RogerLeeCooke

Was it really 1988? I thought I remembered seeing it as early as 1976, when I was still living in my previous house. But you are probably right. I still remember a reporter asking him if he would accept the description "front-runner." That must have been right after the Iowa caucus.

Pensee

Up until very recently (like a week or two ago), I would occassionally watch The 700 Club and shows on TBN and listen to Xian radio. I'd be in absolute amazement that I ever believed in that stuff.

But lately, I can't handle more than 5 seconds of it before it makes me sick, so I don't watch or listen to any of it right now.

Pensee

I would tend to think it had to be '88, b/c I vaguely remember it. Of course, I was only 8 at the time, so I could have really screwed up a memory of some adults' conversation. But I remember my grandma talking about Pat Robertson running for Pres.

Opera Nut

I can't handle any of those Jeezer channels, whether it's the TBN blue haired 50 foot woman or Rush Ass-Cyst on the radio. Just can't deal with it at all. They make it sound like it's a special favored social club. If you join, all your problems will fall away and Gawd will bless you with all the goodies you want. And even asnwer your prayers.
One problem: It doesn't work.

Debbie T

Hi Stardust, I haven't watched the 700 club in awhile but like you I couldn't handle it very long.

Why do you think you believed it? For me I believed because I was raised up in the religion. I stopped believing when I was seeing what Christians say and what they actually do. They seemed to always be in opposition to what they said. Plus parts of the bible didn't make sense when I started understanding what it was actually saying, not what Christians told me it said. Again more opposition. When I realized that 1 + 1 does equal 2 was when I turned my back on all the lies of Christianity. Still to this day when I listen to a Christian or read their words, or watch their programs, I can only think if their truly was a devil, he certainly pulled the wool over Christians' eyes.

I realized when I left Christianity (Pentecostal) what a cult it is. Twenty years later I am still convinced it is a cult. Accepted as it is, it is still a mind controlling cult. The ones such as Robertson, Falwell and Paul and Jan Crouch rake in the big bucks taking from people who haven't much to give and live in high style. The people they (including all the churches) take from have been well trained to rake over 10% of their income. I know there are many that can barely feed their children yet faithfully tithe, while their children do without. I know because I was one of those children. Talk about mind control!

I also remember reading George Orwell's 1984 when I was in high school. The doublespeak reminds me how Christians' speak.

Pensee

Hi, Debbie. I think I believed because I was an extremely gullible child. (Not just in a religious sense, either.) But especially when it came to religion. It never occurred to me that the adults in my life could be wrong about religion and god and Jesus and the bible. They trusted Jan & Paul, so it was natural for me to do the same. When I watched them, I didn't see much difference between their "Praise the Lord" shows and our church services. I thought that's what Xianity was all about. Since they were "true" Xians, they automatically had my trust that they weren't deceiving people.

So, yes, I'd say it was because I was raised up in the religion as well. Let's just thank our lucky stars that we're no longer among the deceived.

Even though I trusted everyone in the church, they all ended up being hypocrites. (Pastor had affair with secretary; youth pastor (and my cousin's best friend) had affair with my Wednesday night bible teacher (my cousin's wife); youth pastor's wife had affair with my friend's dad; that same friend's mom had affair with another married man in the church.) Even when I found out about it, it just meant that they fell away, not that Xianity itself was wrong. Religious beliefs are so thoroughly grounded into someone who's been raised in the church; to question and doubt the entire thing is unthinkable.

Debbie, you remind me so much of myself. I could have written everything you did (with the exception of realizing the falsity of Xianity in the difference between what Xians say and what they do), even the 1984 "doublethink" part. I also found the resemblence astounding.

Mr.Sunshine

Back in my pot head period about 20 years ago I used to get off on smokeing a big tater and then watching Jim and Tammy Baker on the PTL Club.I mean good pot and that Pentecostal hokus pokus are as entertaining as good pot and The Allmand Brothers Band.When Jim would start crying like a little bitch and poor mouthing for funds,I was almost moved at times to put down the bong and scroung in my pockets for loose change.Sometimes Tammy Faye would come on with these tight jeans on.Compounded with that thick application of makeup she looked like a Bourbon Street prostitute.Man it was really a turn on.I used to fantisize breaking her down like a shotgun.

Debbie T

Stardust, No kidding! Let's see my mother ran away with the minister, my father a wife beater is an alcoholic (but he doesn't drink, HA!) Both parents married and divorced 4 times to different people. My brother a youth pastor got a 16 year old girl pregnant 2 years ago, also had an affair with another woman.

And get this they all judge me on my morality for not being a Christian?

So are you my sibling?

Mark_Chid

Debbie, I admire you for what you have been able to do. If more people were taught how to think, rather than WHAT to think, the world would be an immeasurably better place.

Sephiroth

I used to watch it occassionally for laughs but then I realized that Bugs Bunny was better .