Going to one or more of these evangelical conventions and calling them on their shit?
Especially faith healers and prosperity preachers?
I am ALL for the freedom of religion, but these arseholes fleece the shit out of poor people who just want to believe in something greater than themselves.
Injustice pisses me off! And these stains on the underpants of life are actively, knowingly, willingly ruining people's lives!
Has anyone ever done this? Or is considering it?
Oh, for sure you'll get howled down, and be 'removed', but if you get even one person to start to question the bullshit, it could be worth it.
Thoughts? (I reckon I can already guess the responses of some of you).
I guess if that is how you want to die... You would probably have better luck establishing a youtube channel and sharing the bejeezus out it with your chosen audience- assuming you have fact-based evidence to back up your claims. If people were willing to believe truth there would be no religions. I think televangelists are some of the lowest life forms. They have no interest in converting non-believers, but rather manipulating believers. They have no proof but have learned just what lies to tell to trigger emotional responses from their audiences. Kind of like a certain world leader we all are familiar with.
It's a lost cause brother. Sounds good though. I figure religion is never going away unless we have groups that open their doors around the same time churches do. A lot of people are still affraid of the consequences of being part of us and they hide their faces from the public. Pluss we got a lot of gutsy people that are loud talkers on here and would dodge the crowd if we became public. We're still evolving. Maybe in a few years we can group with our so called proof and challenge them.
There was a family friend I knew years ago who lived his life without much belief in anything. He also lived his life as a closeted gay man. Sadly, he was diagnosed with HIV and even sadder, that was before many drugs now treating and allowing people afflicted to live full lives, was available.
Once he realized he would soon be dying a horrible death, he looked everywhere for not only a cure, but comfort. He started with the mystic crowd and surrounded himself with stones and salt rocks and when that didn't work, moved on to "witches" and voodoo priestesses. In the end he was sitting front row at our most "holy" of Catholic churches praying feverishly for help and forgiveness. Who knows if he found peace (he certainly didn't find a cure) and while it is easy enough for us to tsk-tsk all those things, none of us were him in those final months. If it provides some with hope or a sense of redemption, what can we say about it? It's not for me to take another's comfort away anymore than I want my bottle of whiskey torn from my hands after my latest break-up.
And as for the swindler "healers"? Well, shame on them but who isn't swindling? Strippers swindle lonely old men and scratch tickets swindle me. Colleges swindle everyone who walks in the doors and the govt swindles everyone with the audacity to be born. I wear a padded bra and dye my hair! We're all cons and getting conned. And then we're dead.
I think most men do convince themselves the stripper is in love with only them and what do you mean "miniscule"?! This is my retirement plan.
Ha! Just today on our local Craigslist missed connection page! Look at this poor fool. Dig his zodiac reference though. That combo is actually a good match.
if people are that stupid they deserve it. you don't see these people in hospitals.
You have to remember that most of these people voted for Trump knowing what kind of person he is. I seriously doubt you can tell them anything that will convince them that these charlatans are fake.
Sorry, didn't realize you were in New Zealand. My answer is pretty much the same. They are so ingrained in their convictions that nothing we can say will change their minds.
Unfortunately, I think the congregants are so hopeful for healing or prosperity that they aren't receptive to criticism of the teachings and practices. They so desperately want an end to their suffering or to see a quick way out of debt that they will spend money they don't have in hopes of attaining those goals.
On the other side of the coin, a fool and his money are soon parted. Been happening since currency was invented. Or probably even before! Doing what you're suggesting won't affect any change.
I would go with a group-numbers make more noise