The Story of the Woman With No Authority

[Rainman]

(I am a member of the Baylor Atheist and Agnostic Society)

Man, I wish we had one of those at my school. We've got just about every religious sect out there, but not a single atheist organization on campus. Oh well, too late to get one started now I guess.

[AlexMax]

AlexMax #113

Does that guy handle snakes because those snake handler people are really out there... they'll get bitten from time to time and then refuse medical treatment because they figure the will of God will take its course.

I believe you'd be surprised how similar we feel toward people like that, Alex. (And I am not delusional with visions that you feel nothing but love for your fellow man toward them I'm expecting something more like "shock and disgust".) I know this kind of contradicts the efforts that I have taken to appear tolerant, but I feel like they have taken a Biblical passage that was meant to mean "believers will do great things" and interpreted it as "believers will do dangerous things if they know what's good for them".

There was a neat documentary done by a reporter who actually lived with them and became a snake handler for a while, until some mysterious force (likely his wife) snapped him out of it. It's worth a watch but it is really old and I don't remember the name, though I'm willing to bet it was called "The Holy Ghost People".

I don't doubt that you feel similar toward people like him. Thing is though, he's really good at presenting an argument, and if you actually sat down and discussed things with him you would be hard pressed to disagree with him, heck he was even capable of stirring my emotions at one point until I realized he was snowing me out during most discussions with the verbal equivalent of a wall of text.

And he suggests to people who doubt him to check the book of Acts. It's got a few passages that relate to those two things in particular. He claims that a lay on hands is the reason he was born in the first place (he was about to die, and he miraculously survived) and claims that he has healed both himself and other people with his lay on hands (not with any consistency of course, he referenced the passage I mentioned above as well as many others when questioned). He also knows that not many people follow him, and explains it away as it being said as such in the bible. I simply thought it was really funny what he thought of Catholics in particular, it's sort of an "Oh snap" moment, especially considering the fact that we were discussing things in my residence where my Catholic roommate was right across the hall.

[Sam Atoms]

I'm just not sure whose team I want to be on in this little skirmish.

The one that wins, pal, the one that wins.

Both sides have been arguing back and forth for hundreds of years, and will be doing it for hundreds more, without really getting anywhere new.

Just remember, it's all fun and games until someone's church (or abortion clinic) gets firebombed.