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This is one reason why I am reluctant to use the word "evangelist" to
describe someone whose primary occupation is to extol the virtues of HP
products and services
<http://raven.utc.edu/cgi-bin/WA.EXE?A2=ind0008A&L=hp3000-l&P=R5164>. The
modern connotation has definitely become tainted by some of those of the
entirely religious variety who at best appeal to emotion and argue by
assertion, and at worst are selling themselves.

The word has its origins as an entirely secular term in the ancient Greek
world, when a herald would travel back to some city, and announce "good
news" or more literally a "good announcement" such as a victory in a contest
or war. I think that the most famous of these is the "Greek soldier who, in
490 BC, is supposed to have run from Marathon to Athens, a distance of about
40 kilometres (25 miles), to bring news of the Athenian victory over the
Persians"
http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/3/0,5716,51993+1,00.html.

It was then appropriated for a decidedly religious purpose in the book
attributed to John Mark, which begins with "The beginning of the gospel
(evangel) of Jesus Christ", a statement that seems designed to communicate
an agenda, in the briefest accepted account of Jesus' ministry. It was
written in rather poor Greek, strung together by "and", and marked by the
word "immediately". He may have taken it from its incidental use in the
Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible that predates the New
Testament.

My part of the country, New England, boasts two noteworthy figures, both of
whom might be considered evangelists. One was Jonathan Edwards, a man of
remarkable accomplishments, although I'm not sure he was someone I would be
comfortable with as an in-law. I cannot find a reference to his role as a
University president. Britannica offers that he was the "greatest theologian
and philosopher of British American Puritanism, stimulator of the religious
revival known as the "Great Awakening," and one of the forerunners of the
age of Protestant missionary expansion in the 19th century" at
<http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/2/0,5716,32592+1,00.html>.
Specifically, he was critical of the emotional appeal of other preachers,
and when he preached, read his entire sermon from notes in a monotone, to
remarkable effect (in spite of his accomplishments, this method does not
come recommended today). He appears to have believed that men could be
persuaded by reason, as they were given the grace to understand that reason.
No other inducements were required.

A more opposite man was his near contemporary Charles Finney, who also
preached in New England and New York. Britannica offers that he was an
"American lawyer, president of Oberlin College, and a central figure in the
religious revival movement of the early 19th century; he is sometimes called
the first of the professional evangelists", at
<http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/9/0,5716,34919+1,00.html>.
Ironically, he coined the term, "the burned-over district", as he found that
his passionate appeals lost their effectiveness with the same audiences over
time. Some of our modern notions of evangelists come from his techniques,
which are used and extolled today.

Of course, among the worst of all such the images are those invoked by the
fictitious Elmer Gantry, but I understand the Lewis Sinclair meant it as an
attack on religious predators. But there is significant difference between
how a John the Baptist or a Jonathan Edwards and how a Charles Finney, or
especially a David Koresh or Jim Jones, behave when their audience turns and
walks away. John the Baptist had no problems with losing his followers,
which is a far cry from retaining them with armed guards a la Jim Jones.

Applying this defense of the earlier evangelists to HP is a challenge, but
HP must make it clear that they are more concerned about the growth of your
and my business for its own benefit than in just getting your and my
business for HP. As such, they may be remember less for their work getting
out their message than for their other accomplishments. Also, persuasion by
reason can be surprisingly successful, whereas less reasonable appeal loses
effectiveness with frequent use.

Greg Stigers
http://www.cgiusa.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Wirt Atmar [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2000 11:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Carly Fiorina speak again...

<snip>
Everything that Craig writes above could be just as easily applied to David
Koresh -- or (to a lesser degree) Jim Jones*. Evangelists of any stripe are
a
notoriously difficult group to fathom. Computer evangelists are no
different.

A little rational skepticism goes a long ways -- and if people can't provide
good, clearly enunciated reasons for their support of their platform,
reasons
that make good business sense to the people who pay the bills, then all the
evangelism in the world won't make any difference at all in the end.

<snip>

* In the end, Jim Jones had to keep his people within the compound in Guyana
with a shoot-to-kill order for the guards.