The Religion Thread

[bannination]

Minister convicted in slaying found hanged in cell

Homicide, necrophilia, suicide - Hat trick!

[Bungalow Bill]

Okay boys, let's all get together and form a prayer circle jerk.

Why does Eric need to watch porn? He's such a good looking,
well-built young man that the women should be standing in line.

[bannination]

David Barton: If There’s No Prayer at a Public School Graduation, That’s a Promotion of Atheism

David Barton:

Darwinism and evolution is a religion. Why don’t we say ‘hey, we can’t teach Darwinism in school. That affects the way people behave. I demand separation of church and state. Get Darwinism out of the classroom. ’ Or why don’t we say ‘hey, I don’t see any prayers going at graduation; that’s atheism! I demand separation of church and state. Atheism has chaplains, they’re a religion. Get atheism out of the schools.’

How do these idiots get elected?!

Can't we just eat big plates of Spaghetti and be happy?!

[neoplacebo]

I've been on a search for the First Church of Darwinism since forever; haven't seen it yet. I'd call that separation of church and world.

[O Really]

Damn, I hate to say anything that could sound like I'm defending this idiot, but there is a context in which Atheism could be considered a religion. Many people just aren't into religion. They don't particularly believe there's a "god" (caps or lower case), and don't follow any of the formal religions. They're "atheists" maybe, but if there was a better term that means "don't care one way or the other" that would work, too. They don't want to be forced into participating with someone else's religion, but if you keep yours out of public (governmental) purview, they're cool with what you do with your own time.

Then there are those who organize and mobilize to spread the word of "no god," using the late Madelyn O'Hair as an example. Their mission is not neutral. It is not "let everyone choose their own path." It is an active and aggressive attempt to reduce the effect of religion in society. (NTTAWWT) But yeah, I could see that such activism could be found to be a "religion." Because they're dealing in the same commodity as the other "religions" and focus on the same gods. Just from the opposite perspective.

[Bungalow Bill]

I've always had a problem with calling atheism a religion, mainly because the
main foundation of religion is a belief in the supernatural. That obviously
doesn't apply to atheism.

[bannination]

In other words, in general, atheists are open to scientific proof. If someone proved God tomorrow, the rational and honest ones would stop being atheists. In contrast, the religious choose their beliefs in the absence of proof.

Yep, that's how I see it too.


//I seen no way that a lack of belief in the supernatural be considered a religion. It's the default state. I can't equate activism with religion either. There are all kinds of activists, and their particular subject matter isn't considered a religion, unless it is a religion.

[bannination]

If you can make them believe in anything I guess this isn't a stretch.

[homerfobe]

If you can make them believe in anything I guess this isn't a stretch.

That's pure bullshit. (Probably) Something dredged up by some daydreaming faggot.

[O Really]

It's a hoax. Reliable explanatory sources. Started with an Italian "Onion" type article.

[O Really]

Thanks, homerfobe ...researched correctly.

[bannination]

Yep, hoax, original article or the article I seen it from just totally disappeared.

[bannination]

Pastor refused to marry couple an hour before ceremony because the brides dress is too sexy.

w/pic of the evidence.


Wait.... was it the dress.... or her?


//I agree with the commenters, don't get married in a church.

[Mr.B]

"Pastor refused to marry couple an hour before ceremony because the brides dress is too sexy."
"Wait.... was it the dress.... or her? I agree with the commenters, don't get married in a church."

It was the...ahem..."dress"....and her. Anyone with any thread of decency wouldn't parade into a church dressed like that expecting a man of God to perform a wedding ceremony. A white wedding dress (is supposed to) be a symbol of purity to the husband...her outfit that showed her partial nakedness portrayed her as a woman of loose morals and poor judgment.

From the text: "It is no secret that religions tend to preach “modesty” to women, but this is downright ridiculous.
Wedding days are supposed to be a celebration of a couple, not an opportunity to be slut-shamed by a pastor.
Surely the irony of telling someone they look too sexy hours before a ceremony about monogamy is lost on this man.
By refusing to marry this couple, this pastor’s message is loud and clear: Do not judge… lest I find your wedding dress to be too sexy."

It may be ridiculous to the author of the piece; I'm betting he/she has no real idea of what being a Child of God is all about, and it does include "modesty"
and restraint. To even consider that it would be OK to wear something like that into a church sanctuary shows a lack of disrespect on the woman's part.

Hooray for the pastor....his message IS loud and clear....I applaud him for standing up to his principles.

[O Really]

Without regard to the dress itself, if the minister had not provided restrictions or guidelines on bridal dress before agreeing to do the ceremony, he has absolutely no (logical) right to bail out at the last minute. If he wanted to specify dress, he had opportunity to do so ahead of time. If he wanted to have approval rights on the bridal dress, he should have said so when he agreed to do the wedding. And if he did want to bail, he owed it to the couple (to whom he had an agreement) to find them somebody else legally qualified to do the wedding. The guy may be a saint, and he may have sincerely held religious issues about the dress, but in addition to that, he's a self-righteous jerk with no empathy for those who asked him to participate in their special day.

[Mr.B]

“I can’t believe this! I flew here to attend my cousin’s wedding and now I have to put up with this crap.
Now this so-called pastor doesn’t want to come out of his office” said the cousin of the bride.

The above quote even shows the mentality of the wedding party. There's plenty of boo-hooing for the bride and groom; no mention of the pastor's moral integrity. The pastor gave them the opportunity to correct the situation, but they took it as a joke.

"....if the minister had not provided restrictions or guidelines on bridal dress before agreeing to do the ceremony, he has absolutely no (logical) right to bail out at the last minute. If he wanted to specify dress, he had opportunity to do so ahead of time. If he wanted to have approval rights on the bridal dress, he should have said so when he agreed to do the wedding."
Anyone expecting to be wed in a church shouldn't have to expect the preacher to "issue guidelines" as to what is appropriate attire.
I would assume that the pastor would have nixed the wedding if they had showed up in pajamas. His refusal to allow the wedding to proceed also showed his respect for the sanctuary of his church, whether the church be a huge cardboard box or a majestic cathedral.... "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them...." Matthew 18:20

A link to Banni's article states that the prospective bride and groom were not members of the church. My opinion is that they weren't members of any church or that they were members of a very liberal-thinking church elsewhere; and they got slammed back into reality when they encountered a Pastor with Biblically held convictions.

"And if he did want to bail, he owed it to the couple (to whom he had an agreement) to find them somebody else legally qualified to do the wedding. The guy may be a saint, and he may have sincerely held religious issues about the dress, but in addition to that, he's a self-righteous jerk with no empathy for those who asked him to participate in their special day."
If he's a "self-righteous jerk" than he has just shown the secular world that he wants no part of their world. Being called "self righteous"
is a big part of the ridicule that a man can expect when he accepts the call to preach God's Word; and "empathy" for non-Godly behavior is not a part of his calling.

"I think this is Apostle Michael Canty of The Truth Ministries Holiness Church carrying the imposition of his own morality on others too far. That's the bigger problem with religious fanatics, not their beliefs but that they wish to force them on others. Renters of converted shoe stores shouldn't be quite so high and mighty in throwing the first, ummm, shoe."

So if a pastor refuses to be a part of the of the immorality of the world, then he's imposing "his own morality" on others by his refusal? And by his stance,
that makes him a religious fanatic? And because of his religious convictions, he's forcing his beliefs on others? Come on......!

Again, I applaud the pastor. I applaud his sticking to his Godly principles, I applaud his refusal to allow the wedding to proceed in his church. If the couple
wanted a Playboy setting for a wedding, they should have told the pastor in advance or went to a country club.

[bannination]

Either way the pastor was "judging". Loose morals, etc, etc because of a dress? There's no evidence of that, he judged her without even knowing her. I guess she should have worn a burka.

[Mr.B]

"Either way the pastor was "judging". Loose morals, etc, etc because of a dress? There's no evidence of that, he judged her without even knowing her. I guess she should have worn a burka."

How was the pastor judging? I was the one who suggested the "loose morals" angle, and it wasn't because of THE dress itself, it was because she wanted to dress in a way that would show her body into a place set aside for religious worship. There were no pictures of the bride, so one can only guess what she looked like wearing it. The picture of the model sends the wrong impression to the readers.

The pastor didn't judge her; he simply refused to go against his standards to perform a "bond of HOLY matrimony" i.e. holy in the sight of God.
Kudos to the pastor.

BTW....how do you kiss the bride when she's wearing a burka?

[bannination]

"Either way the pastor was "judging". Loose morals, etc, etc because of a dress? There's no evidence of that, he judged her without even knowing her. I guess she should have worn a burka."

How was the pastor judging? I was the one who suggested the "loose morals" angle, and it wasn't because of THE dress itself, it was because she wanted to dress in a way that would show her body into a place set aside for religious worship. There were no pictures of the bride, so one can only guess what she looked like wearing it. The picture of the model sends the wrong impression to the readers.

The pastor didn't judge her; he simply refused to go against his standards to perform a "bond of HOLY matrimony" i.e. holy in the sight of God.
Kudos to the pastor.

BTW....how do you kiss the bride when she's wearing a burka?

Being a religious institution of course he can do whatever he wants. He *could* have been less of a dick about it and married them. In the future he could make sure that he only accepts clients based on certain conditions.

If God cared what clothes we wear he'd have birthed us with clothes. I mean you seriously don't think in the past people haven't worn even less? How about Adam and Eve? Leaves? Naked?

It's ridiculous.

[Mr.B]

"Being a religious institution of course he can do whatever he wants. He *could* have been less of a dick about it and married them. In the future he could make sure that he only accepts clients based on certain conditions.

If God cared what clothes we wear he'd have birthed us with clothes. I mean you seriously don't think in the past people haven't worn even less?
How about Adam and Eve? Leaves? Naked? It's ridiculous."

In the eyes of the un-churched, I suppose it is ridiculous. Since we weren't "birthed with clothes", why do we wear clothes anyway?
You may recall that Adam and Eve originally were naked....sin made them ashamed to be naked. Inasmuch as mankind now wears clothes to hide their nakedness, the sin in us now makes mankind want to show off nakedness; not in the innocence manner of Adam and Eve, but in a manner that provokes lust and lasciviousness.

The preacher made the right choice.