David Mills

Religious leaders very cleverly try to recruit converts by preaching that you need their brand of religion in order to be contended. Without Jesus or Allah or Buddha, you'll supposedly lead a wretched and calamitous existance. Advertisers use this identical ploy to sell their products: they'll convince (1) that you have a problem, (2) that you need their product to solve your "problem", and (3) that other, competing products will leave you in despair. Ironically, if you truly believe that your hapiness requires a particular religion - or a chocolate sundae or a sports car or a certain bed partner - then you'll obviously create a self-fulfilling prophecy, making yourself unnecessarily miserable until your so-called "needs" are satisfied.