This is the one hundred and forty-eighth installment in The Sounds of Fundamentalism series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a video clip that shows the crazy, cantankerous, or contradictory side of Evangelical Christianity, please send me an email with the name or link to the video. Please do not leave suggestions in the comment section. Let’s have some fun!
Today’s Sound of Fundamentalism is a video clip from a sermon by Steven Anderson, pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church, Tempe, Arizona.
Im not sure what has a bigger impact on people deconverting or at least moving towards the more progressive end of the christian equation, exposure to new ideas and different veiwpoints at college, or exposure to andersen. The world may never know?
He reminds me of my dad, who once said, “I don’t won’t nothin’ to do with no college.” Yep, in my family, getting an education was an act of rebellion. I am frustrated that this attitude not only persists in the 21st century, but seems to gaining a foothold.
In the UK Jehovahs witnesses rarely take higher education and it shows. When you talk to them it is clear they have no critical reasoning skills. You show them that what they have been taught is not in the bible but they can’t see it. I suspect education is discouraged in order to make the brain washing easier.
No, Steven, women going to college makes ***you*** stupid. Obviously.
Other bloggers posting this have had comments that Mrs A had surgery to save the lives of her twins. Sadly one died. Surgery on babies in utero needs a little more education than Mr A thinks appropriate. Added to that, he wrote that male gynaecologists are perverts…so maybe they should have relied on prayer not amazingly skilled surgeons and have both babies and their mother die horribly, leaving 8 little ones motherless – God’s will and all that.
Preying Pastor Anderson actually makes a good point regarding reading in this pulpit-fart sermon. He points out that reading assists people. He attacks college as a place full of atheists but he does emphasize that reading is very important. He suggests that people will soon find one another boring if they are not readers. I wonder if the preying Anderson has an opinion then on the president of the United States and the fact that he does not read books, just watches TV, morning and night?
I hesitate to admit that such a sour stew as Stephen Anderson can actually taste palatable for brief moments but that was my experience in watching him in this clip. I do fear that as he went on in his diatribe, he probably pointed out that the Bible was the only book really worth reading and that most of the others are stupid atheists and agnostics, people who do not realize that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom etc. There are many many believers quite proud to think that this statement means they should not read anything that is not vetted by the pastor.
Brian, I had the same reaction, horrifying as that is to admit. At this point, I’d be happy for the President to read anything. Known GOP-approved texts include: “Green Eggs and Ham”, “The Pet Goat”, and… wait for it… all 66 books of the Bible!
Come to think of it, that approved reading list shows the (I hope, fatal) flaw in the rabid Evangelical/GOP wolf at large; they are trying to read ancient, highly philosophical books written and edited by the most educated men of their day at the comprehension level of 8-year olds. All while denying that those same texts have been copied, edited, compiled, sometimes even forged and God knows what else over the years, leaving aside any controversies over what books/ parts did/did not make the cut to then be translated into the current editions; with literal translation not even being possible. It makes me want to hit them in the head with said Book until they grasp reality. And yes, sometimes I “proof-text” back too. lol