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How do you recognize religious propaganda?

Remté

Active Member
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

Be who ever you want
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
 

Remté

Active Member
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

Active Member
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

David Henson
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

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
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.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
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

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
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?
 
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