False Profits

If you can still make apologies for 

anyone who would try and save their reputation 

at the expense of Justice 

and thousands of young people's lives, 

you may want to rethink all the moral ground 

you imagine your religion gives to you.

***

"Validation, please!"

There's a push among religious sorts

(and as, always, the hyper-sensitive

'Christians' in particular) to label the

rest of us as callous and disrespectful

of their views.

Meaning, actually, that we don't play

along with them and pretend that reality

is something different than what it is.

We won't say how beautiful the emperor's

clothes are on his naked body.

That's not disrespect--

it's an intervention...

a reality check.

At some point, we tell children there

is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny (Shit, typically

they decipher it for themselves when they're

old enough to deduce and reason.)

If people think they're fictional

characters, they tend to get heavily

medicated or locked up. If people

propose ludicrous notions, they lose

credibility...yet Christians are given a

special compensation.

And yet we allow grown folks to parade

about in a fog instructing the rest of

us how to live and what's acceptable, to

impose their stricture onto our laws,

and to keep progress from occurring.

Even though they say it's dangerous

to awaken a sleepwalker, I say we have

to stop coddling these people. Delusions

are dangerous, and I'm tired of playing the

game with them.

***

What if 'holy water' were replaced with truth serum?

"I AM empowered by the mighty

and moral significance of

authority granted me by the

hand of....

MYSELF!

Bwah-ha-ha, silly bitches!

(And trust me--you don't want to know

where these hands are the rest

of the time!)

Tremble, bow, and weep before the

average, idiotic, flawed nature of

my base humanity and hatefulness!"

***

Sucks To Be You...If You're Anything Like Rebel Jesus

So many who stand idly by claiming (or allowing others
to claim for them) allegiance to a particular form of
organized religion are actually not practicing members.
Hell, they aren't even believers.


They simply go through the motions of feigning involvement,
or keeping involvement as superficial as possible, spitting
back the appropriate number of affirmative remarks,
making a convincing number of head bobs in mock agreement.
Enthusiasm on cue.


Because they know how the True Believers and head cases
are with abusiveness (and casting out from the inner circle)
anyone who is even assumed to not be a 'team player.'


You must be a robotic supporter, never wavering or going
against a particular community's (which means a few mouthy
pricks') views on what they think God's law should say, according
to them. (Or lie about it, to get what they want!)


Not only do these nosy heifers stay up in your personal
business, gossip mercilessly, and intimidate and terrorize better
than Al Qaeda could ever hope to, but they have shaming and
ostracization down to a science.


Retaliation for perceived betrayal (nonconformity, or committing
one of the church-approved 'unthinkable sins--you know, the
ones the rest of the congregation were able to keep covered up)
can be mild, subtle, or innocuous-seeming in many circles.
After all, especially in small towns, directness and honesty
aren't a big part of church life.


But in many cases, being socially cast off and disparaged
can be so relentless, so brutal, that people's lives are ruined.
The gap between what 'spiritual' people purport to do and what
they actually do is an ever-widening gap that many have fallen
through the crack of.


A rebel's disregard for any portion of church activity or doctrine
(like, say, last Sunday, Father's Day's unprecedented nationally
coordinated second 'plate passing' to gather financial support
to crush gay marriage initiatives) is grounds for alienation within
the church. But, those churches less desirous of drama or conflict
can simply give the cold shoulder until the 'trouble-maker' gets
the picture and 'chooses' to take their unwelcome ass elsewhere.


Questioning teachings, addressing incorrect behavior, and
simply 'making noise' while the crazies are doing their thing
and riding high on their power are all grounds for alienation,
dismissal, abuse, harassment, or worse in more extreme
circles. And religion is nothing if not a breeding ground for
extremism.


So, people say they believe, or act the part to avoid being
the object of conflict or neglect, finding it easier to fly under
the radar and let others be the focus of rage and control
and insanity that every church harbors in their indoctrination
or condemnation fest (or smear campaigns.) Many would rather
live a lie and keep family and friends happy than deal with
their wrath.


After seeing first hand how self-professed 'godly' people act
(and the examples from Phelps, NOM, AFA, and all the
rest get more and more outrageous every day on the news,)
there is no denying that these folks are unbalanced and dealing
with serious mental health issues.

Perhaps, when someone becomes 'born again,' they really
just revert back to ridiculously helpless babies with no clue
how to engage the world.


The evidence seems to support that theory.


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In Their Own Words

A powerfully frightening indictment on the indoctrination process used
on children in the evangelical movement.

Especially well done, particularly as the film-makers were far more
balanced in their approach than I could have been, and the effect is
that their loony B.S. comes across clearly without anyone confronting
or condemning them.

You'll see a lot of Bachmann-esque "crazed deer in the headlights" looks
and Romney-esque insolent-eyes mirrored in these lovelies.

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