849 Comments
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Greg Aydt's avatar

And the irony being the Christianity exists because a teenage girl got knocked up outside of marriage.

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Patris's avatar

100%

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JerryBier's avatar

Yes, without any evidence. It most likely never happened.

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Greg Aydt's avatar

Merely presenting their own claims.

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Matri's avatar

Y’know, it’s far more likely that she was “visited” by Zeus…

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Pam Smith's avatar

Probably the second Immaculate Conception.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

Come one, guys. I grew up in a fundy evangelical church. I saw something very similar to this in my own church. It was scary.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

But the narrative still serves the patriarchal MAGAts.

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Barbelo's avatar

No evidence human rights exist either. You are just made of dead atoms with no value.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

But Joseph, her betrothed, who did not want to "make of her a public example, but was minded to put her away privately" is supposed to make him a hero/champion.

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Name: lenora good, Guest's avatar

I seriously doubt the pastor or his sheep would recognize that.

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Len's avatar

And the other party (god or boyfriend) doesn’t show up to help her out.

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Rose's avatar

Also ironic that the One this church professes to follow, left a clear example of just what to do with religious authorities like this - “let he who is sinless cast the first stone”.

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Barbelo's avatar

Ummm... Mary was married according to the story.

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Len's avatar

Betrothed. “engaged to be married” (Merriam Webster)

Not quite the same.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

That was what I thought...but it's been so long since I was around any Christians I wasn't quite sure.

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Carly Camacho's avatar

Yeah….they don’t want us to remember that particular “event?”💔🧐😤

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Debora Foor's avatar

Not a single word from anybody about the father of this child. Why isn't he being shamed would be the question I would ask the pastor.

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John Smith's avatar

Because in all the Abrahamic religions, it is always the female fault for everything. It is bad enough to be a single parent, but to shame this woman and deny her any support system, well remember religion loves to be a cruel and mean as possible towards anyone who doesn’t walk in lockstep with their religious DOGMA. Screw the fucking church and god/jeezyboy too.

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oraxx's avatar

She must have endured a life time of brainwashing to think she needs to remain in this horrible church.

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Name: lenora good, Guest's avatar

a book y'all might want to read is Women v. Religion, The Case Against Faith--and for Freedom, ed. by Karen L. Garst, PhD. It is very difficult for a woman to go against her 'church' -- they supply her friends, her family, her social life. For a woman to leave the church often means she must leave her family, be shunned by church people, have no support system outside of church, no knowledge of how to survive, literally, without them. It isn't just difficult, it is frightening. She may not know where to go for social services, help, support, a job, an apartment, etc. That is a lonely hard to bear without some sort of (non-religious) support.

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Layla Rose's avatar

As someone who grew up going to churches like that (apostolic/pentecostal/non-denom - all the same batch of craziness) they strongly discourage any outside "worldly" stuff at all. You are "encouraged" to find solace in Christ (i.e. no therapy) find strength in the community (church member to church member) and not to associate with sinners (i.e. anyone not in your crazy cult-like organization). Though my mom was a little more permissive w/other one-God religion types.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

That's a given.

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Becky's avatar

Not true. Deuteronomy often sites punishments for both sexes. Sadly, the hard hearted men at times, only apply the punishments to women.

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Debora Foor's avatar

I am an atheist. Religion and its practices are the root of all evil in our world. I loved the two artists singing "Imagine" by John Lennon, which was Jimmy Carter's avowed favorite song. Interesting.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

I was at a diner when I saw the news coverage of his funeral. The sound was off and there were no captions, but when the camera switched from a close-up of the flag-draped casket to a long shot from the back of the church, I suddenly felt as if all the light had gone out of the world. I wanted to cry for hours afterward.

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RegularJoe's avatar

I saw where the reich-wingers are bigly mad because of that song's inclusion in the ceremony. Apparently it's anti-Jesus or some such nonsense.

https://ground.news/article/social-media-erupts-over-funeral-rendition-of-jimmy-carters-reported-favorite-song-imagine

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Layla Rose's avatar

People like that don't really understand what the song means. They don't even really want to. A lot of stuff Jesus actually preached in their so-called "Good Book".

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Barbelo's avatar

It is cringe song because clearly atheist communist countries were not paradises.

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RegularJoe's avatar

Gosh, you're really trying, sweetie.....

..... enjoy a lovely piece of fudge. 🟫

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XJC's avatar

“The most important thing in my life is Jesus Christ."

--Jimmy Carter

How Jimmy Carter helped the religious right’s rise to power Devoutness wasn't always an important feature in a presidential candidate. That all changed after Carter professed his “born again” Christianity.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/jimmy-carter-religion-christian-far-right-rise-rcna186047

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Barbelo's avatar

Atheist marxism killed way more than any religion, tho.

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John Smith's avatar

Really, the killing of Hypatia and the burning of library of Alexandria by Christian’s, the expulsion of the jews from Spain, the crusades were religious wars, the inquisition was religious based, the various purges of jews by mobs of Christian’s, the thirty years war (Christians vs Christians), and the Holocaust all committed by Christians.

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RegularJoe's avatar

We're serving fudge to the fückwïttëd today......

..... here's your piece of fudge. 🟫

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Kim: Seeking Truth's avatar

Proof? Data? For that statement.

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Joe King's avatar

There is a nnonzero chance that the pastor IS the father of the child. Can't be shaming the c̶u̶l̶t̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶d̶e̶r̶ pastor.

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John Smith's avatar

The chances are pretty high that the pastor is the father. It wouldn’t surprise me!

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Karen F's avatar

Was thinking the same thing! Or a member of her family!

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Lynn Veit's avatar

That would certainly explain his hostility. Hatefully distancing himself from her so the "stain" won't rub off on him.

And thundering for the congregation's women, especially, to shun her and not offer her any material or emotional support makes it much less likely she will find anyone to confide in, and even if she did, the person might believe anyone who has been demonized in this fashion.

Isolation and Othering.

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Stephen Brady's avatar

Besides the disease transmission problems, unprotected sex leads to unwanted pregnancies, yet, you are right. They never castigate the man. Even in the bible, the story of the woman caught in adultery, the man is not present and never mentioned. This is all about turning women into chattel. It is a sick cult - one out of so many.

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Maxwell Roberts's avatar

I want to jump off your comment to talk about something that bothers me, why is it that the word sex is almost exclusively interpreted as heterosexual vaginal sex? Is it for contextual convenience or do people forget that that you can get your rocks off in a non reproductive way? I’m curious on what others think about it. Coming from an asexual perspective why do people even attempt procreative sex if they’re not looking to conceive with the risks involved, especially without contraception. My biases lead to me believe it’s kinda all stupid in the first place, mainly because intimacy isn’t something I want to participate in and I haven’t felt an authentic physical or romantic attraction to anyone. But that’s skewed to my personal perception and prejudices that I want to work through, don’t take it as truth. You’re under no obligation to respond to this.

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D Kitterman's avatar

As much as humans tut tut the idea, humans are indeed animals, and we behave like animals, including the hormonally driven urge for sex for both male and female. Also, as animals, humans are territorial and prone to violence, but lack much in the way of instincts. We are born with zero capacity to survive and must be carefully nurtured and learn absolutely every single basic thing. So the thought of contraception is often lost in the heat of sexual activity. Human males are often the aggressors, yet are generally excused when unwed females become pregnant. It's called patriarchy, where women are diminished and considered little more than penis receptacles and breeding machines.

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Pamela Cass's avatar

Did you ever go thru public school sex ed? My school system introduced it in 8th grade, then added info to 11th grade classes. By then it was still way too late. 8th graders were horrified; teachers were blushing beet red, and girls were still getting pregnant by 11th grade. And our parents had to sign permission slips for all this.

Now imagine the non-public schools: I'm thinking they avoided the topic like the plague, and still their kids got pregnant or got transmittable diseases. Anybody learn anything? Buehler? Buehler?

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

It feels good. It is better than masturbating at home, alone.

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E McCain's avatar

I wish I could give your comment multiple hearts. Religion is so much about shaming women in particular.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

The father is smart enough not to go to this church.

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Barbelo's avatar

He is probably in jail. Not so smart.

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RegularJoe's avatar

Here's a piece of fudge for your Kleagle. 🟫

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Psittacus Ebrius's avatar

This poor young woman will probably be coerced into marrying a man she doesn't love, all with the blessings of this church. I shudder to think of the possibilities of an abusive relationship. If it should happen, this young woman will again appear before the enlightened congregation apologizing that it was all her fault.

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Pamela Cass's avatar

Maybe the young man (or even an older man) didn't grow up in this particular church?🤔 Or, is related to one of the deacons/trustees?🤔 Or, God forbid, the pastor himself in his misguided belief that only he can judge behaviors, and not God?🤔

Who cast the first stone?🤔

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Lynn Veit's avatar

If the pastor is indeed the father, he should be strung up by his balls. Especially because of his hateful remarks following the young lady's apology.

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Sheri's avatar

It’s probably the pastor…

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areader's avatar

Is the father the Pastor?

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Barbelo's avatar

Women can use a thousand forms of birth control and they can abort and put the baby to adoption... they still choose terrible men. So yes, women are at a greater fault.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

"Women can use a thousand forms of birth control . . ."

List them. All of them.

". . . and they can abort . . ."

Not anymore in a lot of states.

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RegularJoe's avatar

We're serving fudge to the fückwïttëd today......

..... here's another piece of fudge. 🟫

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

That unwed mother should have stood there, stared at the pastor, and said, "I'm still a virgin. The child's father is the Lord Our God. This is the Second Coming."

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areader's avatar

Is the Pastor the father?

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

He might be.

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JerryBier's avatar

That’s a good one… lol

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

“Gonna have no private baby shower. Can’t have no baby shower. You lose all the prize and glory.”

Prize and glory? A baby shower is about the attention and gifts!?! They can be that way I guess, but the point of them is to provide for the baby. To help new parents ensure they have what they need for the baby’s first year or so, to give advice, pass on facts, and a little bit of lifting the new mom’s/parent’s spirits. But this guy acts as though it is a reward for the mom for getting knocked up, not a way for the support group to provide for the baby.

And fuck him for treating her this way. How Christian of him.

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Layla Osman Graham's avatar

Agreed.

The fact that he doesn’t understand what actually happens at a baby shower is another indication that this pastor knows nothing about women, girls, or their lives and spaces.

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Matri's avatar

In other words, pretty normal for him.

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Bagat's avatar

Such is the bastardized jesus of the bible. Love does not fill the coffers. Hatred and strife are better at drawing money.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

Somebody needs to fucking punch his lights out for that.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Thank you! What an ignorant dick.

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Pamela Cass's avatar

UN-Christian...but then, I don't remember meeting any truly Christian people in the last 20 or so years...but I would be a poor detective, having missed a lot of clues on even Colombo and on that show you knew who did the crime first thing! 😉

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Monica Francisco-DeKam's avatar

Exactly. How is she supposed to afford everything she needs? What a horrible pastor shaming her like that. Said nothing about the father. They just want to be able to punish & blame women while offering no help.

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Rain Robinson's avatar

Religious congregations like this are why people are leaving churches in droves. Sanctimonious woman shaming while the father in question - they do know pregnancy takes two to tango? - skates, is pure patriarchal, misogynistic hypocrisy.

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larry parker's avatar

"takes two to tango" - 99.999999999% of the time. ; )

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

When tango developed in Buenos Aires in the 1800s, it was a dance between men. So you might want to rethink your idea about people getting pregnant because they are tangoing.

Just saying..

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Rain Robinson's avatar

I was using an idiom about two people being involved in a situation, and both are responsible for it. Thank you for the history lesson about the dance, very informative.

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

You do know that I was teasing you, right?

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Rain Robinson's avatar

Sigh, I suspected as much after I posted a serious reply. But I don't know how to edit replies. I have been accused of being slowwwww at getting jokes. Imagine that!

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

Don’t worry about it. But look at the three dots on the right hand side of the top of your posting. Touch that, and then you can edit.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

To edit

See the … to the far right of your nym/avatar? Click on them. A menu with 5 options will appear, the first being “Edit”. Click on it and your post will appear in a red box. Edit your post and then click on Save.

(The change may appear right away or you may have to refresh the page to see it)

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larry parker's avatar

We're not in 1800s Buenos Aires. Do try to keep up.

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

So you say. But I just ate an empanada. Explain that Mr. know at all!

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Len Koz's avatar

I've never heard it called that before...

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

If I called it a taco, you’d probably accuse me of something else. I know all about you people And your food based sinning.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

Tony Orlando perfected the "orango-tango" back in the '70's, which he did solo on his TV show back in the day.

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Kay-El's avatar

True story: I had an unmarried friend who got pregnant. Her dad kicked her out and she went to live with friends. Dad of baby was in the picture and eventually they married. We threw her a fabulous baby shower. Moral of the story: mind your own fucking business and throw baby showers.

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cdbunch's avatar

The main beneficiary of a baby show is the baby. Especially in the case of a single mother (unless she has significant means, which is unusual)

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Bagat's avatar

If she has the means she goes and gets a "Dusting and Cleaning." AKA D&C

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

👆👆👆🎯

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larry parker's avatar

Why do they call them baby showers? Babys take baths, not showers.

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Len Koz's avatar

If you threw a bath you might hurt someone.

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Kay-El's avatar

Showering the baby and mom with gifts? 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Maria's avatar

To "shower" the mother and baby with gifts.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

I just took them out to the driveway and hosed them off.

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larry parker's avatar

You had a hose? My folks waited for it to rain.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

You mean you don't stick them in either the washing machine or the dishwasher?

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cdbunch's avatar

"I sued Panasonic. They never said I shouldn't use their microwave to dry off my cat."

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Pamela Cass's avatar

"Showering" the soon-to-be mom with love and things she might need? "Showering" the baby with a welcome?

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Susan Meyer's avatar

Because you shower the baby with gifts.

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Bagat's avatar

You are far kinder than jesus could ever dream of becoming.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

To Pastor Jerkson:

"As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 'Teacher,' they said to Jesus, 'this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?' They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said 'All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!' Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away, one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, 'Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?' 'No, Lord,' she said. And Jesus said, 'Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'"

-- John 8:3-11

You think you're above your messiah, Terry?

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XJC's avatar

Then the woman asked Jesus to fuck her. But Jesus declined because he wasn't into girls. And God said nothing.

-- Jeff 6:37

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NOGODZ20's avatar

No wonder the Gospel of Jeff never made it into the final cut.

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Pam Smith's avatar

Hilarious

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Lynn Veit's avatar

Of course he does. He made that quite clear with his remarks following the young woman's apology.

When he could have just as easily said something along the lines of "Thank you, sister, I know that was difficult" with a little mealy-mouthed "thoughts and prayers" drivel thrown in for good measure, he chose to verbally eviscerate her in front of the congregation - her family and friends - when she was already in a very bleak place emotionally. To me it sounded like he was essentially encouraging the good Christian folk in the pews to shun her or at least distance themselves from her (forbidding baby showers) as if she were some kind of disgusting creature who might taint them.

As if that weren't bad enough, that hateful condescending tone he used was shit icing on a shit cake. This how you drive a young woman to suicide or substance abuse, and I'm sure that dickhead minister knows that perfectly well.

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Siskneesoo's avatar

This bible verse has always resonated with me. Too bad the judgement continues, and today, more often than not, in god’s name.

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Andra Watkins's avatar

When I wrote for Newsweek about how I am childless because of a far-right SC church, THIS is why. I knew my pastor and church would force me to do something similar if I became pregnant as a teen or out of wedlock. When that article was published, some commenters accused me of exaggerating and of being unhinged, but these humiliations happen. The thought of having to do it myself caused me exceptional mental and emotional harm. I told myself being pregnant was the worst thing that could happen to me to avoid this fate.

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Alverant's avatar

Christian love right there. Shaming the woman and not the man and her own mother joining in on the shame to defend her pastor and not her daughter.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"We ain't gonna condone your sin now. We ain't gonna do that."

Judgemental little shit, isn't he? Apparently he forgot what his savior said about about judging others. Or the fact that Jesus hung around with sinners.

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Pamela Cass's avatar

You assumed he read a bible....😏

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Silly of me, I know.

Even if he read it he sure wouldn’t comprehend it.

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oraxx's avatar

I notice all the men sitting on one side, and women on the other. How 18th century of them. There is no hate quite like Christian love. As offensive as this preacher is, the real problem rests with the people in the pews who enable him with their donations. Without them, he's just talking to the wind. I wouldn't be shocked to learn she's carrying the preacher's child.

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BJ Zamora's avatar

This is the tragedy of black evangelical churches. They have bought into shaming women without going after the fact that Jesus commanded them to be kind and support others. Where is the condemnation of the father of this child? The heart of this epidemic of children raised solely by their mothers is the failure to insist on paternal responsibility.

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

They are pretty bad, some of these churches...they tithe their members.

So the members sit shivering in ragged clothes on winter Sunday mornings while the pastor steams up in his brand-new, heated, Cadillac.

Worse, the "church" is usually just a real estate development operation clothed in pastoral robes to avoid that little annoyance of taxes.

And then the "pastor" gets caught bopping his church secretary, paying for the dalliances with church money. That annoys the congregation, the IRS, and the pastor's wife, who registers her displeasure with both the frying pan and the divorce lawyer...

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

...He confesses before the congregation a year later, claims Jesus forgives him, and start the grift all over again.

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

All those televangelists do that and get away with it.

Jimmy Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, and Jerry Falwell.

They are one of five groups of people who get forgiven for being skunks.

I have to write about them and the other four.

Everyone else gets hammered for life.

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Pam Smith's avatar

Great text

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

Glad you liked it!

She could do it the other way around, of course…and say that her name is “Rosemary,” and Satan was the father.

Remember the movie?

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

Yes, I’m old enough to remember that one when it first came out

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Pam Smith's avatar

I love your response

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

An alternative would be to say that the father was Satan and the kid was the AntiChrist….

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cdbunch's avatar

It's not just *black* evangelical churches. Nor is single motherhood a black problem.

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

Exactly, I noticed that right away; a racist comment or 2

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BJ Zamora's avatar

That’s very true, I will speak from extended experience attending more black churches than their white fellow evangelical ones. Black churches are more loving; white churches more condemning. Black churches are more active among their communities. White churches are segregated even with their evangelical orders.

But I remain believing that there is little accountability by men who father children they refuse to support.

I do see your point about their “shaming” of women not just within the black evangelical churches. And personally, I only fault all of us who do not share in assuring that those single parent children are raised in health and safety and access to excellent educations.

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XJC's avatar

Can you say "Jesse Jackson?"

'We must have democracy, not hypocrisy.'

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

I loved him giving Bill Clinton lessons and counseling on the "sanctity of marriage" with Jesse's pregnant mistress sitting beside them.

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Joe King's avatar

[𝐷]𝑖𝑠𝑟𝑢𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑦 𝑐ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ, 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑓𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟.

Yikes. The indoctrination runs deep. One would think that this mother would want to protect her daughter instead of her church. Why didn't she say something like "please leave us in peace during this difficult time?" That would have been the most appropriate way to deflect the deserved vitriol onto the pastor and church where it belongs.

The disruption and disrespect are simply the consequences of the behavior that is both cruel and public. Public cruelty is the last thing a young single mother needs.

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XJC's avatar
Jan 10Edited

Tell that to God, who by the way is omniscient and omnipotent as well as merciful, but somehow let this happen. Mysterious ways again?

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Maybe the mom is in love with the pastor, many a (bad) mother sacrifices her daughter when a man demands it of her.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Pro-life. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*hawks and spits*

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Yeah, it's actually "forced-Birthers".

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Gestational enslavers.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

Can't sleep ... try to relax ... then I read this and get more agitated. What on earth were they thinking? What possible benefit comes from this Maoist type self criticism and public humiliation? What's next ... brainwashing? On second thoughts they've already done that.

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SPW's avatar

The brainwashing began at birth.

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

In my best Bette Davis voice:

Sure, I’d love to be nonjudgmental about you, but I have to wash my brain.

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XJC's avatar
Jan 10Edited

Medical tip: This site is about religion and its overt hypocrisy. Nothing good to report. Consume at your own peril.

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Damon Kovelsky's avatar

Hawthorne sends his regards.

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