notice that this attack makes the prior assumption that you really know god exists!  What does that mean then?  That if you are claiming he doesn't, you are lying (another of their attacks against us) and so you are really undermining him because you secretly hate him!  This goes along with their constant meme that it is christians against the rest of humanity.  Humanity is always trying to stop christians from worshiping god because then they'll go to hell too!

Us vs. Them.  It becomes this dichotomy that sets up the conflict between good and evil, and if you aren't a christian, you are evil and evil people like company in hell.  The reality that other people worship other gods which are just as imaginary as theirs is a death knell for any religion, and destroys the two sided conflict.  People can then be seen as just ordinary humans which is counter to the idea that they are evil.  If people can be shown to be evil, then intolerance, discrimination, and hatred are not only allowed, but necessary as part of defense of the faith.

Notice that in the article Mikey cites, once their mad claim is exposed to public ridicule, it simply disappears!  That is because it is an argument that is for insiders' ears only!  Obviously, to any modern, thinking American, the idea that demons even exist is a ridiculous notion, dismissed out of hand as superstitious and backward.  But is is a claim that holds a claim to the hearts and minds of the very religious, those who fall for the whole schtick - lock, stock, and barrel.

Fortunately, most of us aren't that gullible.