Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Is church attendance more important than saving your business? Saving your marriage? Caring for your children? Jerry Prevo thinks it is.

The Reverend Prevo, of mega church Anchorage Baptist Temple and "hating the gays" fame, tries to convince his congregation that they must come every Sunday and give him their money in order to have a happy life.

And the egomanaical shall lead them. Is that in the bible?



In his mind apparently the only conduit to happiness and eternal salvation is through his ministry.

What is it the the Bible says about false prophets?

2 Pet 2:2 [NIV] Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

2 Pet 2:3 [NIV] In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Sometimes I have to wonder if the people in this "church" have even bothered to read the book they claim to hold so dear?

This Sunday at 11:00 ABT is going to celebrate 38 years of Jerry Prevo's particular hateful brand of Christianity and its impact on my state and its people. I think I may have to show up to this little soiree and see for myself just how self delusional these people really are.

(By the way if you click the title of this post it will take you to the Alaska Commons where you can read their take on Prevo and his minions. And I let me offer them a hat tip for bringing my attention to this unsettling video.)

19 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:03 AM

    Thoughts on this via George Carlin:

    1) Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

    2) I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.

    3) Religion convinced the world that there's an invisible man in the sky who watches everything you do. And there's 10 things he doesn't want you to do or else you'll go to a burning place with a lake of fire until the end of eternity. But he loves you! ...And he needs money! He's all powerful, but he can't handle money!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:05 AM

    I have to disagree with you here, Gryph. I disagreed last time you suggested this, but I didn't say anything.

    There are ways to reach people, to educate them as to how they are possibly being misled by a venal religious leader, but I don't think showing up and disrupting their service is going to do it.

    That's going to play right into Prevo's hands.

    Pat in Texas

    ReplyDelete
  3. No, no you misunderstand. I have no intention of being disruptive.

    I am just showing up to observe and then post about my experience. I would never do anything to make the attendees feel threatened or uncomfortable.

    I doubt very seriously that they will even know I am there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous11:40 AM

    I listened to the whole lot and just wow. I couldn't believe the number of young people there (and what was is it with all the gum chewing)?
    America has dumbed down and it isn't funny.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What I don't get is that neither Prevo or his whacko congregation took God's hint to Rapture this year. God had Mt Redoubt erupt for them, all they had to do is jump in, how much more of a hint do they need???

    ReplyDelete
  6. My daughter who works in Special Credits at Alaska USA told me about a member she's been working with trying to bring his account current who states that he can't afford to make his payments because he gives a tithe to his church and there's not enough money left over to pay his bills. This is a problem, if you ask me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous12:13 PM

    I'm a recovered Catholic, and no disrespect intended to believers, but I wish I could get back all the YEARS of my life spent in church services. Forced to go by my parents. This video clip supports my belief that hey parents!!!...we should not indoctrinate our children. It causes hate and intolerance, and dumbness. Shaking free of indoctrination takes alot of work.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous12:52 PM

    This man, Prevo, is 100% homosexual. It is tearing him up. He is cannot pray it away. He cannot read the Bible enough to make it go away. He is self loathing. He thinks his only chance for salvation is to fight it for all his worth, both within himself and publicly.

    With all that is wrong in this world, for all that can destroy mankind, he chooses to rail against the gay community. A community, that as a whole, has only acheived positive influence in society. It is a threat to no one.

    His influence is great, but promotes hate and intolerance which by definition is anti-Christian.

    I am hetrosexual and consider myself as Christian, Prevo is one of the most dangerous examples of neither.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous1:42 PM

    Ick, ick and double ick! This must the the 100th time in the last year that I've had to call my folks and thank them heartily for raising me without any religion.

    Sure, I only stand a chance of being worm food with no soul to go to the great beyond, but by golly at least I'm not giving 10% of my weekly pay to hypocrites that preach hate and intolerance.

    Thanks Mom (she did try to send us to Sunday school because she was raised christian but now she too sees the system for what it is) and thanks Dad for not selling us down the river into this crazy system.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gasman1:44 PM

    Gryphen, they'll spot you in a second. Your horns, cloven hooves, and your bifurcated tail will make you stand out from amongst the anointed.

    When I was in high school I used to date a Pentecostal girl. The "God wants you to give me your money" was a common theme in services. Not only that, but I remember a particular service where after the offering was counted, it was determined not to be enough! After several minutes of browbeating by the minister as to how ungrateful we were, seeing as we had not pried our wallets open wide enough, a second offering was taken. Since they didn't have a third, it must have been enough to cover the pastor's boat payment. This was during a midweek service, not even the big show on Sunday. I never went back there again.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous1:58 PM

    Annoy Prevo, think for yourself and hide your kids from the church members.

    Pssssst, gyph, if they see you, they will out you right in front of everyone.
    My oldest did a paper on separation of church and state... part of her plan to gather data was to go to that place... Well a fellow student forewarned that place... She was singled out by their youth group, with the blessings of their adult leader, for some postive god given reinforcement and verbally focused on during the sermon, via pervert himself...

    (there was no way I was letting my 17 yr old loose on that property alone... I was in the parking lot waiting for her reseach to end and sweep her away. ... which I did... For which she was/is thankful for)

    Just have a backup plan, like knowing where the exit doors are, cause they will stop you and see if you need "spiritual" assistance.

    Be safe. Please be safe and carefull.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous2:03 PM

    Matthew 7:15-23 KJV

    -Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
    -Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
    -Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
    -A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
    -Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
    -Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
    -Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
    -Many will say to me in that day, Lrod, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
    -And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

    Oh, and let me add:

    Exodus 20:8-11 KJV

    -Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
    -Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
    -But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
    -For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

    One jot or tittle not to be changed in the law, see Matthew 5:16-20.

    Commandment keepers do not have the mark, see Rev. 14:12.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous2:10 PM

    fine.. they want to blab give money to God first.. fineThen here is the deal.. make the church building big enough, with electricity of course (for people's health) but make it cheap.. let the men/women help build it (like the Amish folk) Second.. all the money that is collected put it towards good use.. like towards purchasing heeps of gloves and coats for the poor.. it is Alaska after all and it gets shivering cold

    Third. orphans and widows.. those closest to Gods heart.. sponsor kids, help women who lost their husband.. in this day and age the military wives..

    But if he wants to sit on his "throne" and blab mo' money.. don't let that money fund his mega mansion house, fancy car, hair plugs, designer suit, false teeth, goose pate, another wing on the building to hold more folk that can hear about how they need to give more money

    The end of my whacko church days came to a screaching hault wilst sitting in a service at Ozark Bible College.. convocation. The pastor blabbed about giving money and the people walked like zombies giving their first born to be beheaded.. those on stage were weaping and crying LAWD send more money.. people dig deep in your pockets. wail.. moan .. wahhh.. Jesus is truly in dis place!
    I looked at the bulletin I was given.. there was a verse that said something like.. Give to the Lord.. don't hold back (but in bible mumbo jumbo) .. and was referenced to Exodus

    Exodus doesnt have any "teachy" type verses.. just historical blab.. so I looked it up.. sure enough that verse didn't even match the reference.. if it were in the bible at all

    I was done... Jesus is still in my heart.. and I feel I am a stronger Christian than when I went 3 times a week.. but I have zero interest in ever attending a church again
    thanks whacko Jesus people

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous2:19 PM

    Off topic but--there's gonna be an Alaskan blogger doubleheader tonight on MSNBC. Shannyn Moore will be on Countdown tonight and Jeanne Devon aka AKM from The Mudflats will be on Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous3:36 PM

    Wear a stinky garlic necklace. Eat a ton of roasted garlic about a hour before.
    And yes a pot of beans the night before...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gasman, many moons ago, I took my daughter who was 7 at the time, to someting that was billed as a gospel music concert. I love gospel music, so thought I would be in for a treat.

    Turns out a group from one of your southern states, and it was scary. Jenny was pleading with me to leave. After seeing everyone speaking in tongues, my poor kid was terrified. On top of that, they held not one alter call, but 3. This was not they kind of alter call you would expect, but ones at which a basket was held out for money. The first time I gave some money....the second time I gave the money I had left in my purse. The third alter call, they waited for me to write a cheque. I am not stupid, but for some strange reason, I kept giving. It was weird...almost like I was afraid not to give.

    These are strange people.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous7:08 PM

    I was raised Methodist, which is pretty open and liberal denomination. I stopped going to church - after several years at trying to find a home there inspite of being agnostic - when they began asking for money to build a gym onto the church. IThis is an affluent church where most of the members probably have Alaska Club memberships.)

    They also wanted to raise money for an organ that could be programmed to play by itself. I left and never looked back.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Old Greasy Gopher Guts8:34 PM

    Right-Wing Conference Tells Activists To Get Their Guns Ready For ‘Bloody Battle’ With Obama The Nazi
    link

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous12:21 PM

    Agree with 12:52 PM

    ReplyDelete

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.