You people can go to these mega churches and see how partisan they truly are...

[WCGreen]

I went to this Church on the Rise here in Westlake, Ohio for over a few months, I wrote an on-line piece about the pastor and other church speakers going right up to the edge of non-partisan and stuck a toe or two over the line.

For instance, they would set up special political forums that were non-partisan in name only. There would be nothing but republican elected officials as well as GOP candidates. They never mentioned the political party but there were no democrats in any of the three or four "non-partisan" forums we attended.

These mega churches collect gobs of tax deductible "offerings" and pay their preachers hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and percs, such as luxury cars for the church big wigs to motor around in because nothing says Jesus than cars that cost more than the shelters for the poor.

It sickens me. BTW, the UU church I was a board member also paid the pastor very well although we did not get into any political stuff. We did have democrats and republicans out to talk to the flock after services on Sundays. We did it as well just not as brazen or as pervasive.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. But you'd better hope the IRS doesn't pay any special attention to them!

Or you'll hear squealing from them about being 'persecuted.'

[snooper2]

2. It's a scam, I wonder what percentage of pastors, priests,

don't believe in god....

Just play the part a couple times a week to make easy money.

[Scuba]

4. +1

[Arugula Latte]

9. Religion = biggest scam in human history

[liberal N proud]

3. Not very far from you at all, the Church were attending was much the same

Not near as big as Church on the Rise but they wanted to be.

One day, I was told that if I were a Christian, I had to also be a republican. They are the church of the almighty dollar over everything else though.

[nebenaube]

7. ergo, christian = republican = fascist

[upaloopa]

5. I used to live in the mountains east of Bakersfield CA

It is about as wing nut of a city as there is. I use to write progressive letters to the editor just to get some balance on the editorial page. I always got my letters printed. Then my wife and I went to the local UU church in Bakersfield and when I introduced myself they knew who I was by my letters. They would save a copy of my letters and put them on a bulliten board with other articles they gathered.

[Ikonoklast]

6. Telling White Suburbanites that they are better than everyone else is always a winning strategy with

the "Megachurch" business model.

Throw in a little casual anti-Semitism and subtle racism, and you win the Trifecta.

[WCGreen]

11. In the childrens wing, where they indoctrinate the kiddies....

They had all these heroes from the Bible. You know, David, Jesus, Saul, Moses et all. They all looked like Swedes, blue eyed and blond locks...

The villains of the Bible looked like characters from the Nazi propaganda comic book populated by Jews as Money changers.

It would have been hilarious if it weren't so ominous.

[Ikonoklast]

13. Murkin' Jeebus.

We Are Doomed.

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

14. Where is his dinosaur?

Isn't he supposed to be riding a T Rex or Allosaurus or something?

[Ikonoklast]

15. Jeebus is more worried about herbivores than any meat-eating dinosaur.

Looks like he's guarding a marijuana patch with his trusty shootin' iron.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. K&R for a timely and well-written post.

[hunter]

10. They can't see themselves as the hypocrites and pharisees their Bible condemns.

God has blessed America and they are His chosen people.

It makes them feel good to attend a church that tells them God rewards their faith by granting them prosperity.

[Initech]

12. I couldn't go to my church anymore after the partisan nutjobs came out of the woodwork.

It was fun for a while, made some new friends, things like that. Before it was like a UU - everything was about peace, love, helping poor people, and building a community. But after 9/11 happened the church did a complete 180 and started following all the crazy preachers that were joining lockstep with the Bush administration and that's why I don't go anymore.