Christianity - holding the dead hostage

[Ford]

Ever been to a church funeral where the pastor had absolutely no clue about the state of faith of the deceased? Richly comic. They'll still burble on about the promise of everlasting life in heaven and refer to the resurrection of the deceased into a new and glorious life.

Oh yeah. The first funeral I recall was my grandma. The pastor kept going on about how "Helen is in a better place now."

We looked around like "who's Helen?" That was her name, but nobody called her that.

Many years later I found out that she was the reason for our family's fractured relationship with organized religion. She'd grown up Catholic, but when the Church wouldn't let her get married to my grandfather (because he wasn't Catholic or even all that religious) she went with the first church that would let them get hitched. Suddenly she was Lutheran. Not sincerely. Come to think of it I don't remember her ever going to church.

Anyway, at the funeral I noticed that the pastor clearly knew nothing about grandma, and I wasn't the only one who noticed.

 

[braces_for_impact]

I can see why wishful thinking unbelievers wouldnt want to worry about hell.

...We may as well keep looking to Catholic priests as to how to take care of children, or have a strong marriage. You have all lost your moral authority long ago, you just don't realize it yet.

Everytime an atheist tries to concern-troll me about nasty 'priests' doing horrible stuff I'm reminded of the fine investigative work done by Daniel Dennet and Dan Barker who discovered how many atheists there are masquerading as clergy.
Those atheist clergy (hedonistically enjoying life) certainly wouldn't be worried about a God who punishes sins like pedophilia and fraud and theft.

Again, right now, as you speak to me, I should see the love of Jesus shining through you. It should help dictate your behavior. It should help with your patience, and help provide you with insight and empathy. Instead you just antagonize and help solidify every atheist view on this forum that has to do with Jesus making his followers better people. "By their fruits ye shall know them". You are here not for discussion, not for dialogue or enhancing understanding. You're here to prove you're right, and you will do so at the expense of the dignity and feelings of anyone else here. You are an utter failure as a Christian, as are SO MANY before you that come here. So many in fact, it's become a running joke among those that follow other beliefs or none. SO go on, puff yourself up, tell yourself that Jesus would agree with you, he always seems to agree with his followers. Always,

 

[Lion IRC]

It takes a lot of intent to read that into what I said.