Spreading the Word

I have recently found myself in a few religious conversations/arguments/whateverthefuckyouwannacallit and I said something that I thought was clever, but maybe it wasn't, but hey it's my blog, so bwah. I hate sentence structure.

That wasn't the thing I said, but that is what I felt needed to be said despite the fact it was pretty clear from my previous paragraph/sentence.

I said, "...if man is God's messengers, man has done a pretty shitty job of getting the message out."

When I said it, we were discussing what God meant to people and the simple act of trying to help others reach God that so many believers partake in. I am inclined to mention all of this, not because of that discussion, but because of a news article that make it more clear of the job men has done to God's message.

Pastor found guilty of molestation

A local pastor was found guilty Thursday of molesting a teenage boy he was formerly tutoring.

The Rev. Kenneth Payne, 70, was charged with taking indecent liberties and sodomizing the 17-year-old.

Payne has preached at New Prospect Baptist Church in the Pleasant View area of Amherst County for the past 14 years.

To many, this is the same sort of story you have grown used to from religion. However, what does bother me is that I knew Rev. Payne for years. I never attended his church as a member, but I was a friend of the family, spent time at his house, and at the church. I never spoke with the man into lengths, but he knew me and I knew him. I was part of his daughter's second wedding.

Men has done a shitty job, it seems. I have always been skeptical of religion and of God. I'm not an athiest, but agnostic. I recognize the possibility of a higher power, but do not feel a need to know him/her/it, nor a need to become closer to the spiritual being.

I've grown up around religion, however, for my entire life. 45 minutes away is Liberty University and the home of Jerry Falwell, who once said that the Jews and gays were responsible for 9/11. Falwell does so much harm for Christians around the world. Here is a man who actively makes you want to not get closer to the religion. Here is a man who makes millions off hatred, fear-mongering, and lies. Jesus Christ was never morbidly obese. Take one look at Falwell, though.

It is bad enough that Falwell is who he is, but his students do their fair share. First, I have known a few Liberty kids who were excellent people so I don't want to paint with this brush too broadly. But there are two groups that interest me. The heavily self-righteous and the hypocrites. The first group can be found at the Mall or any place where they can come up to kids and pretend to be their friends, but then go at them with religion.

Now, this can be split, too. I met quite a few of these types at JMU, but the difference between them and the Liberty kids is the JMU ones knew exactly when not to go over the edge. They knew not to overextend their hand. Not interested in going to their church, cookout, concert, etc., they move on and thank you for your time. And not every Liberty kid who does this goes overboard. But many do.

And then, there is the hypocrites. The type that head across the street to Central Virginia Community College and look up porn because it's banned from their Liberty network. Funny. These great kids need to be kept from looking up porn? Guess they aren't angels.

Again, this is not to pain every Liberty student with the same brush, just painting many of them.

Back to Payne. His church, New Prospect, had several of my former friends as its members so I cannot say it was a terrible place. Again, I hung out there. However, there are certain things I cannot forget when it comes to that place. The Southern Baptists who attended the church had quite a few gossipers among them. The same thing that Paul said was a sin worthy of death. Oh, and there is a Commandment about the very same thing.

This brings us full circle. Why is God's messengers doing Him such a disservice? Everyone sins, I am told. It is what makes us human and weak. However, for a non-believer, watching these people makes it very hard to pay attention to the believers who live a just life worthy of being respected.

The more I see these people, the more I believe a better road is that which pushes you toward philosophy, specifically Plato. An unexamined life is not worth living. Seems to handle everything to me.