A Conversation for American TV Evangelists
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Mustapha Started conversation Nov 18, 1999
Nice article, but it omits one crucial facet of the TVangelist.
Sin and Redemption.
Every single one of them at some point either runs afoul of the IRS or has trouble keeping the Sixth Commandment (that one about adultery).
This is not a result of weak-will or the Devil - it's divine insurance. it makes the punters believe that anyone can sin and that anyone can be redeemed. Plus if you keep thumping on about sin, all the while forgetting about one's own little transgressions, it's going to be pretty embarrassing when you get to the Pearly Gates, St Pete looks in his big black book and says "Oh dear, tsk, tsk!" So it pays to commit one big sin every once in a while, just so you canget forgiven for it and anything else you might have done. A kind of karmic colonic, an enema of the anima.
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Fruitbat (Eric the) Posted Nov 18, 1999
I liked that: Karmic colonic; enema of the anima. What happens to them when their karma runs over their dogma?
You make a very good point which I hadn't seen before: thanks.
This illustrates the point that the only unintentionally-funny programme on television after politics is organised religion (makes me think of the film Elmer Gantry, actually).
Fruitbat
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Mustapha Posted Nov 18, 1999
Cheers!
There's another point I forgot to mention.
Pride and humility. Without the latter, you succumb to the former. Pride, while not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, is still one of the Seven Deadly Sins. And Pride is the Sin of Lucifer. If you ever want to annoy one of these people, ask them if they're proud of what they do (they'll invariably say yes), and then tell them that little tidbit.
Mustapha the Inquisitor
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
WowbaggerTIP Posted Nov 19, 1999
Nice one, man. That's another cannon in my philosophical arsenal.
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Potholer Posted Nov 21, 1999
That reminds me of a recent documentary ('The real Tammy Faye', or similar), about the collapse of the TV church run by Jim Bakker (I think). Whilst Tammy Faye herself came across as a pretty genuine person, there was some really
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Potholer Posted Nov 21, 1999
damn, clicked too soon
... sinister-looking guy who ran another televangelist network who turned up to 'help out', but ended up taking over the whole operation for his own ends. If I've ever seen anyone who conjures up the image of a biblical serpent, it was this guy, though I suppose a serpent wouldn't have had his talent for stabbing people in the back.
I think one of the very big problems when power and money start getting involved in religion is that they both bring out the worst in some people, and in an environment where the majority of people are forgiving and trusting (particularly of someone who mouths the right mantras), it's very, very easy for some unwholesome people to slither their way towards the top.
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
WowbaggerTIP Posted Nov 21, 1999
Put it this way: next time you see a disgustingly full toilet, notice what floats to the top....
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Locke Huntsley Posted Sep 22, 2000
i gotta agree with most of you. the thing is, tho, that we have had sooooo many screwed up televangalists, that we don't even care about the legit ones. there are some out there who truely want to win souls to jesus, and truly want to help out those less fortunate. the problem is, we have no idea how to tell them apart if we did, this whole problem wouldn't happen.
locke huntsely
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Potholer Posted Sep 22, 2000
Even if there *are* any non-screwed up ones, just because they're on TV doesn't mean they're better than anyone else, and if you really can't be sure, it seems safer to ignore the lot. I reckon you're more much more likely to encounter someone worthwhile and worth trusting in Real Life. (or even on h2g2)
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Locke Huntsley Posted Sep 25, 2000
yeah, all in all i gotta agree. and, i don't think i said they were better than anyone. they aren't. and, yeah, your right, it probably is safer to just ignore all of them. if you really want to know about jesus, ask a person at the church.
locke huntsley
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Potholer Posted Sep 26, 2000
I didn't really mean 'you' as in *you*, but more 'you' as in *one*, but saying '...one is much more likely to encounter...' would have sounded a little pretentious.
P
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
Potholer Posted Sep 26, 2000
Actually, I'm not sure who or what else I'd *really* want to pretend to be.
Key: Complain about this post
Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned...
- 1: Mustapha (Nov 18, 1999)
- 2: Fruitbat (Eric the) (Nov 18, 1999)
- 3: Mustapha (Nov 18, 1999)
- 4: WowbaggerTIP (Nov 19, 1999)
- 5: WowbaggerTIP (Nov 19, 1999)
- 6: Potholer (Nov 21, 1999)
- 7: Potholer (Nov 21, 1999)
- 8: WowbaggerTIP (Nov 21, 1999)
- 9: Locke Huntsley (Sep 22, 2000)
- 10: Potholer (Sep 22, 2000)
- 11: Locke Huntsley (Sep 25, 2000)
- 12: Potholer (Sep 26, 2000)
- 13: Mustapha (Sep 26, 2000)
- 14: Potholer (Sep 26, 2000)
More Conversations for American TV Evangelists
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."