"I used ta get the people jumpin’ an’ talkin’ in tongues and glory-shoutin’ till they just fell down an’ passed out. An’ some I’d baptize to bring ’em to. An’ then – you know what I’d do? I’d take one of them girls out in the grass, an’ I’d lay with her. Done it ever’ time. Then I’d feel bad, an’ I’d pray an’ pray, but it didn’t do no good. Come the next time, them an’ me was full of the sperit, I’d do it again."
– John Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath 1939
This was fiction, obviously, but not exactly made up, if you know what I mean. Been going on for centuries before that too.
Oh, gee, there's something new ... isn't it? [facepalm!]
No, I haven't watched Hemant's video yet, but if there is a common theme among stories regarding churches and preachers gone rogue, there it is, and it continues to astonish me that people out there continue to think that the whole concept of religions and churches aren't just valid but necessary to our culture.
Because too much evidence says something entirely different.
People have scandals about whatever they don’t get in the normal course of events. That’s why conservatives have sex scandals and liberals have money scandals. Bill Clinton is a centrist so he has both sex and money scandals.
The allegations of misconduct must be bad, since it is not just sexual misconduct being reported. I mean, we rarely hear a church being brought down by some clergy member diddling the women and children until we hear there’s been some money gone missing. Or rather, we don’t hear about any repercussions for a church until money goes missing. Sexual misconduct is the baseline for church, isn’t it?
Why am I not surprised? Probably because the church has been covering up their abuse for millenia. Only the indoctrinated sheep will be surprised, and even there some of them will not be.
Heard about this. He used social media to glean information about his congregants so he could "speak for God" and reveal details about their lives "miraculously".
Now, unlike a lot of Christian folk, I've read the prophets. They aren't mystics. They're mostly gadflies. And while they do make some predictions, their predictions are almost entirely of the "These nations are being assholes and God is going to punish them for it" variety. And that is because the message to their own people was "You're being punished for being assholes" and "if you jerks would take care of the poor, the widows, and show hospitality to immigrants and be more just in our actions, then God wouldn't be punishing us."
Consequently, that's the other reason I know that modern day "prophets" are full of shit. They, almost always, reject the need for social justice and embracing immigrants and refugees.
The scandal at Bethel Church? The very thought gives me the vapors! Say it ain’t so!
“ …affiliated Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry are taught about “faith healing,” raising the dead…” Holy St. Harry Potter!!!!! raising the dead! you don’t say! Ya don’t say!
But how can that be when there are “skeletons in the closets”!?!?!?!. if they were any good at all in any sense of the word, there wouldn’t be any skeletons in the closets, in any senses of the words.
And irony above all irony, nailed by a conservative theologian who is known as a WINGER!!!!!
Perhaps I’ll even watch the expose, but I’m busy and it’s very early and I just had my 1st cup of coffee amd we have stuff to do.
Further Thought: How is it that anyone falls for this whole "Your name is THIS and you live THERE," et cetera in the age of the internet, when so much personal data is available online and privacy is almost an obsolete concept?
This reflects a level of naivete on the part of the congregants which is beyond belief ... nearly.
If you can believe that the infinite creator of the entire infinite universe had a son, and that by believing in the son, whatever that means, you get extra special rewards…
And that infinite creator of the entire universe contrived to have his son KILLED so that all of humanity could be saved from the booboo that that infinite creator made...
Whew. Time to break out the wading boots, 'cuz it's getting DEEP in here!
Promise mentions early on how the congregation (and she was one of them) thought it a miracle when 'gold dust' fell on them during a service.
So if you're incredulous enough to fall for the trick of someone dropping glitter from the rafters, the mentalism trick of hot reading must seem pretty amazing.
Yeah, it's so weird. I'm not even sure how someone gets to that sort of mental state. Like if I were at church with my relatives and glitter fell on us, my first thought would be something along the lines of "oh cool, the church is using glitter. Wonder who decided on that add." It would never occur to me to think of it as anything other than a planned human action.
This is a group that doesn’t value independent thought or critical thinking; they have been “taught” from birth to accept anything that they are told by anyone in a position of authority such as the clergy!
I call ICE, the goddamm fucking, brain dead, inbred, jesus fucking a dead donkey’s ass NAZIS scumbags! Does that mean I calling ICE mean names! My answer is FUCKING RIGHT I CALLING THE FUCKERS NAMES, DON’T LIKE, WELL SUCK IT UP GODDAMM FUCKERS!😠
Excellent video. What a sorry story, had a face-palm at the Bolz prophesies actually coming from his searches of Facebook pages, so he got names and details of sheeple who'd be present at his preaching. One time he said 'A Mary Smith is present,' and she says 'yes.' Then he says, 'You live at xxx address.' She says not - he's looked up the wrong Mary Smith!!!! Oopsie!
I'm back. I managed 20 minutes before I really had to go. The guy was always larger-than-life – Christ I drank with him in the pub after work for any number of years to take the edge of the stress, and he was excellent company. And now he looks like death warmed up. I felt like a reporter from one of those English tabloids investigating prostitution – "I made an excuse and left." Had to take a moment or two outside the room to compose myself.
But what can you do? Went in told a few jokes tried to listen to what he said but he couldn't speak above a whisper and hospitals are so fucking noisy. Didn't help that whenever I said something a guy in the next bed would chime in with a comment from behind his curtain. Funny though. I guess he doesn't get many visitors.
Anyway two nurses came into give him a wash and I left. Feeling a bit low now, but I guess it comes to all of us.
It amazes me how Billie Joe never seems to age. Mike Dirnt (the writer of this song) also looks about the same. Tre Cool got kinda chunky, tho (It's that rock and roll lifestyle). :)
"I used ta get the people jumpin’ an’ talkin’ in tongues and glory-shoutin’ till they just fell down an’ passed out. An’ some I’d baptize to bring ’em to. An’ then – you know what I’d do? I’d take one of them girls out in the grass, an’ I’d lay with her. Done it ever’ time. Then I’d feel bad, an’ I’d pray an’ pray, but it didn’t do no good. Come the next time, them an’ me was full of the sperit, I’d do it again."
– John Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath 1939
This was fiction, obviously, but not exactly made up, if you know what I mean. Been going on for centuries before that too.
It’s been decades since I read any Steinbeck at all. I do not remember that scene. Thank you.
Yeah thanks, good to know the fight continues about the same nonsense.
My friend in the Navy said the same process, was common amongst those looking for action.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑥𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡.
Oh, gee, there's something new ... isn't it? [facepalm!]
No, I haven't watched Hemant's video yet, but if there is a common theme among stories regarding churches and preachers gone rogue, there it is, and it continues to astonish me that people out there continue to think that the whole concept of religions and churches aren't just valid but necessary to our culture.
Because too much evidence says something entirely different.
I've been saying it for years: Religion (and xtianity in particular) is inherently broken.
Their usuall 'get out of jail free card' is to claim the rogue preacher wasn't a TRUE Christian.
Or worse "jesus forgave him!"
A joke from the 1990s.
People have scandals about whatever they don’t get in the normal course of events. That’s why conservatives have sex scandals and liberals have money scandals. Bill Clinton is a centrist so he has both sex and money scandals.
> "Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry"
Somebody has been reading Harry Potter.
This is not fair at all. 20 minutes ahead of my posting you posted it. That’s supernatural plagiarism. You’re going to be hearing from my lawyer!!!!
Has Saint Oscar Levant says, imitation is the sincerest form of plagiarism.
𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤. 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑆𝑇𝐸𝐴𝐿.
-- Igor Stravinsky
youtu.be/qU_j5cQ2sfQ
Bojemoi! Spasebo, tovarish!
One of my faves of his.
My bike ride got cancelled this morning due to weather so I got to F.A. earlier than usual.
Xtians condemn HP but sure don't mind ripping off its concepts.
Hit Points?
Xtians. Every ready to violate the commandments about stealing and coveting the things of others.
Well, you can't expect such literalists to be creative thinkers!
Sounds like Dogfarts Skool Of Weirdery And Twitcraft.
Bing that for NSFW results. 🙃
I thought it was a snarky take on the real name, so I was stunned and highly amused when Promise stated exactly that name.
The allegations of misconduct must be bad, since it is not just sexual misconduct being reported. I mean, we rarely hear a church being brought down by some clergy member diddling the women and children until we hear there’s been some money gone missing. Or rather, we don’t hear about any repercussions for a church until money goes missing. Sexual misconduct is the baseline for church, isn’t it?
This is more terrible for them than sexual misconduct because revealing how they do their 'prophecy cons' could impact many preachers' income streams.
It's basically an entire network of Peter Popoffs, and Winger just did a James Randi on them.
Another xtian scandal involving corruption and abuse?
And it's only Monday.
A scandal a day since 01/01/0001.
It could be one of those boxed day-by-day calendars
You know, that’s a marketable idea.
Right this not new. It is as old as the bible.
"There are also allegations of sexual misconduct. " there are almost always allegations of sexual misconduct.
Important to keep exposing this religious deceit. They continue to victimize people sexually, financially, emotionally and psychologically.
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒’𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐵𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑘𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑜𝑙𝑧 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑤𝑎𝑦.
Why am I not surprised? Probably because the church has been covering up their abuse for millenia. Only the indoctrinated sheep will be surprised, and even there some of them will not be.
Once again, we see a church circling the wagons to protect the institution and the victims be damned.
A little repentance and some biblical counseling will clear that right up.
In the back room, behind the sacristy, after everyone has gone, of course.
Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, Aluminum Siding, Screen Door, and Tractor Repair INC.
With a running poker game in the back room.
They're Fosterites?
Careful. Reverend Digby sits in, usually after Sunday services!
Not since Mike visited. 😉
Yeah ... rather odd, wasn't that? Anyone know where he went? 🤔
😇🤫
Video poker, got to keep up with the times, ya know.
They have an excellent tire retreading program. Nearly everyone in it gets placed in a job right away.
And Unfinished Furniture.
And Bait Shop.
Heard about this. He used social media to glean information about his congregants so he could "speak for God" and reveal details about their lives "miraculously".
Now, unlike a lot of Christian folk, I've read the prophets. They aren't mystics. They're mostly gadflies. And while they do make some predictions, their predictions are almost entirely of the "These nations are being assholes and God is going to punish them for it" variety. And that is because the message to their own people was "You're being punished for being assholes" and "if you jerks would take care of the poor, the widows, and show hospitality to immigrants and be more just in our actions, then God wouldn't be punishing us."
Consequently, that's the other reason I know that modern day "prophets" are full of shit. They, almost always, reject the need for social justice and embracing immigrants and refugees.
Yep, the biblical prophets were making predictions for the immediate future, not for thousands of years later. Today, they are "profits."
The scandal at Bethel Church? The very thought gives me the vapors! Say it ain’t so!
“ …affiliated Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry are taught about “faith healing,” raising the dead…” Holy St. Harry Potter!!!!! raising the dead! you don’t say! Ya don’t say!
But how can that be when there are “skeletons in the closets”!?!?!?!. if they were any good at all in any sense of the word, there wouldn’t be any skeletons in the closets, in any senses of the words.
And irony above all irony, nailed by a conservative theologian who is known as a WINGER!!!!!
Perhaps I’ll even watch the expose, but I’m busy and it’s very early and I just had my 1st cup of coffee amd we have stuff to do.
I too have had one coffee and have stuff to do. The snow plow came by and put a fuckton of snow into my previously cleared driveway.
Further Thought: How is it that anyone falls for this whole "Your name is THIS and you live THERE," et cetera in the age of the internet, when so much personal data is available online and privacy is almost an obsolete concept?
This reflects a level of naivete on the part of the congregants which is beyond belief ... nearly.
If you can believe that the infinite creator of the entire infinite universe had a son, and that by believing in the son, whatever that means, you get extra special rewards…
by golly you can believe this too!
And that infinite creator of the entire universe contrived to have his son KILLED so that all of humanity could be saved from the booboo that that infinite creator made...
Whew. Time to break out the wading boots, 'cuz it's getting DEEP in here!
It’s only ankle deep — provided you dive in head first.
Thanks, but I'll pass. The local community pool works well enough!
The bullshit is so deep that it has tides. That is a lot of bullshit!
Promise mentions early on how the congregation (and she was one of them) thought it a miracle when 'gold dust' fell on them during a service.
So if you're incredulous enough to fall for the trick of someone dropping glitter from the rafters, the mentalism trick of hot reading must seem pretty amazing.
That kind of utter, unquestioning credulity is freaking SCARY.
Yeah, it's so weird. I'm not even sure how someone gets to that sort of mental state. Like if I were at church with my relatives and glitter fell on us, my first thought would be something along the lines of "oh cool, the church is using glitter. Wonder who decided on that add." It would never occur to me to think of it as anything other than a planned human action.
Glitter is a tool of Satan.
This is a group that doesn’t value independent thought or critical thinking; they have been “taught” from birth to accept anything that they are told by anyone in a position of authority such as the clergy!
Another xtian scandal and the xtian response:
"We are sorry (that we were exposed as frauds and charlatans) and we know jesus forgives. Amen.
Now look over there, drag queens are reading to children."
Sen. Warren
https://scontent-ord5-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/619341799_1443454643815696_296573750462971358_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=pOZnARk0ln4Q7kNvwG6_Vrc&_nc_oc=Adn5u-3n1NFvGspIXFwRzZoBtkv_BuNnx7D38HoTX9ICqMb_Diyl_ZjOKgzwWZWrTws&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-3.xx&_nc_gid=YNGeaZ2OyzSI8OeoauUJ7g&oh=00_AfoT9HRVK7gQBns3tNZJw0x8qUJc_1V2-3pjz-47_AZsCA&oe=697DA324
Say NO to Trump's Gestapo.
I call ICE, the goddamm fucking, brain dead, inbred, jesus fucking a dead donkey’s ass NAZIS scumbags! Does that mean I calling ICE mean names! My answer is FUCKING RIGHT I CALLING THE FUCKERS NAMES, DON’T LIKE, WELL SUCK IT UP GODDAMM FUCKERS!😠
Excellent video. What a sorry story, had a face-palm at the Bolz prophesies actually coming from his searches of Facebook pages, so he got names and details of sheeple who'd be present at his preaching. One time he said 'A Mary Smith is present,' and she says 'yes.' Then he says, 'You live at xxx address.' She says not - he's looked up the wrong Mary Smith!!!! Oopsie!
I'm back. I managed 20 minutes before I really had to go. The guy was always larger-than-life – Christ I drank with him in the pub after work for any number of years to take the edge of the stress, and he was excellent company. And now he looks like death warmed up. I felt like a reporter from one of those English tabloids investigating prostitution – "I made an excuse and left." Had to take a moment or two outside the room to compose myself.
But what can you do? Went in told a few jokes tried to listen to what he said but he couldn't speak above a whisper and hospitals are so fucking noisy. Didn't help that whenever I said something a guy in the next bed would chime in with a comment from behind his curtain. Funny though. I guess he doesn't get many visitors.
Anyway two nurses came into give him a wash and I left. Feeling a bit low now, but I guess it comes to all of us.
Your being there may have meant a LOT to him. Class move, guy.
Are you still interested in finding a song celebrating the day Trumpasaurus Wreck's alleged heart stops beating? Here's one that might fit
youtu.be/55btGpGsuDo
Ah Green Day – it wasn't so long ago that I found out they were middle-aged now. Love them.
It amazes me how Billie Joe never seems to age. Mike Dirnt (the writer of this song) also looks about the same. Tre Cool got kinda chunky, tho (It's that rock and roll lifestyle). :)