I occasionally look in on what I like to call my local AMEN channel. You may know what I mean - the local "mom-n-pop" TV station that shows all GAWD all the time. I usually see some form of insanity being acted out by people who ought to know better (meaning people over the age of six). It's like having a tent revival in my home whenever I tune to that station. The list of offensive, stupid, irritating things I see there are nearly endless.
For instance, there was the ancient missionary who had been in Bulgaria recently. He made a point of reminding people that it had recently been an atheist country. Then he told the audience that he had met a woman with four fingers missing on one hand (I wondered at that point if he was going to link this problem with atheism, but he didn't). He said he took her hand and prayed that the fingers would grow back; the next morning - SHAZAM! - the woman's fingers had grown back! The audience nodded their heads, applauded, and I saw some mouthing the words "Praise GAWD!" This claim was made on a christian talk show. The hosts' only comment was "I can't understand why there are any non-christians when miracles like this are happening all around!" No request for photos. No mention that maybe there would be a letter from the woman. I wanted to throw up!
Then, there are the "Miracle Healing" shows. Some idiot like Benny Hinn gets on a stage in a huge theater and raves about how GAWD can make your life soooooo much better - if only you would be so kind as to drop some money in our collection buckets. Then they get some person to come on stage and act sick. The preacher taps them on the head - PRESTO! - the "victim" can walk/talk/see/hear or whatever they couldn't do when brought on the stage. I particularly liked the exorcism I saw where this poor possessed person got laid on the stage, drooling and twitching. Good ole Benny gave the traditional "I command you to leave that young man!" bit. They picked the wretch up off the stage and asked him how he felt. "A little numb, but OK otherwise!"
I've seen worse, but why list everything?
Then, there's the preaching. If you have GAWD! you'll always have a friend to make life better. People nod and say "AMEN!" If you're an atheist, you won't have any way to get through life. Things will go wrong, and GAWD! won't be there to help pick up the pieces of your shattered life! (My atheist parents are 81 and 80 years old, and they have YET to have a shattering experience that required GAWD to help them!) And these idiots in the audience (most of them have never known an atheist, by and large) shake their heads over the sad lot of the atheists who have been blinded to the glory of GAWD!
They're a strange bunch. They get so worked up over what they call "the TRUTH!" and when asked to explain themselves, they have no idea how to converse intelligently about it. "I just KNOW," is all you get. (by the way, have you ever noticed how these people are great ones for verbal capitalization?) They have no idea what it means to know something, but they bloody well know what they know. You might as well go and talk about quantum physics with a piece of moss.
amen.
For instance, there was the ancient missionary who had been in Bulgaria recently. He made a point of reminding people that it had recently been an atheist country. Then he told the audience that he had met a woman with four fingers missing on one hand (I wondered at that point if he was going to link this problem with atheism, but he didn't). He said he took her hand and prayed that the fingers would grow back; the next morning - SHAZAM! - the woman's fingers had grown back! The audience nodded their heads, applauded, and I saw some mouthing the words "Praise GAWD!" This claim was made on a christian talk show. The hosts' only comment was "I can't understand why there are any non-christians when miracles like this are happening all around!" No request for photos. No mention that maybe there would be a letter from the woman. I wanted to throw up!
Then, there are the "Miracle Healing" shows. Some idiot like Benny Hinn gets on a stage in a huge theater and raves about how GAWD can make your life soooooo much better - if only you would be so kind as to drop some money in our collection buckets. Then they get some person to come on stage and act sick. The preacher taps them on the head - PRESTO! - the "victim" can walk/talk/see/hear or whatever they couldn't do when brought on the stage. I particularly liked the exorcism I saw where this poor possessed person got laid on the stage, drooling and twitching. Good ole Benny gave the traditional "I command you to leave that young man!" bit. They picked the wretch up off the stage and asked him how he felt. "A little numb, but OK otherwise!"
I've seen worse, but why list everything?
Then, there's the preaching. If you have GAWD! you'll always have a friend to make life better. People nod and say "AMEN!" If you're an atheist, you won't have any way to get through life. Things will go wrong, and GAWD! won't be there to help pick up the pieces of your shattered life! (My atheist parents are 81 and 80 years old, and they have YET to have a shattering experience that required GAWD to help them!) And these idiots in the audience (most of them have never known an atheist, by and large) shake their heads over the sad lot of the atheists who have been blinded to the glory of GAWD!
They're a strange bunch. They get so worked up over what they call "the TRUTH!" and when asked to explain themselves, they have no idea how to converse intelligently about it. "I just KNOW," is all you get. (by the way, have you ever noticed how these people are great ones for verbal capitalization?) They have no idea what it means to know something, but they bloody well know what they know. You might as well go and talk about quantum physics with a piece of moss.
amen.