Category: Theological Rant
Why does fear sell on the campaign trail?
I receive a daily email from “Faith in Public Life” and it noted this article from The Dallas Morning News. It asks and offers thoughts on:
“Why does fear sell on the campaign trail?”
by William McKenzie | Nov. 2, 2010 | The Dallas Morning News
Putting aside your own political views, which perhaps lead you to agree with some of these claims, help the rest of us understand why this point:Why does fear play such a big role in our elections?
For example, is there something deep within our psyches and/or souls that responds to fear, perhaps in a way that we are unaware? Or is it that fear sells and strategists know it? Or is it something else?
Yes, fear sells. Marketers know this. Political marketers know it well. The rules for using fear are simple. Present a threat, or the appearance of one, large enough there appears no answer. Personalize the threat, and let the person believe they cannot resolve it. Then provide a simple solution. In speaking of overcoming our fears, Daisaku Ikeda pointed out that “When we plant the seeds of self-doubt, only noxious weeds sprout.”
Sanity in Religion and in Politics
I admit it, I like Jon Stewart and his “fake news” coverage of the news industry. This is an interesting article from the Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog.
God Bless Sanity in Religion and in Politics
by Susan Brooks ThistlethwaiteThis weekend, Jon Stewart is holding “a rally to restore sanity” on the mall, two months after Glenn Beck’s religion-infused “Restoring Honor” rally. Beck said he was called by God to hold the rally. Now atheist groups are planning to use Stewart’s event to promote “reason.” Are “reason” and “sanity” the opposite of religious belief? Is taking religion out of the political debate the answer for restoring reason? Or do we need more faith?