Spirit in the Sky...

When I was in grade school, the mother of one of the kids I hung with was a religious nut job. After hanging out with him after school, I'd be heading home and I'd find a religious pamphlet or card in my jacket pocket. I'd stop and read them and frankly, some of them scared the shit out of the 10 year old me. One day I showed one to my mom. She went nuts, picked up the phone and gave my friend's mother a royal chewing out. My mom, at the time, was a Sunday school teacher at the First Presbyterian Church.

When I started confirmation, I asked a lot of questions and was told time and again I just needed faith, I quit. I un-churched myself at 12. When I explained my reasoning to my parents, they said okay.

Since then I've searched around, I was married to a Catholic, tried that for a while, Took a look at Buddhism, enjoyed the philosophy and meditation, then moved on. I was talked into going to a "Prosperity Gospel" Church for a Sunday service, it was appalling. Tried one of those hip christian churches, the band sucked and so did the lyrics. As an aside, have you ever listened to Christian Rock music? Imagine "Love to Love you Baby" only written about Jesus.

I read this by Stu Rothenberger the other day, he's hitting all the political notes, but...

"For many white evangelicals, their religious and political views are so strongly intertwined that it is almost impossible to separate them. When their views of religion and morality collide with politics, politics often wins out. That’s why it’s naïve to ask why so many white evangelicals continue to support Donald Trump or Roy Moore.

Remember physician Scott DesJarlais (R-TN 4), the pro-life, tea party conservative first elected to Congress in 2010?

DesJarlais admitted pressuring his mistress to have an abortion and acknowledged he had multiple sexual relationships with patients and co-workers. His wife had two abortions. And yet, the Family Research Council, which promotes “traditional marriage and family and advocates for policies that uphold Judeo-Christian values” (according to the Almanac of American Politics, 2016), gave the congressman a 100% rating for 2014. Even more amazing, voters re-elected the Republican in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

The congressman’s hypocrisy is obvious, but no more so than the political behavior of his conservative, evangelical supporters."

When I was a kid, (and as an adult) I noticed that people who were the most "Jesused Up" didn't behave like Jesus would want them too. I know from experience that religious broadcasters are more interested in fleecing their flock than promoting Peace and Love. I had a drink one night with a major market "Christian" broadcaster. After his 3rd whiskey he said, "All you need is an Evangelical in a white suit to front the station and a few cripples in wheelchairs to put the tapes on." His stations got busted for speeding up the tapes, so his white suited Evangelical could stick a few extra commercials in every hour.  The hypocrite had two houses, a collection of classic Rolls Royce automobiles and a condo on the beach. If there is a hell I hope he is burning in the lowest circle. 

A long time friend of mine "found Jesus" quit his job and went to work for Pat Robertson's CBN. The pay was so bad he asked Pat for a raise. Pat said, "let's pray on it." He didn't get the raise!

My friend Walt Wieder, a retired, PhD Unitarian minister, once told me "There is a different view you know."  I get it Walt, I get it.

H/T to Norman Greenbaum for the title...