How do you recognize religious propaganda?

[Remté]

I don't mean so much how do you recognize religious propaganda as how do you recognize religious propaganda, though feel free to share your views on either or both.

 

[Spirit of Light]

What do you consider to be religious propaganda?

 

[Remté]

What do you consider to be religious propaganda?

Something made to fool your mind.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Logic and reasoning.

 

[Looncall]

Something made to fool your mind.

So, scriptures, tracts, sermons, billboards, stuff like that?

 

[Remté]

Logic and reasoning.

So you don't know how?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Something made to fool your mind.

A good warning sign of religious propaganda, as you've defined it: someone is purporting to speak for a god or gods.

 

[Remté]

A good warning sign of religious propaganda, as you've defined it: someone is purporting to speak for a god or gods.

That's not how I defined it

 

[SalixIncendium]

So you don't know how?

If that's your takeaway from what I wrote, sure.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

That's not how I defined it

You defined it as "something made to fool your mind." I'm saying that when someone purports to speak for a god or gods, this is a sign they're trying to "fool your mind."

 

[Spirit of Light]

Something made to fool your mind.

So if someone talk with you about their belief, that is propaganda if you disagree with them? or if you feel they want you to "become" like them?

There are many religious people who want to share their views of religion. would you call that propaganda?

i think propaganda within religion do happen but not in a big scale

 

[Earthling]

So you don't know how?

If I may hazard a guess, I think he meant that through logic and reasoning as an answer to how he recognizes religious propaganda.

 

[Remté]

You defined it as "something made to fool your mind." I'm saying that when someone purports to speak for a god or gods, this is a sign they're trying to "fool your mind."

If you think so. Some people think the radio speaks to them too...

 

[Remté]

If I may hazard a guess, I think he meant that through logic and reasoning as an answer to how he recognizes religious propaganda.

Yes, but I asked how they recognize it. I didn't mean what kind of intellectual activity helps them recognize it, but what about that supposed propaganda makes them recognize it.

 

[Remté]

So if someone talk with you about their belief, that is propaganda if you disagree with them? or if you feel they want you to "become" like them?

There are many religious people who want to share their views of religion. would you call that propaganda?

i think propaganda within religion do happen but not in a big scale

Well I go along with the universal definition of propagnda

"The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause. n. Material disseminated by the advocates or opponents of a doctrine or cause: wartime propaganda."

So no. A discussion cannot be it.

 

[Earthling]

Upton Sinclair reportedly said "All art is propaganda. It is universally and inescapably propaganda; sometimes unconsciously, but often deliberately, propaganda." If I define propaganda as "a form of communication to distribute information, often biased, and designed to make people feel a certain way or to believe a certain thing, and hard to tell whether the information is true or false," which would be as good as any way to describe propaganda, I would say that like art, it would be the safest course to make the assumption that all religious information is propaganda.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Yes, but I asked how they recognize it. I didn't mean what kind of intellectual activity helps them recognize it, but what about that supposed propaganda makes them recognize it.

Perhaps, moving forward, you might do well to speak what you mean rather than leave your meaning open to interpretation. *shrugs*

Propaganda, for me, is recognizable when a message's intent is to alter behavior through fear, reprisal, intimidation, or blatant mistruths.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

If you think so. Some people think the radio speaks to them too...

I think that when a person makes claims that:

- can't be verified, and
- are supposed to be taken as absolutely authoritative

... we're in "tactics of a con artist" territory and should at the very least proceed with caution.

If you don't think so, maybe explain why.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I think that when a person makes claims that:

- can't be verified, and
- are supposed to be taken as absolutely authoritative

... we're in "tactics of a con artist" territory and should at the very least proceed with caution.

If you don't think so, maybe explain why.

"Can't be verified" is an important part of what makes propaganda recognizable. I would like to add this to my response above, please.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Well I go along with the universal definition of propagnda

"The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause. n. Material disseminated by the advocates or opponents of a doctrine or cause: wartime propaganda."

So no. A discussion cannot be it.

I can't think of a single piece of religious scripture that doesn't meet that definition. Can you?