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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (141337)	1/8/2002 3:09:46 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1585967

Ted being wrong about something does not mean that you are in denial. Also in this case it has not even been established that people who believe in an afterlife are wrong. Tim, believing in an afterlife is denying the reality which is that we die at the end of our lives. Polls have shown that dying is the thing most feared by most people. By adopting religion and believing in an afterlife , we can deny that fear. Denial in the psychological sense (the only sense that you would use when you say someone is "in denial") is " b.Psychology. An unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings. " That's right......the reality of dying gives most people a sharp dose of pain. Consequently, its not surprising that people look for a way to deny that reality. It's a psychological defense mechanism. Yes, of course, the reality is too painful or too difficult to deal with. Also it isn't about failure to be convinced about something whether or not that thing is true. The defense mechanism is required because the person is too scared or too determined for some other reason to face the reality. I agree totally. If they totally thing something is true without any doubts or surprised feelings that it is not, then when you say its false and they say it is true, you just have a difference of opinion, not a case of denial. This is where I disagree.......the need to escape the pain can be so great that people easily replace the real world with a false one and not bat an eyelash when you tell them they are crazy. The need to overcome fear and pain can completely transform the truth. When a religious person is confronted with the specter of death, they have no doubt that the person has gone onto a better place so firmly is their denial in place. Someone once tried to convince me that Christian Science was the church for me. I had read some of the 'bible' produced by the church founder, Mrs. Eddy, and it made sense to me. I believe that the body is capable of incredible healings without the aid of MDs or medications. I also believe that your emotional well being effects your physcial well being. I don't know that I would have been active in the church but I would have gone to church on Sundays, contributed financially, etc. Then one day I was talking to this person who, by the way, had always seemed very rational. I asked her what did Mrs. Eddy die of and where was she buried. I asked that question mainly because Christian Scientists give the impression that if you are one with your mind, you conceivably could live forever by healing yourself of all maladies........and who better to be one with their mind than the founder of the church. The woman responded, saying that she did not know where Mrs. Eddy had been buried nor did she know what she died of since they did not perform an autopsy. I guess this was in the late 19th century and I figured they didn't do autopsies then. Wrong! The woman told me that they didn't autopsy Mrs. Eddy because they never found the body. Apparently, its believed that Mrs. Eddy rose just like Christ by most if not all people in the church. Yet, there is no factual evidence to support their claim......I am not even sure its written anywhere. Remember this alleged rising did not occur in biblical times but rather in the last 100 years. I started asking a million questions......at first, the woman was nonplussed. But as we talked, the story made less and less sense...and as it did, she began to unravel. Eventually, she refused to talk about it. I believe she refused to talk further because her denial was beginning to take on leaks, and if it fell apart, a lot of her belief system would fall apart with it. The critical basis for here denial was to try and ignore any facts that might effect a potential rising. Frankly, I don't think she ever entertained any of those facts, just believed the story hook, line, and sinker. FWIW. ted