Johnny Mayberry

I like to keep my eye on our enemies. What I have noticed more than any other single trait on the 700 Club, is its anti-intellectual stance on things like medicine. They preach the dubious notion that herbs and prayer are better than medicine...witchcraft, baby!

xsquid

The porcine John Hagee IS a hoot to watch (he's also an Armageddonist of the first degree), but for overwrought theatrics, TBN rules. Apart from Jan Crouch, there's this blond guy, Pastor Steve Munsey, who does some VERRY liberal interpretations of Bible stories. For example, at Christmas he gave us a very lively monologue from Satan about his plan to destroy Christ while still in the crib.
He's got his own show, too...Sunday nights, I think. But he's at his most over-the-top when it's time to shear the sheep (i.e. "Sharathon" or whatever they call it now).

LeSEA broadcasting loves Hawaii; they do their conferences out here every chance they get (it's SO much more attractive than South Bend, Indiana). They, along with TBN and Daystar, are all fighting for a piece of the action in Hawaii...and we've only a million people here!
But they're all fun to watch; and any military expert knows there's no such thing as too much information about an opponent. And thanks to the time difference, they're a great way to pass the time while waiting for something worthwhile to come on in the evening. Who needs reality TV when you've got the Jesus Channels?

fizgig

I used to have a job where I sat in my car at a viewpoint for 4 hours each morning counting boats motoring by. I made it a habit to listen to the Christian talk channel (other choice was country music, which may be more insidious and secretly subversive in it's religous bent). I really couldn't stop listening to the stuff. I'm sure everyone thought I was nuts, because there I was, sitting in my car for hours on end, alone, yelling at the radio. In addition, sitting alone at a viewpoit at 6 am will get lots of religous fliers handed to you. When the talk shows ended, I'd edit them for grammar, though I never got around to mailing them back to the publishers with my editing bill.

I'm getting better though; now I only watch infomercials.

gsx1138

When I need to feel better about myself I turn on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Those people are so pathetic I instantly feel better. I remember one where they had this fat homely looking woman who was talking about the evils of witchcraft and goddess worship. She was talking about how she was blinded by the devil and how she almost commited suicide. They then had a totally inaccurate synopsis on Wicca and the dangers of not giving yourself to the Lard. I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face. The cheesy dramatic music in the background just put it over the top.

slh

I used to love watching Creflo Dollar. He is a riot once you get past his charisma and actually listen to the bullshit he is spewing.

Beetle

Anytime there's nothing on television, I find myself wandering over to TBN. Those money-grubbing charlatans did more to destroy my christianity than all the atheists I've heard from combined. Nothing quite like the sickening feeling of "that's the side I'm on?"

Gotta love when they ask people to give $2,000 and promise to "burn" the naive person's debts as an "offering to the Lord." And don't forget the "hundred-fold return." Yep, give $2,000 and god is guaranteed to give you $200,000*. Better than investing with Warren Buffet! <sigh> Why aren't these people in jail? Don't "truth in advertising" laws apply here?

*except, of course, that it never happens because the giver has "some hidden sin" in his/her life that prevents god from "releasing the blessing."

Kevbo

The only time I watched "The 700 Club" was very late one night when it appeared on immediately after a movie I was watching. It struck me as so odd that I just kept watching. I kept thinking, "Is this supposed to be a news show? What's so damn odd about these people that I can't place?" It wasn't until about 20 minutes into the program that I saw the ad for the "Christian Broadcasting Network" and realized that they were all fundies.

I think rational people have a built-in "spider sense" that detects the ramblings of fundies even when they're not talking about religion.

DonnieDarko

Benny Hinn is great fun to watch if you can stomach it. I love it when he repeatedly knocks people down by slapping them on the forehead. I caught Jimmy Swaggart on recently, I didn't know he was still on tv. He was shilling what looked to be pamphlets for donations of only $100.

Opera Nut

No I must have a delicate stomach. Can't handle all that sanctimonious crap. That said, ya know this old Efrem Zimbalist Jr. guy on TBN? His father was Efrem Zimbalist Sr., who was a famous world-renowned JEWISH violinist.

Egoinos

I have to admit to watching religious programmes on the BBC. If I had Sky or something, I would watch more of them too, and I'd like to see the American ones.

However, I can claim a good reason for doing so as I'm a divinity student, I can say its for coursework reasons, and to understand the laity. Not that thats true, but....