|
|
Anyone in the computer
industry knows exactly what I'm talking about when I refer to FUD, but
for those who don't, allow me to briefly explain. FUD stands for Fear,
Uncertainty and Doubt. It's the tool that big companies use to prevent
a customer from using a competing solution. There are lots of ways to spread
FUD, but the usual ways are spreading rumors of instability, bad customer
service or that the company itself is going bankrupt. In other words, instead
of convincing your buyer that you have a better product than they do, you
simply convince the customer that the competition is not really competition
at all. Instead of logical arguments, the FUD spreader uses emotion as
his weapon.
Most people in the computer
industry know this term because it's one of the ways that Microsoft has
taken over the industry. When OS/2 came out, it was a superior product
to the still Beta product Windows Chicago (later named Windows 95), but
the rumor mill says that Microsoft planted people in trade shows to say
that OS/2 was unstable and unreliable. Similar things are happening with
Linux. Microsoft knows that in a head to head competition, Linux almost
always wins, so instead of trying to beat Linux technically, they're trying
a campaign of words. Linux is "untested", "unstable", "not backed by the
industry". These are all, of course, not true. They're marketing tactics
designed to scare managers into buying the safe choice, Windows NT (which
will soon become Windows 2000).
But FUD is not limited to
Microsoft or the computer Industry. Christianity has been using this tool
for hundreds of years to get converts. Let's begin simply on the issue
of Christianity FUD. In Judaism, it is generally recognized that there
is no Hell as defined in the Christian Bible. So where does this concept
originate? It's a marketing ploy. Dare you take a chance going to eternal
damnation or wouldn't you rather go to church? Sure, you can take your
chances somewhere else, but just to be on the safe side, isn't it a good
idea to become Christian? I know of no other religion which promises such
horrible consequences for non-believers as Hell is for Christians. Such
thoughts and images are enough to convince even the most stubborn non-believers
into "just being on the safe side". Of course, ask them to produce any
hard evidence for the existence of Hell and they immediately become angry.
The anger isn't even directed at the situation, but at you for asking
such a question. How dare you question the eternal order of things? For
asking such a question, your fate is sealed!
Perhaps that's not enough
FUD though. Christianity did not just target people in general, but like
any good marketing department, had a multi-pronged attack. Ever wonder
why the Devil has two horns, hooves and a tail? Where in the Bible does
it mention that? Where in any holy text does it mention the way
the Devil looks? It doesn't. The devil figure we are all used to seeing
is a Christian characturer of our friend Herne (and while he has many names,
this one will do fine for this article). By spreading cartoon images of
our gods and by portraying witches as evil doers, Christianity spread fear
about any other religion than their own.
FUD alone, though, is not
enough to be successful. To be a success in the marketplace, you must present
yourself as the only solution. There are two basic ways to do this. First,
you must present your competitor's solution as incompetent and perhaps
dangerous, the FUD. Then, though, you must make your solution out to be
the only one left. Microsoft does this by proving a cutsie little interface
and by expensive marketing. Christianity does this by promising things
it cannot deliver. Most notable in these promises it is that of an eternal
bliss in Heaven. By not being Christian, you are only less likely to enter
this place/state and although there can be no serious guarantee that having
certain beliefs or acting in certain ways will get you into this place
(for which there is no evidence), your chances certainly cannot decrease.
Another great Microsoft
term is "embrace and extend". They embrace their competition, killing them
and then extending their reach farther into the market. They do this either
by buying them out or by making other moves in the marketplace which will
squeeze the competitor into nothingness. Christianity also embraces and
extends. Christmas and Easter immediately come to mind. Giant trees in
the house decorated with glitter, herbs hanging from the doorways, feasts
of ham and other foods that were completely unavailable in desert all sounds
quite pagan to me. Let's not even begin to investigate the symbolism of
rabbits laying colored eggs. Pagan rituals have been made into Christian
holidays.
Those examples are easy
though, maybe something more concrete is in order. The Capibara is a prime
example of Christianity's willingness to embrace other cultures. The Capibara
is a rodent located in South America. It has fur and claws, but spends
much of it's day in the water. The local people find this creature to be
quite edible and delicious. It's an easy catch and a good source of meat.
Unfortunately, it could not be eaten on Friday as it was meat. Not a problem
says the Catholic church, which officially decided that because this creature
spends much of its time in the water, it should be considered a fish, perfectly
fine to be eaten on Friday night.
Other examples of Christianity's
embrace include the missionaries set up in the periphery (previously known
as the Third World). Missionaries give their services away in return for
a loyal fellowship. They impress the locals with technology and gifts but
in return request and sometimes require that the locals sit in a church
and listen to the preaching. Furthermore, just as Microsoft has its money
in all of the computer industry, Christianity has done the same with politics.
How many empires have suddenly changed from tolerance to hate soon after
Christianity took ahold of the leaders? How many millions have been exiled
or killed because they refused to convert? The Roman empire and the Spanish
Inquisition are two prime examples of empires which became violently Christian,
converting and killing all non-believers, then falling apart as the center
of power was moved from domestic and self propagating to external (the
Church)? The revenue and thinkers were no longer working for the state
but for the Church.
Christianity continues these
practices with varying success. Microsoft also continues its practices.
The prime difference is that Christianity's hold on people is far more
insidious than that of Microsoft. Microsoft, despite all its evil practices,
has never roused its user base to violence, nor has it corrupted the legal
system in allowing its end user license agree to be displayed in public
schools. There are no door to door Microsoft converts handing out pamphlets
about the benefits of Windows NT, nor is there a copy of Microsoft Office
in hotel rooms. Of the two evils, it's difficult to determine which is
worse.
