Kids are ditching current pop for the christian scene with enthusiasm...


""God owns my life, not the Beatles," he said simply. Although Hutchins said he enjoys a wide range of music -- from Pink Floyd and Arcade Fire to Christian bands such as Hillsong United -- he said he has to be careful of what music he listens to, for the same reason he temporarily turned off the Beatles."


read more
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/22/gw.teen.christians/index.html

"We don't have to be branded by the culture, we are branded by God," he said. "Be who God created you to be."

But the glossy, glamorous appeal of popular culture too often obscures that path to God, Teen Mania followers say.

I'd listen to more christian rock/pop, but I wouldn't want to branded as someone who listens to crap music.

you have strong, good ethics.

He cites The Beatles as an example of evil pop culture?  What is this, 1968?
;D

The Beatles are not the problem and never were.  There is vile and destructive popular culture out there.  Most of it comes from Wall Street, Madison Avenue, Hollywood, Colorado Springs,* Rupert Murdoch, and Karl Rove.


Blame it on the Stones; blame it on the Stones
Youll feel so much better, knowing you dont stand alone
Join the accusation; save the bleeding nation
Get it off your shoulders; blame it on the Stones

--Kris Kristofferson
:D

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/k/kris+kristofferson/blame+it+on+the+stones_20080515.html

* Home of Focus on the Family and dozens of other Religious Right organizations.

"God owns my life, not the Beatles," he said simply.


The Beatles are still more popular than Jesus. PWNED!

(just kidding!)

The Beatles' music made him "irritable and angry"?  ??? ??? ??? ???

"They're raping virgin teenage America on the sidewalk, and everybody's walking by and acting like everything's OK. And it's just not OK."

I hadn't realized the country had downward spiralled so far as to not only rape teenage virgins on the sidewalks, but to not care enough to put even a single video clip of these ho-hum events on YouTube. Wow, we really need Jesus to show us the way now, 'cause it's not too late... to post these atrocities on YouTube, that is.

I could have respected a statement like "MTV is the scourge of the Earth and must be retaken from the hands of Satan". That's a bit more reasonable. Hell, replace "Satan" with "Viacom" and I'd join the crusade.  ;)

The current pop scene sucks to the point I'd consider listening to Christian music (that is, if I didn't have 4 decades of great music to listen to). It can't be worse than the crap they play on the radio today, can it?

Once in a while, a commerical comes on for a Christian music compilation CD. This song is one that is on all of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1qG-11ehUU

Bleck! Whoever edited the lyrics needs a remedial English class worse than I do.

The main line of the song though is what irritates me the most: "Our God is an awesome God...".

Translation: "Your God sucks".

Same thing with every pro athelete who thanks God after a win. Might as well say "Thank God for disliking the other team and making them lose" or "I'd like to thank God for allowing the other team's starting QB to get a concussion in the first quarter, which gave us the win". That's a serious pet peeve of mine.

Ant

The Beatles are still more popular than Jesus. PWNED!

(just kidding!)

The Beatles' music made him "irritable and angry"?  ??? ??? ??? ???

"They're raping virgin teenage America on the sidewalk, and everybody's walking by and acting like everything's OK. And it's just not OK."

I hadn't realized the country had downward spiralled so far as to not only rape teenage virgins on the sidewalks, but to not care enough to put even a single video clip of these ho-hum events on YouTube. Wow, we really need Jesus to show us the way now, 'cause it's not too late... to post these atrocities on YouTube, that is.

I could have respected a statement like "MTV is the scourge of the Earth and must be retaken from the hands of Satan". That's a bit more reasonable. Hell, replace "Satan" with "Viacom" and I'd join the crusade.  ;)

The current pop scene sucks to the point I'd consider listening to Christian music (that is, if I didn't have 4 decades of great music to listen to). It can't be worse than the crap they play on the radio today, can it?

Once in a while, a commerical comes on for a Christian music compilation CD. This song is one that is on all of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1qG-11ehUU

Bleck! Whoever edited the lyrics needs a remedial English class worse than I do.

The main line of the song though is what irritates me the most: "Our God is an awesome God...".

Translation: "Your God sucks".

Same thing with every pro athelete who thanks God after a win. Might as well say "Thank God for disliking the other team and making them lose" or "I'd like to thank God for allowing the other team's starting QB to get a concussion in the first quarter, which gave us the win". That's a serious pet peeve of mine.

Ant


http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/images/years/1971/charles_manson.jpg
LOOK OUT!
HELTER SKELTER!!!
She's coming down fast,
Yes she is!

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/images/years/1971/charles_manson.jpg
LOOK OUT!
HELTER SKELTER!!!
She's coming down fast,
Yes she is!


???

Ant

^ That's Charles Manson.  I think you know the story.
In the late 1960s Manson thought the Beatles were telling him in cryptic messages through their songs, especially the songs on the so-called "White Album," to start a racial apocalypse between blacks and whites.

The black people would kill all the white people and, according to Manson who is a racist, the blacks would be too dumb to run the show.  Then Manson and his cult would emerge from the desert and the blacks would annoint Manson the new messiah and Manson would send the blacks back into the fields to pick cotton.

The Tate-La Bianca murders of August, 1969, were supposed to give the racial apacolypse a push start. 

Manson named this ultimate race war "Helter Skelter" after the song on the White Album.  Manson quoted the lyric "Look out! Helter Skelter! She's coming down fast, yes she is," when preaching to his followers about the coming race war.

I'm not convinced Manson really believed all this himself.  He is a dangerous sociopath who loves more than anything to manipulate people and f**k with their minds.

BTW, sometimes the media refers to Charles Manson as a "serial killer" or a "mass murderer."  In fact, there was no proof that Manson himself killed anybody.  Conspiracy, oh yes!  Manson should die behind bars and given that he's now 73-years-old, he most certainly will.  There is strong anectdotal and circumstantial evidence that Manson killed one and probably several people himself.  I think he did.  The state never proved it in court.  They did not have to in order to sentence him to death (commutated to life in prison upon abolition of capital punishment in 1972).

Anway, no matter how nonsensical Manson's ravings about the Beatles were, his sick persona and criminal horrors were always a convenient way for right-wing crusaders to denigrate the band.
::)

Blame it on the Stones; blame it on the Stones
Youll feel so much better, knowing you dont stand alone
Join the accusation; save the bleeding nation
Get it off your shoulders; blame it on the Stones

What those parents bewailing the state of prehistoric Wiltshire society would sing, when their children went all druidic?


"We don't have to be branded by the culture, we are branded by God," he said. "Be who God created you to be."

But the glossy, glamorous appeal of popular culture too often obscures that path to God, Teen Mania followers say.

Why do they feel they have to be owned or *branded* by anyone?  I'd rather explain to my children that they don't have to be sheep following either popular culture or brainwashed obedience to some uninterested sky-fairy.  (Brief aside: I was told recently that everybody worships something and as an atheist I "worship" Dawkins... scary how some people manage to get to middle age without ever using the brain they seem to believe God gave them)


Manson named this ultimate race war "Helter Skelter" after the song on the White Album.  Manson quoted the lyric "Look out! Helter Skelter! She's coming down fast, yes she is," when preaching to his followers about the coming race war.
Really?  I kind of assumed that was some kind of sexual reference :p

Just to go slightly off topic here, but it really irks me how some people on this board talk sh*t about other religions. You don't have to believe it or listen to what they say, but to just start insulting it because you don't believe what they believe is rude. I don't really have a religion, but even I know that it's nice to respect another's beliefs.

And I'm not talking about the religious extremists out there. They are in a class of their own, and unfortunately, it is only these asshats we see as a representation of whatever religion they supposedly stand for. However, there are people out there (and on this board!) that do have a god and a religion, but they are too nice to say anything about the insults and other hurtful crap that gets spewed.

I don't see the correlation between religion and listening to certain types of music. I do not believe that music can influence the kind of person you are or how you act. If someone wants to only listen to (or NOT listen to) certain types of music for whatever the reason, that is their prerogative. There is some great music in all genres as well as crappy music, too.



Cat

Just to go slightly off topic here, but it really irks me how some people on this board talk sh*t about other religions. You don't have to believe it or listen to what they say, but to just start insulting it because you don't believe what they believe is rude. I don't really have a religion, but even I know that it's nice to respect another's beliefs.

And I'm not talking about the religious extremists out there. They are in a class of their own, and unfortunately, it is only these asshats we see as a representation of whatever religion they supposedly stand for. However, there are people out there (and on this board!) that do have a god and a religion, but they are too nice to say anything about the insults and other hurtful crap that gets spewed.


I agree. karma+



I don't see the correlation between religion and listening to certain types of music. I do not believe that music can influence the kind of person you are or how you act. If someone wants to only listen to (or NOT listen to) certain types of music for whatever the reason, that is their prerogative. There is some great music in all genres as well as crappy music, too.



Cat


I agree with that Cat. I have always considered myself to be religious....yet, I have no problem listening to many forms of music. I have listened to Christian music, and "secular" music...and some of my choices of favorite types of music might be a little "eyebrow raising" for many traditional religious people...but it's not like I worship the music...or that it has some sort of hold over me (where I would do crazy things because of it). I mean, it's pretty mild compared to some of the stuff out there. What I am saying is...there are people (of all religions/beliefs/etc) who take things TOO far. It's also like the whole "I'm a Christian and I won't let my child celebrate Halloween or believe in Santa Claus thing"....to me, that is totally ridiculous. We grew up with that kind of stuff...I would never deny any of those traditions for my child. Some people are just completely over the top...and it's a shame that they sort of seem to give people the impression that ALL people of that religion are like that...because they truly are not.

I don't see the correlation between religion and listening to certain types of music. I do not believe that music can influence the kind of person you are or how you act. If someone wants to only listen to (or NOT listen to) certain types of music for whatever the reason, that is their prerogative. There is some great music in all genres as well as crappy music, too.



Cat


I profess hatred for country music...but I'm a closet Brad Paisley fan. :o ;D

I profess hatred for country music...but I'm a closet Brad Paisley fan. :o ;D


oh gosh...my husband loves country music...so I am forced to listen to it all the time. I still say that I despise it...but I have also grown to really like certain artists. :D

I profess hatred for country music...but I'm a closet Brad Paisley fan. :o ;D



I can only take country music in small dosages-VERY small!  :P



Cat

i tink there have been times in my life where i was influenced by music.
bu not to the extent that they are speaking of.

Just to go slightly off topic here, but it really irks me how some people on this board talk sh*t about other religions. You don't have to believe it or listen to what they say, but to just start insulting it because you don't believe what they believe is rude. I don't really have a religion, but even I know that it's nice to respect another's beliefs.

And I'm not talking about the religious extremists out there. They are in a class of their own, and unfortunately, it is only these asshats we see as a representation of whatever religion they supposedly stand for. However, there are people out there (and on this board!) that do have a god and a religion, but they are too nice to say anything about the insults and other hurtful crap that gets spewed.

I've given this some more thought.
I'm not an atheist, I'm an agnostic and I also believe in freedom of religion.  That means the freedom to believe or not, to have faith or no faith; or as I do, to say you don't know the answer.
Folks tend to consider what agnostic is to atheist similar to what socialist is to communist.  This is not an apt analogy.  
I respect what others believe so long as they don't tell me I must believe the same in order to be a good person.
I am not hostile to religion but I consider theocrats my foe.  I demand my state be neutral on religion.  

I also demand my state adhere to scientific method when teaching science.  Intelligent design is faith, not science.  Science is about demonstrable fact, not ultimate truth.  Faith and science are compatible.  Theocracy and free thought are not.  

What has this got to do with teens and popular culture?  Intelligent design versus evolution has been one of the biggest controversies in popular culture over the past few years.  The same youth evangelists who rail against rock music also rail against secular curriculum.  They want to come to your kids' school and ask them to choose between science and the Bible, and if they choose wrongly they'll burn in hell.

Did you know Dr. Dobson's "Focus on the Family" has a bigger listenership than Rush Limbaugh?  Did you know the "Left Behind" series outsells "Lord of the Rings"?  Did you know Christian pop artists go platinum?  

I'd say religion and what role it plays in popular culture is more crucial a question today than it has been in 75 years.  

I've given this some more thought.
I'm not an atheist, I'm an agnostic and I also believe in freedom of religion.  That means the freedom to believe or not, to have faith or no faith; or as I do, to say you don't know the answer.
Folks tend to consider what agnostic is to atheist similar to what socialist is to communist.  This is not an apt analogy.  
I respect what others believe so long as they don't tell me I must believe the same in order to be a good person.
I am not hostile to religion but I consider theocrats my foe.  I demand my state be neutral on religion.  

I also demand my state adhere to scientific method when teaching science.  Intelligent design is faith, not science.  Science is about demonstrable fact, not ultimate truth.  Faith and science are compatible.  Theocracy and free thought are not.  

What has this got to do with teens and popular culture?  Intelligent design versus evolution has been one of the biggest controversies in popular culture over the past few years.  The same youth evangelists who rail against rock music also rail against secular curriculum.  They want to come to your kids' school and ask them to choose between science and the Bible, and if they choose wrongly they'll burn in hell.

Did you know Dr. Dobson's "Focus on the Family" has a bigger listenership than Rush Limbaugh?  Did you know the "Left Behind" series outsells "Lord of the Rings"?  Did you know Christian pop artists go platinum?  

I'd say religion and what role it plays in popular culture is more crucial a question today than it has been in 75 years.  
I agree with you on all points, Maxwell. 
Christians campaigning against pop culture is hardly surprising when they live a life so black and white.

I agree with you on all points, Maxwell. 
Christians campaigning against pop culture is hardly surprising when they live a life so black and white.


Hey, thanks. 

The collective Christian youth movements have created their own pop culture, and I'm certainly not against it per se.  The problem is young people are vulnerable to cultish coersion.  They start with all the Jesus and peace and love and unity, and a few months down the road, you're disowning your sinful family and burning Harry Potter books in the town square!
:D

The collective Christian youth movements have created their own pop culture, and I'm certainly not against it per se.  The problem is young people are vulnerable to cultish coersion.  They start with all the Jesus and peace and love and unity, and a few months down the road, you're disowning your sinful family and burning Harry Potter books in the town square!
:D

Reading that, it kind of struck me that there's a definite parallel between Christianity and Islam at this point: mainstream Islam preaches peace, tolerance of other faiths and obedience to the laws of whatever country in which you reside... yet get hooked up to the wrong sort of cult and a few months down the road you're blowing yourself up in order to kill off as many of the infidel as you can.  At least the Jews don't have this kind of hypocrisy central to their faith - after all, there's nothing in the OT which mentions being nice to anyone.


Just to go slightly off topic here, but it really irks me how some people on this board talk sh*t about other religions. You don't have to believe it or listen to what they say, but to just start insulting it because you don't believe what they believe is rude. I don't really have a religion, but even I know that it's nice to respect another's beliefs.

OK, here's a poser for you: why is it nice to respect another's beliefs?  At what point for you do a set of beliefs become unworthy of respect, be it a belief in fairies at the bottom of the garden or a religion that millions of people used to believe, but no longer do?  I have no trouble liking and respecting people... but see no reason why their chosen beliefs should be accorded any respect purely because someone believes them.  Respect is something to be earned, and cannot simply be demanded (read this article to see what I mean - it's about Islam, but the principle's the same). 

Thing is, I know many good and not-so-good people who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic or atheist - which belief system a person was indoctrinated with as a child seems to have very little effect on how "good" a person they are (how "worthy of respect", if you like) as an adult.  Christianity especially is always trying to make out that good people are good because they are Christian (and I have lost count of the number of times I've been told I'm an immoral person, and the only reason I haven't committed murder is from fear of being caught - strangely enough always by Christians).  So, no, I'm afraid I don't hold with the theory that respecting belief is always (if ever) appropriate.. even if it may be "nice".  To twist a maxim: respect the believer, not the belief.

Thing is, I know many good and not-so-good people who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic or atheist - which belief system a person was indoctrinated with as a child seems to have very little effect on how "good" a person they are (how "worthy of respect", if you like) as an adult.  Christianity especially is always trying to make out that good people are good because they are Christian (and I have lost count of the number of times I've been told I'm an immoral person, and the only reason I haven't committed murder is from fear of being caught - strangely enough always by Christians).  So, no, I'm afraid I don't hold with the theory that respecting belief is always (if ever) appropriate.. even if it may be "nice".  To twist a maxim: respect the believer, not the belief.


I respect religions not just because it is the "nice" thing to do, but because there are actual followers and believers who try to do the good of what their God commands. And like I said, it's a shame that all we hear about are the asshats that populate these religions. The ones who do the good are pushed to the back and ignored because, as the old saying goes, "the squeaking wheel gets the grease."

I'm sorry that you were told those things by "Christians", but are you really going to base your judgment of a religion and it's people as a whole on what a few ignorant freaks said to you?

Reading that, it kind of struck me that there's a definite parallel between Christianity and Islam at this point: mainstream Islam preaches peace, tolerance of other faiths and obedience to the laws of whatever country in which you reside... yet get hooked up to the wrong sort of cult and a few months down the road you're blowing yourself up in order to kill off as many of the infidel as you can.  At least the Jews don't have this kind of hypocrisy central to their faith - after all, there's nothing in the OT which mentions being nice to anyone.
OK, here's a poser for you: why is it nice to respect another's beliefs?  At what point for you do a set of beliefs become unworthy of respect, be it a belief in fairies at the bottom of the garden or a religion that millions of people used to believe, but no longer do?  I have no trouble liking and respecting people... but see no reason why their chosen beliefs should be accorded any respect purely because someone believes them.  Respect is something to be earned, and cannot simply be demanded (read this article to see what I mean - it's about Islam, but the principle's the same). 

Thing is, I know many good and not-so-good people who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic or atheist - which belief system a person was indoctrinated with as a child seems to have very little effect on how "good" a person they are (how "worthy of respect", if you like) as an adult.  Christianity especially is always trying to make out that good people are good because they are Christian (and I have lost count of the number of times I've been told I'm an immoral person, and the only reason I haven't committed murder is from fear of being caught - strangely enough always by Christians).  So, no, I'm afraid I don't hold with the theory that respecting belief is always (if ever) appropriate.. even if it may be "nice".  To twist a maxim: respect the believer, not the belief.


I understand where you coming from when you talk about religion,but i totally disagree with that sentence. To me it's the other way around...unless you prove you don't deserve it,i'm going to respect you,as my equal,as a human being. One thing i've kept from sunday school,and believe me i abandoned most of it, is to treat others like you want to be treated,i think if we all truly did that,we would all be alright. It's not about religion,it's about humanity.

I understand where you coming from when you talk about religion,but i totally disagree with that sentence. To me it's the other way around...unless you prove you don't deserve it,i'm going to respect you,as my equal,as a human being. One thing i've kept from sunday school,and believe me i abandoned most of it, is to treat others like you want to be treated,i think if we all truly did that,we would all be alright. It's not about religion,it's about humanity.



very well said. ;)

I respect religions not just because it is the "nice" thing to do, but because there are actual followers and believers who try to do the good of what their God commands.

You say "what their God commands" - given that people who believe they are doing "what God commands" are often doing contradictory things, how does one decide whether it actually *is* what God commands, or simply what they believe their God would want them to do?  If the former, then you have a terminally schizophrenic deity, giving completely different commands to different people; if the latter, then we're back to personal interpretation of belief - my point being that their being good, bad or indifferent is more to do with the person than the religion to which they subscribe.



And like I said, it's a shame that all we hear about are the asshats that populate these religions. The ones who do the good are pushed to the back and ignored because, as the old saying goes, "the squeaking wheel gets the grease."

I'm sorry that you were told those things by "Christians", but are you really going to base your judgment of a religion and it's people as a whole on what a few ignorant freaks said to you?

If only it were "a few ignorant freaks" - take this quote for example:
I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots
..or the statistic that atheists are distrusted by the majority of the US population

Thing is, there are an uncountable number of different flavours of religion, such that it is not possible to tell whether someone will be bellicose or peacenik, honest or corrupt, good or bad from knowing what their religion is - can you not see my point of view: how can a label that doesn't actually tell you anything useful about what a person believes or how they'll behave be accorded respect?


I understand where you coming from when you talk about religion,but i totally disagree with that sentence. To me it's the other way around...unless you prove you don't deserve it,i'm going to respect you,as my equal,as a human being. One thing i've kept from sunday school,and believe me i abandoned most of it, is to treat others like you want to be treated,i think if we all truly did that,we would all be alright. It's not about religion,it's about humanity.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, here, insofar as I believe respect is something to be earned rather than accorded by default - though "treat others as you would like to be treated" is very much one of my life's tenets.

  At least the Jews don't have this kind of hypocrisy central to their faith - after all, there's nothing in the OT which mentions being nice to anyone.

I reckon the 10 Commandments say a thing or two about it:

You shall have no other Gods but me.
You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.
OK, the top four don't deal much with being "nice."

http://Respect your father and mother.
I say this goes a long way towards learning how to be nice.  I take issue personally because my parents did not respect me and consequently I did not respect them, and indeed it took me a long time to learn how to be nice!
You must not kill.
Goes without saying.
You must not commit adultery.
Goes back to respect and keeping your promises, which says a great deal about being nice.  See also #10--Thou shalt not covet thine neighbor's ass.
You must not steal.
Stealing, as with most dishonest acts, not only injures the victim, but makes a victim of the perpetrator for tarnishing his own sense of honor and self-respect.  Furthermore, stealing and such trespasses, in the whole of society, results in less trust, more resentment, more suspicion, and greater surveillance.  More locked doors = more locked hearts.  Less niceness, if you will. 
You must not give false evidence against your neighbour.
Indeed, it's not nice to point the finger, to tell lies, to spread rumors, to let the other guy take the fall for your wrongdoings, and so on.
You must not be envious of your neighbour's goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour.
An envious, covetous person is a mean-spirited person, not a nice person.  This is why I speak out so persistently against the culture of advertising and I wish more believers of the Good Book would do the same.

IMO, the Judeo-Christian dogma gets so heavy-handed about the first four it fails to see all the practical wisdom is in the last six!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/10/znaika.gif

I reckon the 10 Commandments say a thing or two about it:

It's hard to read the first commandment "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" as anything other than an explicit statement that there are other gods, but ol' YHVH didn't want his people following them.  Funny how the meaning gets twisted over the years, ain't it?

The "Respect your father and mother" IMO is explicitly not saying "respect everyone as you'd like to be respected yourself" - in effect, it's saying only your own father and mother deserve unconditional/unearned respect.  I guess I have been very lucky in that, er, respect - my parents are both appropriately respectful and worthy of respect, so it's never been an issue for me.

The stealing/coveting etc. is a practical guide to social & sociable living.  As is "Thou shalt not kill"... yet the number of people who believe that killing is approved of by their god under certain circumstances seriously makes a mockery of the whole commandment.

It's hard to read the first commandment "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" as anything other than an explicit statement that there are other gods, but ol' YHVH didn't want his people following them.  Funny how the meaning gets twisted over the years, ain't it?

The "Respect your father and mother" IMO is explicitly not saying "respect everyone as you'd like to be respected yourself" - in effect, it's saying only your own father and mother deserve unconditional/unearned respect.  I guess I have been very lucky in that, er, respect - my parents are both appropriately respectful and worthy of respect, so it's never been an issue for me.

The stealing/coveting etc. is a practical guide to social & sociable living.  As is "Thou shalt not kill"... yet the number of people who believe that killing is approved of by their god under certain circumstances seriously makes a mockery of the whole commandment.

Yes, I'm afraid you are right.
:(

One of the litmus tests for an ethical Christian church is they will advise against you joing if your parents would rather you not. 

In the words of my favorite composer/life coach,

John Cage:

During my last year in high school,       I found out
about the Liberal Catholic Church.          It was
in a beautiful spot in the Hollywood hills.
   The ceremony was an anthology of    the most
theatrical bits and pieces found in the principal
rituals,        Occidental and Oriental.         
There were clouds of incense,        candles galore,
       processions in and around the church.
   I was fascinated,        and though I had been
raised in the Methodist Episcopal Church    and had
had thoughts of going into the ministry,        I
decided to join the Liberal Catholics.           
Mother and Dad objected strenuously.           
Ultimately,        when I told them of my intention
to become an acolyte active in the Mass,         they
said,         “Well, make up your mind.            It’s
us or the church.”    Thinking along the lines of
    “Leave your father and mother and follow Me,”
    I went to the priest,          told him what had
happened,           and said I’d decided in favor of
the  Liberal  Catholics.                He  said,
        “Don’t  be  a  fool.                Go  home.
               There  are  many  religions.
      You  have  only  one  mother  and   father.”

"Indeterminacy" story #40.

(Extra spaces in the text are the intention of the artist.  The Indeterminacy stories are performed as 90 one-minute stories.  60 seconds, no more, no less.  Thus some texts are slowed are spoken slowly with pauses to expand their time into 60 seconds, others are spoken very rapidly to cram all the words into 60 seconds.)

Typical brainwashing.

In the same way the radical Islamic clerics brainwash young children in to believing that blowing themselves up and killing a few Israeli border guards is a guaranteed way of pleasing Allah.. the same pastors and priests preach a message of hatred towards anything that could influence the younger members of their flock to question what they're saying.

If you make them believe that the alternative to church is evil from an early age, of course they're going to believe what you're saying.. it's sick... it's twisted.. it's very very Hitler youth.. in a way It's impressive, I mean from a Sociopathic stand-point, of course, I still have a tenuous enough grip on reality to see how wrong it is.

If you want to convince grown men and women that listening to pop-music is evil and that they'll be subverted and sent down the wrong path.. well, I can't stop you.. and ya know, if they're ignorant enough to buy in to that, fine with me, but for f**ks sake, these are young kids, being brainwashed from an early age to reject anything that conflicts with the rhetoric spewed in church.

Once again, Dave say's it best -

"Altering the facts and figures, events and every issue.
Make a person disappear, and no one will ever miss you.
Rewrites every story, every poem that ever was.
Eliminates incompetence, and those who break the laws.
Follow the instructions of the New Ways' Evil Book of Rules.
Replacing rights with wrongs, the files and records in the schools.
You say you've got the answers, well who asked you anyway?
Ever think maybe it was meant to be this way?
Don't try to fool us, we know the worst is yet to come.
I believe my kingdom will come."