Christian Nightmares Too: An Interview with a Gay Former Southern Baptist Pastor

[intaglio]

Via The Friendly Atheist
This is a long read but well worth it for all that.

as posted on Christian Nightmares Too: An Interview with a Gay Former Southern Baptist Pastor

A few months ago, I got a nice email from Larry Pate, the man behind the blog Holy Fucking ShitBalls. It included the following:

As a seminary-educated, former Southern Baptist pastor, I’ve witnessed (and embarrassingly participated in) the scam known as organized religion from the inside out. Hence, I have no qualms about exposing it for what it is.

/snip

Can you tell us a little about your background? Where did you grow up? Were you raised as a Christian?

...I held a number of leadership positions at the BSU and at the church during the four years in which I earned my Bachelor’s degree, finally becoming paid staff my senior year at the church. While this was uncharacteristically a “high church” tradition for Baptists and far from the little country church in which I was raised with its emphasis on Biblical literalism, it was still a safe haven for me to escape peer pressures and a college culture that, at the time, I considered to be hopelessly hedonistic.

/snip

In your first email to me, you referred to organized religion as a scam. What do you mean by that?

The Abrahamic religions—Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—have been institutionalized to such a degree through elaborate buildings, salaried professional staff, print and electronic media productions, and partisan political activities that the tribal roots of all of these Bronze Age traditions are long lost. Christianity, which I know best, has become corporatized, most especially in America. It requires revenues over expenditures, i.e., profits, in which to perpetuate and inculcate the culture with elaborate, even theatrical messages of salvation and redemption. One need look no further than the emergence of televangelism during the last quarter of the 20th century, the slick studios, adoring audiences on their feet, and of course, “all major cards accepted” by all of these predatory, proselytizing rackets....

[longship]

1. Wow! A great read.

Thank you for posting this.

I recommend a click through to the long interview. It is compelling.

R&K

[starroute]

2. So religion is basically part of the entertainment industry

That explains a lot.

[cbayer]

3. Well, his pendulum certainly took a mighty swing.

He is articulate, has a fascinating history and a great story to tell.

But he calls religionists "brain dead primates", showing the same kind of bigotry and intolerance that caused him to leave the church.

I hope he comes back towards center.

[MellowDem]

4. Where did he say that?

It's not in the article anywhere.

His pendulum took a mighty swing in the right direction, no need to go back.

And criticizing people, even rudely, for the beliefs they hold is not bigotry.

I think his story was a great example of the harm religion does to people and exposes the foundational problem of religion: a belief system based on a dangerous and illogical mode of thinking, one that requires adherents to engage in intellectual dishonesty and cognitive dissonance.

[cbayer]

5. It's on his website.

I am not surprised that you see it as the right direction, as your pendulum seems to be firmly implanted over there.

Have a very mellow day, mellow dem.

[MellowDem]

6. Which website?

I'm very happy for this guy. He was indoctrinated into religion at a young age like millions of children are, and it made his life hell, and others as well, for years. Religion is a poison, and his story is a good example of that.

[rug]

7. Holy Fucking ShitBalls

Academic credentials in social science, theology and public administration, now a retired healthcare administrator, non-scene, misanthropic gay dude with passions for liberal politics, human rights and social justice issues, atheism, canines, controversies, and whatever the hell I find fascinating, fun, freaky, or fucked. Shamelessly offensive to religionists, Republicans, and other brain-dead primates. Avatar is Brutus and Buster, my best buddies and my gods.

http://holygoddamnshitballs.tumblr.com/

[cbayer]

8. As Rug points out, it's called Holy Fucking Shitballs.

With a name like that, one can feel assured that he has freed himself of all cognitive dissonance and intellectual dishonesty, and has simply moved into a space of being as offensive as he possibly can.

What a relief that he has been "saved".

[MellowDem]

9. What an awesome site!

He's ridiculing religious beliefs just like DU ridicules conservative beliefs. No coincidence that they often overlap. Nothing bigoted there. I've seen plenty worse right here on DU describing conservatives of all stripes.

Guess what, religion is a belief system, not an ethnicity, race, etc. It has no special privilege, and should be criticized, mocked, etc. like any other idea, especially by those who were most harmed by it.

This guy was indoctrinated by religion to hate himself. It took years of his life away. Religion is fucked up, and I have no problem with him making fun of those who push it on the rest of us.

[cbayer]

10. Yes he is!

Too bad that's not permitted here, as the owners of the site understand that religious beliefs often overlap with liberal/progressive beliefs.

See, here's the difference. This is a site for liberal and progressive democrats. His is a site for religion haters!

Religion does have special privilege here, just like ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, etc. You might want to review the TOS and CS on the matter.

He's now indoctrinated to hate others who have a different view of religion than him!!

Yippee!

Keep on being mellow, mellow dem.

[MellowDem]

11. What's wrong with a site for religion haters?

What about a site for conservatism haters? I'm sure DU is described that way by the right.

You are right that religion and the religious have lots of privilege, even right here on DU. They are given special treatment for no good reason. That's kinda the definition of privilege.

Why should one idea (religion) be treated differently from another (political ideologies), especially when they overlap?

I understand why a progressive site that wants to keep a coalition of all sorts of people together would do it. It's a practical consideration, not one based on whether it makes any logical sense.

As for him being indoctrinated to hate others, that's pretty low. The guy was actually indoctrinated as a child, like many people still are, and which is totally immoral but still upheld by even people on this site. As a fully grown adult, through critical thinking, he came to the conclusions he did. The exact opposite of childhood indoctrination. And I see nothing on there where he actually "hates" religious people. The quote itself looks tongue in cheek, many on DU say similar things about conservatives, but few "hate" conservatives, and the guy says as much in the article (if you read it). He puts it pretty well actually. I'll quote it for you if you want me to.

Seriously, the logical leaps one has to make to defend the indefensible.

[cbayer]

12. Nothing. I think you would feel right at home on one.

But this isn't one of them and I thought you should be aware of that.

Your cognitive dissonance and intellectual dishonesty are a sight to behold! To say nothing of your being fully indoctrinated into religion hating.

See you around. This degree of hostility makes me really uncomfortable, as it is totally at odds with how I think most liberal/progressive people think of and treat others. I am sorry I engaged with you and will refrain from doing so in the future.

[cleanhippie]

13. It's apparent that you have zero sense of irony.

Wow. Just wow.

[skepticscott]

15. Sheesh, no kidding

for this poster, of all people, to accuse someone else of "cognitive dissonance and intellectual dishonesty" is truly amazing.

[cleanhippie]

14. Hey! Welcome to the club!

It seems that you have joined the chosen few! Welcome. We've been waiting for you.