Can Someone Explain this Insane Church Video!

[romantico]

Run time: 02:48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6KGZ4UQjgc   Posted on YouTube: July 09, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 19, 2009 By DU Member: romantico Views on DU: 1794

 
Can someone explain this? Is this all a hoax? Was the communion drugged?Some kind of gas in the air? This is the mother of all WTF's!!! Oh, and please notice the children in the audience witnessing this(who will probably need some serious therapy after all this)

Creepy and disturbing! Is it just me or does his laugh sound like Burges Meredith as the Penguin?

[jimshoes]

1. Eeewww

No thanks.

[GreenEyedLefty]

2. Extremely stupid and suggestible people.

And yes, his laugh did sound like the Penguin's. ETA: he was clearly laughing AT them, not with them.

[JayMusgrove]

14. I agree with the extremely stupid and suggestible people...

I think this minister guy is laughing all the way to the bank.

[hedgehog]

3. Mass hysteria? Carbon dioxide poisoning? I've heard people

get all excited about "being slain by the Spirit" but the physical reactions are identical to those seen in Voudon ceremonies.

I have a theory that these practices were brought into the early Church by Gentiles. There was a tradition in the Mediterranean of using drugs or altered physical states to contact the gods (the Oracle of Delphi). It only makes sense that people would use the same methods to attempt to contact God.

I think Paul was rather put off by these practices but didn't feel it proper to condemn them outright. Instead, he suggested in his letter to the Galatians:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:


In other words, being "seized by the Spirit" was meaningless unless you changed the way you lived and treated people.

[madrchsod]

4. it`s part of the show in many fundy churches

the show depends how well the preacher and his shills in the congregation can sell the holy ghost spirit working through them. the spectacle depends on how willing the audience is willing to "participate".

hagee is one of the best in the christian show business

steve martin`s-"leap of faith" movie is about tent show preachers and how they con the rubes that believe in them.

[indimuse]

5. This has to be one of the

STRANGEST things I've EVER witnessed! omg... :wow: :scared:

[theoldman]

6. I think I can explain it.

Even the most intelligent people lose their brains when they are involved in religion or politics. I have witnessed this many times among my friends. It must be the God gene in their DNA. Something some of us were fortunate not to inherit. That is why we became Democrats.

[EmilyAnne]

7. Mushroom tea party?

[Cleita]

8. In the dark ages, that is in the early days of Bush's presidency before we had left

wing radio, left wing TV hosts and before I had discovered DU, I used to watch these religious shows just for the shock and awe and frankly for the amusement and entertainment value. There is so much weird stuff going on that I'm certain a lot of these hucksters really need to lose their tax free status. I don't know what to make of the church goers other than wondering how much Kool-Aid they get at communion.

[Buzz Clik]

9. It's choreographed. Mr. Fundy preacher wanted to spice up the proceedings.

Note that the drunkards are all in RESERVED seats.

It's cheaper than a choir.

[nebenaube]

11. More likely the product of hypnosis...

as was stated elsewhere, these are suggestible people. The man is a master of NLP.

[Laf.La.Dem.]

10. collection plate?

When did they pass the collection plate - before or after this "show":evilgrin:

[SmileyRose]

12. I grew up in this culture and it's very complicated.

It's all fake (of course) but it's not a hoax. It's not a matter of the preacher planting actors in the audience. Nothing like that. The truth is, most people raised in any culture will do what's expected of them to fit in - to a point. There's a need for acceptance in most humans that often requires us to turn off our brains to survive inside that culture. The christian fundies aren't the only ones.

Americans drive on the right because that's what we were taught to do. We follow that rule because it helps us survive in our culture. We also handshaking or fistbumps and all sorts of social manners.

In the fundy culture, you are taught that when "the spirit moves" on the preacher people pass out - our weak human bodies overcome by the spirit. And there is an acceptable amount of time one stays "passed out". The rules are very subtle and intricate - as are the rules in any culture. People co-operate willingly, just as they willingly pay their taxes and drive on the right generally near the posted speed limits. Most even convince themselves they were genuinely overcome by the spirit.

It works fine for most people raised in this culture. It didn't work for me nor my siblings. Partly because our mother was way too abusive with it. We all bolted - to the point where only one of her 5 children even speaks to her. Not out of anger, but because we have independently decided to protect ourselves and our families from her insanity.

My father was another story. He lived his whole life in the fundie culture, took from it what worked for him and was honest about the fact it isn't for everyone. He had respect for other people and other ways of being a decent person. He might be found dancing around the church, or passed out or whatever on any given sunday, but never, not once that I can recall, did he use his religion as a weapon against anyone. He believed abortion was wrong but criminalizing a medical procedure was a greater wrong. He believed in Jesus and the bible, but also believed hungry and sick people need food and medicine not a bunch of words - and missionary work in other countries that destroys eons of culture is just stupid.

So the fundies aren't monolithic. But I hope this helps explain some of what is going on.

[Warpy]

15. Thanks for the great explanation

and if the Irish Catholic church had ever seen any hilarity at all, instead of the steady drumbeat of guilt and shame, I might have found a reason to keep going. It's obvious what keeps the butts in the pews at this church.

I also see some pretty repressed people who are finally given permission to let go in this video. That can be pretty powerful, too.

Your dad sounds like a mensch. Your mom sounds like a deeply unhappy person who tries to spread it around, but even she deserves Xmas and birthday cards, maybe flowers on Mother's Day. You'll thank yourself when she's gone, no matter how she scarred your childhood.

Healing an abusive religious past is a journey, not a destination, with all sorts of detours and tracebacks along the way. May the road rise to meet you and your siblings, may the wind be always at your back.

[SmileyRose]

21. With Mom it won't happen.

If you ever knew me you'd know how incredibly remarkable it is that someone, anyone, was capable of hurting me so deeply and so often that I finally had to cut them off completely. Even more so it being a member of my family. She's in financial need now and I, with my siblings, financially contribute to her basic human needs. She is, after all, my mother.

She believes that all holidays are evil constructs of the devil. Even when I was attempting a relationship with her, I respected her wishes not to acknowledge any special days other than the Lord's day.

[Warpy]

22. Wow.

Just wow.

[midnight]

13. Truly looks like they are under the influence of some drugs, and

not the Lord!

[RobertSeattle]

16. Suggestability and learned behavior.

[otohara]

17. Holy Shit

Has a Jim Jones feel to it.

[notadmblnd]

18. those people are hypnotised

either that or they've drank too much of the communion wine. Maybe both?:shrug:

[specialed]

19. Group or mass hyponisis....

I've seen 10 people stand on a stage a cluck like a chicken. You just have to have people who are highly susceptible and open. If you're like me and don't trust anyone then you probably can't be hypnotized.

[silverweb]

20. Looks like a "laughing church" -- seriously.

I remember reading about this some time ago. Some evangelical churches encourage _"holy laughter"_ and one clown's name keeps coming up -- Rodney Howard Brown, an evangelical charlatan with a twist.

Some churches plant actors in the audience to get the laughter ball rolling, then the preacher claims it's the "Holy Spirit" making people laugh.

They're nuts.

[knitter4democracy]

26. That was my take on it. Laughing church.

They perceive of joy as laughter and use laughter to get that state of euphoria that they think of as being blessed with the Holy Spirit.

[Joanne98]

23. They're being possessed by the "laughing holy spirit"

Palin went to one of those churches. The truth is they're narcissists.

"I am special, I am special, look at me, look at me"

They'll do anything for attention.

[CANDO]

25. When I was a kid in a sort of fundie church...

That was exactly my impression of the ones who spoke out in tongues or allowed themselves to be knocked out in the holy spirit. It was the ones who needed to be special. They needed to prove they were righteous and holy to the rest of the congregation. I always saw right through the bullshit, and to this day I can't honestly say I'm a believer in a god. There might be one, or not. I refuse to believe by default just because it's what most others do.

[knitter4democracy]

27. Some of them are that way, true.

I remember sitting in church in college many times and hearing people speak out in tongues or with some "prophecy" that I knew was utter b.s. The pastor wouldn't say anything, but oddly enough, he never acted on that stuff, either. He just let them act out but didn't encourage it in any real way.

[tnlefty]

24. If it isn't a MadTV skit

it certainly should be!

[Billy Burnett]

28. Not as dangerous as a crowd after a Walmart discount plasma TV sale @ xmas,

but every bit as crazed.

[Shallah Kali]

29. an article on the history of one rw religious branch that practices holy laugter

Palin's Churches and the Holy Laughter Anointing
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/9/11/113733/968

Palin's Churches and the Holy Laughter Anointing (Video Link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_CkZWTvKBc

Rodney Howard Browne is recognized worldwide as the source of Holy Laughter anointing to revivals around the globe. He has become a central figure in the Third Wave, also known as the New Apostolic Reformation, and is credited with bringing Holy Laughter to the Toronto Airport Blessing and the Lakeland Outpouring. Howard-Browne is also a long time associate of Mike Rose, senior pastor of Juneau Christian Center, formerly the Bethel Assembly of God. When in residence in Juneau, Sarah Palin has chosen to attend Juneau Christian Center as documented by the church, and by the Alaska Assemblies of God state newsletter, Alaska Update.

Following is the documentation and sources for the video and accompanying article.



Mike Rose is the senior pastor of Juneau Christian Church, where Governor Sarah Palin attends when in residence in Juneau. The Alaska Update of the Alaska Assemblies of God featured a story on Palin’s attendance at the 2008 Alaska District Council and stated that “Superintendent Ted Boatsman, who was Palin’s junior high pastor at Wasilla Assembly of God, along with Pastor Mike Rose of Juneau Christian Center, where Palin presently attends church when in Juneau, laid hands on the Governor and led the Council in Prayer.”

Rose is well known as far away as Australia for his participation in the “new wave” of the Holy Spirit. Former General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Australia, Dr. Andrew Evans, has also been a supporter of the “new wave” and its manifestations which he lists as falling, shaking and drunkenness (in the Spirit),and uncontrollable weeping and laughing. (He has been a controversial figure for his belief that these manifestations would aid in church growth in his denomination in Australia although these activities have been repeatedly denounced as Deviant Behavior by the U.S. General Council.) Evans writes about Rose’s ability to manage these manifestations in his church without excessive disruption of services. He also notes that Rose had been an advisor to Rodney Howard-Browne’s Revival Ministries committee and had “sat in over 110 of Rodney’s meetings.” Andrew Evans went on to found the Family First Party of Australia.

Rodney Howard-Browne is one of the most controversial and publicized figures of the Third Wave movement. While many of the leaders have been almost invisible in the mainstream media, Howard-Browne and his Holy Laughter anointing have been covered by CNN ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxH7STCf3oU ) , Time, Newsweek, PBS ( http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week251/profile.html ), and numerous British media outlets. Howard-Browne refers to himself in many of these articles as the “Holy Ghost bartender.”

He is also one of the most controversial figures in the Evangelical world and is the subject of many hundreds of internet pages from other Evangelical and Fundamentalists discernment groups who view his unusual revival manifestations such as uncontrollable laughter, weeping, shrieking, and animal noises, as cultic. Other conservative Christians also find fault with Howard-Browne’s end time belief that a unified and purified church is currently being restored through a “great awakening” that is manifesting itself through these “signs and wonders.” Howard-Browne, like the other leaders of the Third Wave, believe that they are raising a great end time army that will take control of the world through spiritual warfare, and triumph over Satan before the millennial reign of Jesus. Many in the movement, such as C. Peter Wagner believe that the Apostolic age began in 2001. John Bevere, author of curriculum for the Master’s Commission of Wasilla Assembly of God, believes that he is teaching the final generation before the Millennial which he calculates will begin in 2028 or 2029.