I am not a fan of organized religion - anyone who has been around this blog for a while knows this.
I am not about group think, and my personality is simply not cut out to be a supplicant to another human who claims to have God on speed dial. I have been in it, and I ran from it. I don't want it, I don't need it. I live my life decently, helping others, caring, showing compassion because it feels right. Not because I fear some man made story dispensed from a pulpit by someone always tagging a plea for more money onto the sermon.
That being said, I realize many people will not do without it in their lives. To the end it provides community, a sense of peace, true support - go for it. But when it seeks to oppress, brainwash, practice misogyny, bigotry, hate? GTFO. Handing the reins of your own agency over to someone who instills fear, foments phobias of all ilk, berates anyone who dares to question their divine doctrine? Not going to happen.
I don't revere someone just because they are called Reverend. I have no reason to immediately exalt someone monikered Pastor. I do not automatically venerate some virgin Priest. And DGMS on the ones who stand at the pulpit of an old sports arena, decked out in Saville Row's best, lights bouncing off their Patek Philippe whilst they preach about how much money they need to "serve the Lord".
Far too many are simply con men and women who realized how easy it is to milk the rubes through religion. And they have been around FOREVER. I see them, I see through them. I do not need their version of pay to play orthodoxy. Walking away from organized religion at the age of 18 was the best thing I have ever done for myself. It freed my mind, my heart, my soul to live as a fully formed human being, thinking my own thoughts, communing with the divine on my own time, questioning everything, and truly seeing the humanity in people who are different from me.
Which makes it much easier to read stories like this and call absolute bullshit on the perpetrators. It also saddens me to know how many people are so fearful of these mere mortals that they will do anything they are told because they believe the lie that the preacher holds the keys to their salvation.
Meet Rev. Dr. William Weaver, a pastor for 40 years at Linden Presbyterian Church in New Jersey. Billy likes dick. Which is fine. I do, too. Difference being, I don't wear a collar, and lie, cheat, and threaten to get it.
William is facing a lawsuit now as parishioners who came to him for private counseling have come forward detailing his "treatment."
Instead of providing an ear, guidance, solace, and support, good old Bill would make them disrobe, lay down, place an "angel coin" (whatever the hell that is) on their foreheads, then proceed to suck the demons out of them through their semen.
That's right, forget the Exorcist and pea soup. His exorcisms were spewing a whole other kind of demon seed.
One of the men in the lawsuit states William “lifted my head up and looked into my eyes, and said, ‘You don’t have to be afraid any more, I’m your protector now’.” Then for good measure, he kissed the man on the mouth. You know, how all good, faithful, righteous religious leaders do in their private offices.
Once people began coming forward, church authorities began investigating and found “multiple acts of idolatry and sexual misconduct”. Oh, and the investigation found his computer riddled with gay porn.
Which. Is. Fine.
What is not fine is the hypocrisy and the abuse of power.
Bill is a closeted, self loathing gay man who used his power and office and the fear of God he could put into people to indulge his own completely natural human urges on trusting, confused, frightened parishioners. Which is sad because, while not all Presbyterian branches are open minded, in 2018 the governing body voted to affirm its stance that all are welcome. They openly lamented "the ways that the policies and actions of the PC(USA) have caused gifted, faithful, LGBTQIA+ Christians to leave the Presbyterian church so that they could find a more welcoming place to serve, as they have been gifted and called by the Spirit.”
A church trial (oh, please) was set to start on January 25th. Billy decided to leave the Presbytery the day before, moving into a gated community and renouncing the church's jurisdickion, sorry, jurisdiction, over him. Kind of like abusive, rapey Catholic priests getting away with their crimes because their crimes are not taken to any real authority.
Based on that, the victims of his semen sermons went to secular authorities (read: police) and banded together to file a lawsuit.
This is the kind of thing that happens far too often within the walls of the "holy". William is a criminal, an opportunist, a sexual grifter trading salvation for titillation. And like pedophile priests he needs held accountable to the laws of society, not the fairy tales of the men in charge.
You know, you may be sitting here reading and vehemently shaking your head because YOUR church is not like this. YOUR church is SO different. And maybe yours is. Maybe you have decent human beings as the figure heads. Maybe no hate speech is preached from the pulpit. Maybe you are not guilted into tithing when you cannot put food on your own table. Maybe you leave each service feeling uplifted, inspired, eyes open to the equality of all, the beauty of all.
But if you have been reading this and find yourself feeling uncomfortable, you need to ask yourself WHY. Ask yourself what you are willing to abdicate because your robed man or woman tells you to. Ask yourself if what you hear preached sometimes rubs against your conscience, yet you stay anyway. Ask yourself how much sway (read: fear) governs your daily life, especially your church life.
I have challenged people before to walk away from organized religion for one year. Leave it behind. Just go live. As the decent person you are. No doctrines being constantly preached at you. No carrot of heaven, no threat of hell hanging over you. Talk to God whenever you want. Use the money you normally give your church to research local charities that have demonstrable need and demonstrable impact. Make your own decisions, choices, meet new people, tear down the walls your religion may have built in your brain, in your heart. Find out who you are without having to be told "who you are".
You do not need it. And I suspect the notion of finding that out frightens people a lot. You have it within you to make good decisions, not cheat on your spouse, not steal, lie, murder. You know right from wrong. Hate from love. Fear from engagement. That is all built into you already. Decency is not something handed out only by a select few as you sit in a service.
No god sanctioned these people to have dominion over you. They sanctioned themselves. They are human beings, warts and all, not special conduits to the hereafter. They are no better than you, no more holy than you, no more enlightened than you.
And far too many of them have realized they love the sounds of their own voices, the pressures they can bring to bear, the perks of the passed basket, and the near mystical reverence given them by those over who they hold immense influence.
Because when a preacher can make you believe he needs a new Gulfstream; when a minister can make you believe that an orange man who embodies the seven deadly sins is sent from above; when a pastor convinces you he is sucking the devil out your penis?
You have sold your own soul to a con artist, a swindler, a hustler, a cheat. And I do believe Jesus had very definite feelings about those people.
This is some crazy story. Just when you think you heard it all...
Posted by: Nikki In nyc | Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at 12:18 AM