Here’s what the Bible says about women … according to this guy:
Not many people–including Christians–would disagree that this preacher, Jack Schapp, is a sexist, woman-hating, ignorant schmuck. As expected (to me, anyway), he is a pastor in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist movement of which I am fairly familiar, having family members who attend such churches and having visited a few myself.
But beyond his personal viewpoints, I have a question for you, reader:
Does the religion make the person or does the person make the religion?
It’s a question of which came first: the chicken or the egg.
Do you think people choose their religions, denominations, and churches based on who they already are? It seems to me that those with misogynistic beliefs will favor a theology that undercuts the value of women. Likewise, a person who is kind and loving and sees the worth in other people will likely choose a theology that favors ultimate reconciliation and no hell or punishment for differences in belief, sexuality, and so forth.
I’m unconvinced that it is solely a religion or denomination’s fault that people kill each other, persecute other faiths, and teach abhorrent beliefs about the value of humanity. We can blame much of that on religion simply because it’s an organized, financed, public outlet for such opinions, but in the end, the fault lies with each one of us who is bigoted, hateful, or unloving, doesn’t it?
What do you think?
Jesus texted the King James Bible? Wow, those are some powerful thumbs. I wonder if God uses autocorrect. I guess he didn’t care how much it would cost me to read it all. Verizon really over-charges, even for deities. It also reminds me of this guy:
By the way, if Jesus created deep dish pizza, couldn’t he have made it more healthy? It goes straight to my fat ass.
I have a facebook friend whom I like very much, and who is a very sweet and loving person. One of her quirks, however, is that she greatly enjoys researching “end times” conspiracy theories, prophecies, and speculations. Some of her favorite topics involve the “mark of the beast,” Israel, and anything scary or chaotic in the world that could be interpreted as a sign of the apocalypse and Jesus’ return to earth. Was there political unrest, a suicide bombing, tornado, or flood? JESUS!
Here is an example of the way anything—no matter how innocent or commonplace—can be manipulated to fit a conspiracy theory:
Oh shit! Sesame Street is hinting at the end of the world! They’re preparing for disaster! JESUS!
In case you’re curious, here’s what was actually broadcast:
The public service announcement was sponsored by FEMA‘s site ready.gov.
Ready Kids is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready campaign, a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, potential terrorist attacks and other emergencies. The Ready Kids web site features age-appropriate, step-by-step instructions on what families can do to be better prepared and the role kids can play in this effort. Ready Kids was developed in consultation with:
- American Psychological Association
- American Red Cross
- National Association of Elementary School Principals
- National Association of School Psychologists
- National Center for Child Traumatic Stress
- National PTA
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Obviously, the effort to educate families means a natural disaster is coming that all of these government agencies know about in advance. Clearly Satan is at work in the world and Jesus will return soon to rule and judge us all.
Ahura Mazda
An email from Rev. Richard Robbins:
Your name is wrong. You are not a godless girl. Your name should actually be denial girl. You can tell me till the cows come home there is no God but I know for a fact that you believe in God you are just living in denial. If you admit there is a God then you have to deal with being accountable to Him. Not such a happy thought.
I bought the wrong domain name, folks! Is denialgirl.com still available?
Mr. Robbins,
I didn’t think one of the “gifts of the spirit” was telepathy. Apparently I missed that in one of Paul’s epistles. It seems you claim to have the same mind-reading power as the deity you worship. Do you also claim to be all-knowing? Maybe it’s limited to the thoughts and views of atheists? Very curious indeed!
I’ve stated before that the ignorant claim that atheists can’t handle being accountable for our actions and “sins” is ridiculous. Apparently atheists’ refutations of this canned accusation haven’t made a dent in the condescending beliefs behind it, so let me hold up a mirror for you:
You can tell me till the cows come home that Ahura Mazda does not exist, but I know for a fact that you believe in Ahura Mazda and are just living in denial. If you admit Ahura Mazda exists, you have to deal with being accountable to him. Not such a happy thought.
See how amusing that sounds? How likely are you to convert to Zoroastrianism because of what I said? Your answer is going to be the same as mine if you had asked me how likely I am to take your statements seriously. Sorry, Mr. Robbins, it just doesn’t work that way. I can’t be shamed or frightened into believing in a deity if there is no evidence that one exists. Doing so would be intellectually dishonest and delusional.
One more thing: According to Christianity, it doesn’t matter if someone admits there is a God or not; they will still be held accountable for their actions (as will all Christians, if you’ve forgotten what your guy said in Matthew 7:21-25). Of course, you wouldn’t have this problem if you believed in the true god, Ahura Mazda. Good luck!
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