So I went to church the other night.... (My undercover experience)

Unlucky13
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So I went to church the other night.... (My undercover experience)

    My best friend is an Evangelical Christian. He goes to this mega-church that seats thousands. I asked him to take me to his church the other night (which blew his mind) so that I could see for myself what these people are being taught. Upon arriving, I couldn't believe just how HUGE this church was. I've seen arenas smaller than this church. It had a full-size bookstore, cafe, and who knows what else (I only saw about 1/4th of it) all run by the church itself, i.e.-all the profit goes back to the church (keep that in mind). Within 10 minutes of the start of the sermon, they sent collection plates through the congregation, which almost everyone that I saw was donating plenty of cash.

The particular night I went there they had a special guest speaker who talked about sexuality and God. Now, I consider myself a well-educated person, but for the life of me I could not figure out what the hell this guy was talking about. He kept referring to how God wants couples to have 'Big Sex' instead of 'Little Sex', without ever really explaining what the hell either means. He used comedy and high-energy antics to get the crowd laughing and thinking that they are enjoying his illogical rant.

 At the begining of his sermon he made mention about how he is traveling all over the US and selling his books and audio stuff. After his sermon he made mention of it again, only saying that he would appreciate any donations that the church members could give to allow him to continue on his tour. Almost immediately I was handed a donation plate by an usher. I passed it on without giving the guy a dime of course, but when I looked around, people were throwing all kinds of bills into those plates. Now this was a big church, and it was packed. There had to be at least 1000 people and I can't imagine how much money was donated, but it couldn't have been less than $1000.

This guy made at least $1000 just by giving some completely stupid rant, spicing it up with some antics, and backed it up by quoting a few Bible verses that he re-interpreted to fit his point of view. Now, this occurred after they had already donated an even bigger amount of cash to the church itself earlier in the service. At this point I was completely dumbfounded. When the service finally ended, I was walking out of the church with my friend and walked by an enormous crowd of people. I looked closer to see what the fuss was about and it was a line of tables with stacks of this guy's book on them. He was sitting behind the table signing autographs. When I looked even closer, I noticed that he was selling audio CD's on all kinds of subjects for $20 each and his books were $25-$45 each. People were crowding around to buy this stuff. 

When I finally left the church I felt so pissed off. These people were being ripped off by some witty speaker and spending more than I make in a day's work by going to church! I asked my friend later if he noticed how much money was being thrown around there, and he said no. I told him all the things that I noticed and his only response was "It's always like that, every Sunday and Wednesday." Surprised

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American Atheist
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...

...Surprised


MattShizzle
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People pay all that money

People pay all that money for that bullshit. Sucks.


hillbillyatheist
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I went under cover to a

I went under cover to a pentecostal revival meeting one time, and recorded the service. then later I took some clips from the service and made a show out of it, playing the clips, and then and joking about them with my co-hosts.  (warning, this show contains strong langauge and lowbrow humor, you have been warned!)
http://www.hillbillyatheist.com/RRH%203-25.mp3


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Heh heh. I just subscribed

Heh heh. I just subscribed to your podcast.


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Unlucky13 wrote: He kept

Unlucky13 wrote:

He kept referring to how God wants couples to have 'Big Sex' instead of 'Little Sex', without ever really explaining what the hell either means. He used comedy and high-energy antics to get the crowd laughing and thinking that they are enjoying his illogical rant.

First, it sounds like the preacher is a salesman instead of a minister.  If he's that good of a speaker, can you just imagine how much good he could do if he was trying to get donations for the MS Society?

Second, I'd really REALLY like to know the definitions of "Big Sex" and "Little Sex".  Is there a chance you could contact this guy and ask?

Or would you have to buy his book/cassette/video? 

I'd like to hear some RRS thoughts on what "Big Sex" and "Little Sex" might be, too. 

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Susan wrote: I'd like to

Susan wrote:
I'd like to hear some RRS thoughts on what "Big Sex" and "Little Sex" might be, too.

Of course it probably doesn't mean anything, because the preacher isn't going to be graphic. Maybe he means using more than the missionary position?


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I'm thinking 'Big Sex' =

I'm thinking 'Big Sex' = Large families and 'Little Sex' = Small families


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22jesus22 wrote: I'm

22jesus22 wrote:
I'm thinking 'Big Sex' = Large families and 'Little Sex' = Small families

 

Nope, I just looked it up..."big sex" involves meth, altar boys, and a Creed CD playing in the background.

 


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hahaha, I tried for hours

hahaha, I tried for hours last night to look up the church I went to and I can't find it anywhere. I don't remember his name at all.

He had a full size bed placed in the middle of stage and pointed to that bed when he referred to big sex, and then he pulled out a tiny replica of that bed when he said little sex. He would then go back and forth jumping on the big bed and the little bed. I really tried hard to figure out what the hell he was talking about but I failed. 

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Unlucky13
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22jesus22 wrote: I'm

22jesus22 wrote:
I'm thinking 'Big Sex' = Large families and 'Little Sex' = Small families

No, I'm pretty sure that wasn't it. The only interpretation that I got from it was that he wanted people to have meaningful sex with their partner. That being said, if you are married when you have sex, like Christians urge, then who gives a fuck if the sex that you have is meaningful for just for the hell of it?

ASK A PRIEST!!!!

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I guess, for that preacher,

I guess, for that preacher, size DOES matter.  Sealed

 


22jesus22
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ahahahah that was

ahahahah that was good.

 

You should have got up and asked what the hell this guy was talking about. 


healthy.addictions
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We don't have any mega

We don't have any mega churches around here (or at least that I know of).

That's crap though...


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....Wednesday? T'fuck? 

....Wednesday?

T'fuck? 


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HealingBlight

HealingBlight wrote:

....Wednesday?

T'fuck?

Oh yes, Wednesday is a common middle-of-the-week night for church activities.

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"The Root of All Evil?" with

"The Root of All Evil?" with Richard Dawkins shows a Megachurch with Ted Haggard.  Creepy stuff.


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I've seen and been to a few

I've seen and been to a few of those churches.  I've always wondered two things about them:

1. since when did worship become about the coffee shops and money?   Humility is the first point and I cannot see how having these mega-chruches accomplish this.

2. what would happen if a person who looked like a bum tried to get in?  A friend of mine thought up a challenge - give a homeless person 100 bucks.  For him/her to earn that money, take him/her to a church and ask them to attend the service.  Who cares if that person is a believer or not, just ask them to sit there for the hour and when it's done, walk out slowly.  According to the bible you are to hold no judgements and accept ANYONE who comes to you.  I'm sure you got to experience people coming up to you and saying hello and asking you to sign a guestbook or whatever...would they do the same for someone who looked homeless?

James 2:2-4 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

I don't attend a mega church and typically I avoid them.  They are a distraction to what is supposed to be the purpose of why you go in the first place - God. 

What is faith? Is it to believe that which is evident? No. It is perfectly evident to my mind that there exists a necessary, eternal, supreme, and intelligent being. This is no matter of faith, but of reason. - Voltaire


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How, then, do you defend

How, then, do you defend pastors like Pat Robertson, Ted Haggard, and Jerry Falwell who make a killing off of preaching? I understand that preachers need to make a modest living in order to survive. That is fine. But when you have people like those guys who sit there and tell people who don't make a mere fraction of what they do to donate to their church or BS organization, it becomes hard to understand how people just play into this shit.

ASK A PRIEST!!!!

I am collecting questions for the next couple of weeks. Do you have a question you'd like to ask a priest? Post it here:

http://www.rationalresponders.com/forum/sapient/atheist_vs_theist/5959


Renee Obsidianwords
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Unlucky13 wrote: 22jesus22

Unlucky13 wrote:

22jesus22 wrote:
I'm thinking 'Big Sex' = Large families and 'Little Sex' = Small families

No, I'm pretty sure that wasn't it. The only interpretation that I got from it was that he wanted people to have meaningful sex with their partner. That being said, if you are married when you have sex, like Christians urge, then who gives a fuck if the sex that you have is meaningful for just for the hell of it?

After watching "Friends of God" I get the feeling that big sex vs little sex is all about the orgasm. They say Christians do it best. HA! Wink

Slowly building a blog at ~

http://obsidianwords.wordpress.com/


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Unlucky13 wrote: 22jesus22

Unlucky13 wrote:

22jesus22 wrote:
I'm thinking 'Big Sex' = Large families and 'Little Sex' = Small families

No, I'm pretty sure that wasn't it. The only interpretation that I got from it was that he wanted people to have meaningful sex with their partner. That being said, if you are married when you have sex, like Christians urge, then who gives a fuck if the sex that you have is meaningful for just for the hell of it?

Slowly building a blog at ~

http://obsidianwords.wordpress.com/


razorphreak
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Unlucky13 wrote: How, then,

Unlucky13 wrote:
How, then, do you defend pastors like Pat Robertson, Ted Haggard, and Jerry Falwell who make a killing off of preaching? I understand that preachers need to make a modest living in order to survive. That is fine. But when you have people like those guys who sit there and tell people who don't make a mere fraction of what they do to donate to their church or BS organization, it becomes hard to understand how people just play into this shit.

I don't.  I read someone write, "All Christians are either missionaries or hypocrites."  An example would be Rick Warren and how he's used the money from his book sales for charities.  All workers deserve their wages as it's written but to say you are worth millions and claim to be a servant of God is a contradiction of terms.  This is why I don't agree with the so called "mega churches" because how modest or Jesus driven are you when you are spending more money on the church and so called missions to visit Europe when that money is more than some make in a year.

What is faith? Is it to believe that which is evident? No. It is perfectly evident to my mind that there exists a necessary, eternal, supreme, and intelligent being. This is no matter of faith, but of reason. - Voltaire


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razorphreak

razorphreak wrote:

Unlucky13 wrote:
How, then, do you defend pastors like Pat Robertson, Ted Haggard, and Jerry Falwell who make a killing off of preaching? I understand that preachers need to make a modest living in order to survive. That is fine. But when you have people like those guys who sit there and tell people who don't make a mere fraction of what they do to donate to their church or BS organization, it becomes hard to understand how people just play into this shit.

I don't. I read someone write, "All Christians are either missionaries or hypocrites." An example would be Rick Warren and how he's used the money from his book sales for charities. All workers deserve their wages as it's written but to say you are worth millions and claim to be a servant of God is a contradiction of terms. This is why I don't agree with the so called "mega churches" because how modest or Jesus driven are you when you are spending more money on the church and so called missions to visit Europe when that money is more than some make in a year.

It seems so many of them love 1 Chronicles 4:10 and give little if any service to Luke 11.

"I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions."
— George Carlin


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These people are all naieve

These people are all naieve pawns for preachers who should really be called snake-oil salesmen or con men. My partner's parents give their preacher $400 a month in tithes and $100-$200 for every wedding or funeral he babbles at but refused to put her through college...how's THAT for morals? This man collects money at rehearsals for choir, if that tells you anything. When your preacher comes before your family, there's a problem. Truth is, that's what most of these people do. It's not about intellect and these salesmen know that. It's about making people THINK they're learning something valuable when the time, energy and money they throw into it could be spent doing something more productive. Imagine spending 4 hours of your day and $100 to be told to be nice to your neighbors. Humans are hedonists but faithers are the most extreme. It really is ALL ABOUT ME to them and they'll blindly pay anyone to ramble on to them about why they are the center of the universe. It's no wonder other countries are out performing us.

Flemming Rose: “When [christians] say you are not showing respect, I would say: you are not asking for my respect, you are asking for my submission….”


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Unlucky13 wrote: The

Unlucky13 wrote:

The particular night I went there they had a special guest speaker who talked about sexuality and God. Now, I consider myself a well-educated person, but for the life of me I could not figure out what the hell this guy was talking about. He kept referring to how God wants couples to have 'Big Sex' instead of 'Little Sex', without ever really explaining what the hell either means. He used comedy and high-energy antics to get the crowd laughing and thinking that they are enjoying his illogical rant.

Almost immediately I was handed a donation plate by an usher. I passed it on without giving the guy a dime of course, but when I looked around, people were throwing all kinds of bills into those plates. Now this was a big church, and it was packed. There had to be at least 1000 people and I can't imagine how much money was donated, but it couldn't have been less than $1000.

This guy made at least $1000 just by giving some completely stupid rant, spicing it up with some antics, and backed it up by quoting a few Bible verses that he re-interpreted to fit his point of view.

I was walking out of the church with my friend and walked by an enormous crowd of people. I looked closer to see what the fuss was about and it was a line of tables with stacks of this guy's book on them. He was sitting behind the table signing autographs. When I looked even closer, I noticed that he was selling audio CD's on all kinds of subjects for $20 each and his books were $25-$45 each. People were crowding around to buy this stuff.

 

Sex sells!!! 

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BenfromCanada
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I think I found him online.

I think I found him online. He's a VERY minor preacher named Phil Jeansome, all his stuff is on archive.org. Here's his "Big Sex, Little Sex or No Sex"