"A Sabbatical?" or "My Anti-Testimony"
I first posted this "testimony" to the web on July 27, 2001. If you too have found Christianity specifically, or religion generally, to be less than satisfying for any reason, please consider posting your own "testimony" to this site by clicking here , or message me by clicking here. I t is invariably a shock to Evangelical Christians to come across someone who has turned his or her back on the “faith was once delivered unto the saints.” Most believers will quickly dismiss an ex-Christian by piously pointing out that anyone who turns away from Christ was never a real believer. Or, as an insider might say it, “They were never born again.” There is Biblical support for the assertion. 1 John 2:19, which addressed the problem of First Century apostates, states that: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us....
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If you are a Christian, and a Fox guy is telling you you are a soulless monster, you sure as fuck know you´re doing something right.
Holy crap. As mean as she is to others, imagine what it must be like to BE that bitch. Or be one of her kids.
It almost makes me wish that a Hell does exist... just so I can rest assured Freddy Phelps gets his just reward.
This woman is as insane as the idiot that killed all those innocent children, we can almost expect something tragic to happen from this type of human insanity.
It's a normal human trait to be self-centered, that's why the more people a person can convince that they are not crazy or completely insane, a religion is formed, (an anti-insane religion is formed) that is the reason there are so many different religions, they have all sprung up from mentally unhealthy people having convinced others that they too, are not insane, but instead of openly admitting they are completely insane, they've started a religion to convince themselves and others that they are not insane.
A sect or any religion or denomination is a cult, saying "Look everybody, we are not insane we have these beliefs and they are backed by all these other humans that are in agreement with this particular belief, this therefore validates and proves that our God and beliefs are real and true, and all others are false and are going to hell."
I rest my case!
The Phelps sisters did make very harsh comments about Islam when they were on the Mike Gallagher show yesterday, saying that Mohammad was a pedophile, and Islam is a false religion. Not a very smart thing to say on a nationally syndicated radio show. Just look what happened after the pope's recent comments.
"I'm glad the FOX guys didn't pull any punches in that heated discussion. Soul-less, pathetic, braindead. All are definitely dead-on descriptions of her."
Dead on descripions, yes, but not pulling punches for a journalistic interview, no. If they insist on having her on the show, they should be sticking to questons, and not persobal attacks, that, in her eys, only justify her views. Besides, nobody needs to be told that she is nuts - thats obvious.
Hey, that's some achievment.
But seriously, this just shows how bad it can become, when the "virus of faith" finally eats away what remains of a persons brain...
"I disagree Joseph. Take a moment to ponder the true nature of all the real threats and real enemies of humanity. This type of insanity lay in the bowels of all denominations of all organized world religions. None of which are far away from taking this type of radical stance. This video exposes this insanity. It's said that a cornered animal will fight at it's fiercest. The more ground that religion looses to common sense and rationality, the more often we will see this type of doctrine being vomited by mindless individuals such as the Phelp's family. Our fight is with religion. I personally think we are winning! I like it when news media takes the time to expose this stupidity. If only one person views it and begins to doubt.............then I say keep up the good work! Turning the tide one person at a time"
When people, such as those involved in the Westboro Baptist Church, are given expousure, a major distincion is made between moderate religion and extreme religion, but that isn't really the truth. The only reason moderate religion is more tolerate than the extreme is because secular society has forced it to move in that direction. Moderates, and even those less extreme than others, can use the likes of exposure of Westboro Baptist to defend themselves and their beliefs as rational and compassionate. Yes, relgion is an enemy, but when the focus is placed on those most anyone will define as insane, the rest of religon is let off the hook.
The problem is not with these people as such. The problem is with the Bible. When this woman goes on the air and argues with people, she's RIGHT. This is what God wants - if you look at his manual.
Sad thing is she wasn't born like this. She was brainwashed over time. I think the government needs to create new rules of what a non-profit organization is and isn't. Then create a secret service of watch dogs to sit in on church services everywhere. Break the rules and lose your tax free status.
Hannity is a laugh riot on this vid; I've always considered him nothing more than a stuffed shirt anyway, and it's richly ironic to think that with respect to his religious beliefs, he's only a couple of degrees removed from the lunatic sitting across the table from him.
Onanite
im an athieist. i believe in myself. and myself alone. i do not need to have questions answered by someone who isnt there. am i mad? do i talk to myself? yes.
the bible. a book. that's all it is. a book. written at one time a long time ago by someone wanting to be famous for ever. well done you. ive never read it.
if "jesus" walked on water and cured people by touching them, why were the tv religious people jailed for doing the same? it's all a myth. it's not possible. again if this were to happen today, with the walking on water, it would be judged like everything else in a very mad-like way, so why is it acceptable just because you read it in a book from a long time ago?
interesting topic.
this "woman" on this video clip. sad. bringing pain to grieving folk.
strike her down i say ;)
While I think many "religious " people are good people at heart, I think many "religious" pastors and church leaders who "war monger" do it for the power.
"I prayed and God told me that I should kill anyone I wish, cause its his will. And if he lets me do it, that is proof of his will."
I think its just more proof that, even if there is some sort of God, it does not interfere with peoples actions.
Hmmm, just a thought, OK , so we get to shoot this person. If they die, its Gods will and they should be happy about it, right??
OK, I will stop ranting now. IDM.
The one thing the Phelps woman gets right is the fact that she IS a true Christian. But will the huggy-snuggle Jesus-is-my-buddy crown learn anything from a performance like that? Very few, if any. They'll smugly chuckle that she sure needs to find God's love or some old shite.
The thing that really got me was that if you remove the funerals-are-bad and dead-little-girls-good stuff from her rant, she expresses many sentiments of other frequent guests of the H&C show. Seriously, bleach the hair and narrow the face a bit, you've got Ann Coulter and her "look at me" brand of rhetoric.
When the one on the left started in on her, was anyone else reminded of Dan Akroyd starting in on Jane Curtin on Weekend Update? Yeah, I know I'm dating myself...
"Jane, you're an ignorant slut..."
"Phelps, you're an ignorant nut..."
http://www.godhatesfags.com/photos/2006/20060716_shirts.html
"Hate" seems to be a word they like a lot doesnt it?
These people are really deranged. It's people like them that give religion and the followers a bad name, even the peaceful tolerant ones.
JUST TRY IT, AND LIVE BY THE LORD OUR GOD'S COMMANDMENTS
Thou Shalt Not Kill?
Yet she said they deserved to be killed, what a sick bunch of wacko's!
1. Joseph Mulroney said:
[quote]If they insist on having her on the show, they should be sticking to questons, and not persobal attacks, that, in her eys, only justify her views.[/quote]
Exactly.
1. The Amish.
Several people commented on the Amish as though the Amish were the ideal society that can do no wrong. I'm not Amish. I come from a horse and buggy Mennonite group. The difference between the horse and buggy Amish and the horse and buggy Mennonites is at least as big as the difference between Canadians and Americans. I can tell on sight whether a person is Amish or Mennonite because I know what cultural markers (details of clothing) to look for.
I grew up on literature put out by the Amish. The stories I read in their magazines depicted a culture and value system identical to ours. I have also been part of a research team that looked at the horse and buggy Mennonite community where I used to live and how they relate to human services.
From that research I learned about horrors that take place behind closed doors that no human should be subjected to. I personally have suffered the same. Before I learned of these other cases I used to think mine was a worst case scenario. I now think it was but one of many. The old-fashioned horse and buggy communities with their unique dress and lifestyle are made up of humans like the rest of society. Sex drive and lust for power are just as strong as anywhere else.
Succinctly put, I lived in urban culture for years before I encountered anything that even matched the severity of the abuse I had suffered. I now know it exists but I have yet to see anything that is worse. I think it is wise to look for the goodness of people everywhere and not idealize anyone.
QUESTION: I didn't get the story on what happened, but I wonder why those Amish children were in a position where they could get shot. Where were the adults? Here in the city I see far more adult supervision of children than I ever saw among the horse and buggy people. They trust God to protect their children. When something like this happens they accept it as God's will. WHY???
There is something revulsing about Ms Phelps and I can't watch it a second time because of it. The same goes for my own people. I have to prepare myself emotionally, turn off my heart, simply to travel through the geographical area in a closed vehicle, or to see a person in Mennonites garb, or see a horse and buggy. When they showed up in my neighbourhood or on my bus I feel like the enemy had invaded my safe territory. Ms Phelps is every inch the same kind of woman. And you people idealize the Amish? Please! you don't know what goes on behind closed door.
One word against Ms Phelps: If she is so dedicated to living like the Bible says (and she definitely does not over-do the make-up and hair style like Peter says) why does she not wear a head covering like Paul commands?
I admired her ability to keep her cool when those guys blew up over her. She LIVES her faith. It also occurs to me to ask why two men were needed to interview a single woman? Might it be because no man could handle her on his own? He needed the moral support of a colleague? Just some questions.
I guess it's obvious to all readers that I vascillate between hate and love for these kinds of people. Hate because they demand belief without evidence and condemn a person to hell for questioning, love because they are, after all, my own kin. In my mind, Ms Phelps represents them. Sorry to disillusion you guys but I think it's time. The Amish are humans very like all other humans on this planet.
We are all humans FIRST.....it's the religious belief that causes the division. That lunatic was mainstream/moderate before she turned extremist. Keep that in mind.
She doesn't deserve to die, she deserves never to have been born, to date i've only been able to say that about one other person.
I have a fantasy of attending any of their funerals and protesting myself against them, especially their leader fred, then everyone pissing on his grave afterward.
This is a perfect reason for people to finally see that the bible and religion are the primary causes for much of this insanity. The poor kids of this family (shirley phelps has at least 10 children) are subjected to one of the most insidious forms of child abuse there is...they should be thrown in jail for it I think...
I wish in my lifetime that everyone in this country could miraculously realize that the bible is a completely morally bankrupt piece of mythical filth. Pragmatically I think this will take several more centuries, even with our scientific advances. It's a wonderful fantasy though. Imagine!!!
If she really believes in an Old Testament vengeful God then, presumably, she also believes in the fire-and-brimstone version of the devil and hell. Why does she think that God sent a man to murder Amish girls? Why does she not think that it was the devil?
The only time I have heard her refer to the devil is when people have quoted Scripture to demonstrate the love of God; then she claims that the devil is putting words into their mouths. (I forget the Bible quote SHE uses).
The Phelps family appears to demonstrate a catastrophic separation of religion from faith.
RubySera,
Interesting. What cruelties are you talking about? I thought the Amish believed in never harming anyone, don't they?
Then again, most of my knowledge of Amish culture comes from "Witness" and "Amish in the city".
********************
As you know, what Christians profess and how they actually live tend to be two different things. As someone else acknowledged, all of us are humans first. I don't know this specific Amish community but I come from that culture. Suppression of true feelings, oppression of misfits, sexual molestation and abuse, those are a few of the things that happen behind closed doors. Counselors, medical workers, human services personnel--all of them report things from that kind of community that no human should experience. These things are never portrayed by the media and the communities make sure the media don't know about it. The media idealizes this kind of community way out of proportion.
You can see more of my feelings around this in my posts on the forums. Dave started a thread on this video.
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