Baptist preachers go wild!

(Do not, repeat do not, have a mouthful of coffee while watching this video.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Baptist pastors ranted, whooped, and stormed across the pulpit before a cheering crowd last week at a teen camp meeting. 

The event took place April 11 at Middle Tennessee Baptist Church, where the fired-up pastors bellowed gibberish and ran into the crowd, where they slapped hands with the congregation. 

Others chanted like auctioneers, danced jigs, or strutted around in exaggerated fashion, swinging their jackets over their heads.

WTF? 

Okay I admit it, I simply will never understand religion.

Not gonna happen.

Man who was a minister for over 30 years come out as an Atheist. Wait, you can do that?

Courtesy of the Friendly Atheist:  

Rev. Bob Ripley was a minister for more than three decades, including 15 years spent as Senior Minister at Metropolitan United Church, a major Canadian congregation. He also wrote a syndicated column discussing religion for the past 25 years. His most recent column, however, may raise a lot of eyebrows, because Ripley talks about how he no longer believes in God:… I need to tell you that I’ve changed my mind. Where once I proclaimed the doctrines of Christianity with passion and sincerity, I am now convinced that religion, all religion, is man-made. As with the long line of deities dotting the history of our species, the idea of one God, Yahweh, made manifest in Jesus of Nazareth, is our means to an end — to explain how we got here, for instance, or to avoid looking fate in the face or to gain an edge over our enemies. 

… 

If all this makes you sad, I’m sorry. Please remember that I have not changed. The heart that was once surrendered to Jesus Christ, that gave itself to others and infused a vocation with kindness, still beats in me. If you have ever met me, know that the person I was then, I am now, still striving for integrity and capable of profound love. 

I’m not lost. I began this journey by asking questions. It continued by not being content with trite cliches or lazy affirmations. Curiosity is an amazing accelerant. I am a passionate advocate for unremitting intellectual honesty, for reason and reality, for love and learning. My advocacy simply no longer assumes a deity. 

I still believe. I believe no person or group of persons is inferior to any other. I believe that what matters is not so much what we believe, but how we conduct ourselves for these few short, fragile years of being alive. I believe that being aware of the beauty and wonder of the universe, including this pale blue dot in the remote corner of one of billions of galaxies, is an indescribably wonderful privilege.

You know I have believed for quite some time that there are a number of ministers who no longer believe, but simply cannot bring themselves to walk away from the only life they have ever known.

I also think that in reality there are more non-believers in the world than believers. They simply hide that fact in deference to family, or career, or social position, instead living in constant fear of ever letting on to others their lack of faith.

In some ways these people are in a similar place to closeted homosexuals. Forever forced to deny their true selves in a desperate attempt to fit in with those around them.

Hopefully soon we will witness the same acceptance for the non-religious community that we are now beginning to witness among the LGBT community.

I know that's my goal.

Evangelical Christian preaches that there are no Christian liars, fornicators, homosexuals, or thieves. Gee, who does that leave?

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

The outspoken evangelical Christian uploaded video of himself preaching to attendees of a Pearl Jam concert in Charlotte, North Carolina last week. 

“If you claim to be a Christian, you better check your life,” he shouted. “There is no such thing as a Christian liar, there is no such thing as a Christian thief, there is no such thing as a Christian fornicator, there is no such thing as a Christian pro-choicer, there is no such thing as a Christian homosexual.” 

“There is no such thing as a Christian gossipy-mouthed woman,” he continued, as a woman confronted him. “There is no such thing as a Christian foul-mouthed, immodestly dressed woman.” 

“Come on over, we are offering free judgment,” Fisher added as the woman stormed off.

Uh hang on just a minute.

There are NO fornicators, liars, or thieves who can call themselves "Christians?"

Has anybody told this lady yet?

"Don't care, still writing the book."

Barry Goldwater tried to warn us, but did we listen?

It is too bad for the Republican party, and for Americans in general, that Goldwater's words were not heeded.

Here is another quote from Goldwater that I find myself in fervent areement with:

On religious issues there can be little or no compromise. There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in "A," "B," "C" and "D." Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?

You know I think that Jon Huntsman is the only Republican among the current crop of candidates who I believe Goldwater would have been able to stomach.  In my opinion we need many more like him these days. 

If you wake up on August sixth wondering where all of the batshit crazy Christian ministers have gone, they will be with Rick Perry in Texas.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Wow!  I don't think there are nearly enough mental health facilities in the country to contain all of THAT crazy!