Friday, May 4, 2012

PUNCH OUT THE GAY

A North Carolina pastor managed to hit the news this week. Twice. First, advocating that parents slap any wrists that look like they might be getting a little limp. Which was followed with the usual "I didn't really mean it the way it sounded."

The full name of the church, if anyone is interested, is the Berean Baptist Church. It's in Fayetteville, North Carolina. That's for anyone bored enough to take the time to read their list of things they claim to believe in.

First, this situation is a prime example of the trap the literalists fall into. Being gay is wrong because the Bible says so. But, when the interviewer asked this sorry excuse for a pastor about the verses upholding slavery, well it wasn't a pretty sight. And, apparently, those verses are not to be taken literally. There was a plaintive comment on the second article. The poster wanted to know if there was a "big book" somewhere that divided the Bible into the things were were supposed to take literally and everything else. Nope, there isn't.

Some of the other comments that just about drove me up the wall had to do with the pastor. "He's the pastor, He's obviously been called by God. And if God called him, that's it. He's the leader, and everybody else needs to fall into line." Nope. No. Never. Whatever path you choose, traditional, pagan, mix of the two. No one, I repeat, no one has the right to stand between you and the calling of your heart.

I did get a kick out of one post. The comment ran along the lines of "Ok, you convinced your kid to at least act like a little man. In the meantime he's learned to fear and distrust you. Call it karma, the rule of three, do unto others, whatever. It would serve you right if the kid is six foot two by the time he hits the tean years and weighs in at about 225. Good luck."

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