This Week in God

October 20, 2007

First up from The God Machine this week is an amusing story out of Virginia Beach, where a student at TV preacher Pat Robertson’s Regent University isn’t impressed with his school’s founder — so Regent has recommended he seek pychiatric help. Seriously.

[Adam] Key, a bearded 23-year-old with a tableau of tattoos, would seem an odd fit at the evangelical Christian institution Robertson founded in 1978.

Key, a Lutheran, describes himself as a “liberal Christian” who heads the campus’ small “Christian Left” organization.

Key apparently created a Facebook page, and posted a YouTube clip of Robertson making an obscene hand gesture (Robertson, on his 700 Club program, was scratching his face, and kept his middle finger extended a little too long). Regent officials weren’t amused. Key was given a choice — apologize and shut up, or prepare a legal brief defending the Facebook posting.

He chose the latter, but Regent’s law-school dean rejected the brief. Now, the school is not only moving forward with disciplinary hearings — Key may be expelled — but has also ordered Key to submit to a Regent-approved mental health counselor.

Key responded, “I will undergo this psychiatric exam after Regent forces Pat Robertson to undergo one. Truly, what’s crazier… disagreeing with the administration, or hearing voices that tell you about hurricanes that don’t happen, and the impending apocalypse?”

Other items from the God Machine this week:

* The Religion News Service had an interesting item the other day about young people feeling uncomfortable with religious intolerance: “Majorities of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. What’s more, many Christians don’t even want to call themselves ‘Christian’ because of the baggage that accompanies the label…. ‘The Christian community’s ability to take the high road and help to deal with some of the challenges that this (anti-gay) perception represents may be the … defining response of the Christian church in the next decade,’ said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president and author of the book, UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.”

* The controversy at Oral Roberts continues to unfold: “The president of Oral Roberts University, Richard Roberts, said [Wednesday] that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence following allegations of spending irregularities and family misconduct. ‘The untrue allegations have struck a terrible blow in my heart,’ Dr. Roberts said in a statement. ‘The untrue allegations of sexual misconduct by my wife have hurt the most. It has broken her heart and the hearts of my children.'”

* The U.S. Armed Forces are running short on chaplains: “U.S. military chaplains are trying to keep up with their work, but it’s an increasingly difficult task to undertake because there are not enough of them to go around…. A chaplain in today’s military, particularly one that’s deployed, may be responsible for more than 1,000 soldiers. Because of the shortage, they are often unable to tend to all the sick, conduct services in the field and counsel and comfort all those in need. ‘We cannot do what we have to do with the few numbers that we have,’ U.S. Army Chaplain Matt Crider said.”

* And the wacky Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas of Elijah Ministries passed on a colorful warning from God to the people of San Francisco this week: “God stands poised with his flaming sword ready to strike your city. He is prepared to exchange Sodom and Gomorrah with San Francisco to serve as a warning to all cities and nations of men ‘do not follow in their pernicious ways.’ Your city will be turned into a scarecrow and used by God as His enemy to warn future generations, lest you repent and turn from your wicked ways of child sacrifice, which is the shedding of innocent blood and homosexuality.” I must be really sheltered; I had no idea there was child sacrifice going on in San Francisco.

Gosh Steve, sheltered indeed. I’m confused. How does a city “shed innocent blood and homosexuality”? Does one shed homosexuality like an old skin?

  • Key responded, “I will undergo this psychiatric exam after Regent forces Pat Robertson to undergo one. Truly, what’s crazier… disagreeing with the administration, or hearing voices that tell you about hurricanes that don’t happen, and the impending apocalypse?”

    A great response! Now, I have to admit that Pat Robertson’s 3rd finger display didn’t look to me as if it was intended to convey FU under the circumstances, but it certainly is attention-getting and I can see why a college kid would notice it.

    Yeah, forced apologies are certainly sincere, aren’t they?

    Why didn’t they just scold the kid and let it be? Much ado about nothing.

  • ‘The untrue allegations of sexual misconduct by my wife have hurt the most. It has broken her heart and the hearts of my children.

    But not the heart of Richard Roberts. Curious.

  • No one has accused Lindsay Roberts (the “first lady” at ORU) of sexual misconduct. She is accused of hanging out with boys younger than 18 late at night. Richard and Lindsay are the ones mentioning sexual misconduct. Methinks that perhaps they protest too much.

    Personally I don’t believe that Lindsay is having sex with young boys. She used to be a fairly attractive woman, but now she’s old enough to be these boys’ grandma. The boys could do much better trolling in their own age group, and I think that the boys must realize it.

  • What, a college student under assault from his school’s administration because his views differ from theirs??
    Paging David Horowitz……

    “God stands poised with his flaming sword ready to strike your city. He is prepared to exchange Sodom and Gomorrah with San Francisco to serve as a warning to all cities and nations of men ‘do not follow in their pernicious ways.”

    Oh sure, Las Vegas gets a pass from God, but not the city by the bay.

  • Re Adam Key: now here’s someone with courage, with a capital C. Though I have to admit I’m bewildered about his choice of law school. I, as liberal Christian and Lutheran, like Adam, would never dream of going to a fundmentalist college. The explanation per the article:

    “Key, who is from Texas, said he had wanted to attend a Christian institution with a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, such as Regent. One motivating factor, he said, was “the opportunity to show people that liberalism isn’t a sin.” Key said he has a grade-point average close to 3.0 and that he’s on track to graduate from the three-year program in 2½ years. He said he was only vaguely familiar with Robertson and his political views when he applied to Regent. The more he learned about Robertson, he said, the more he disagreed with many of his utterances.”

    And:
    “The tattoos reflect his passion for justice and the legal system. The colorful jumble of images features the U.S. Constitution written on a scroll, the Magna Carta, the Torah, phrases such as “due process,” and men of principle such as Martin Luther, Sir Thomas More and former Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
    One startling image shows Osama bin Laden juxtaposed with Robertson.
    “I believe they’re both reprehensible people,” Key said, “but I defend their right to believe whatever they want.”
    Nevertheless, Key said he felt compelled to take a stand on the larger issue of free expression, like some of the men whose images are tattooed on his back and arms did.
    “A lot of people at Regent are afraid to speak out,” he said. “They’re fearful of criticizing Pat. They know that if they did, they’d be gone.
    “At the point in time where we become afraid, we start losing the things that make us Americans.””

    Adam’s video of Robertson’s “flipping the bird” is rather juvenile, and I haven’t visited his site to see if he’s done this, but posting a collection of hateful Robertson statements would be much more effective at proving his point. But Adam shows himself to be a worthly foe of Robertson and Regent officials and his example of speaking out will hopeful encourage others at Regent to do the same.

  • Your second item: “The Religion News Service had an interesting item the other day about young people feeling uncomfortable with religious intolerance: “Majorities of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. What’s more, many Christians don’t even want to call themselves ‘Christian’ because of the baggage that accompanies the label…. ”

    This article actually gives me hope. When a majority of young Christians themselves see a problem, there is hope for change from the intolerant rhetoric that dominates religious discussion today. Will this hatefulness go away? Of course not, humans are humans after all.

    But people who truly want to follow Christ’s example of inclusion and love have a calling to speak out.

  • So God can’t even bother to show-up and let us know that he really exists, but he’ll destroy an entire city just to teach us a lesson? Seems a bit drastic. Has he never heard of email?

    And does Rev. Thomas actually expect this to work? Wouldn’t you freak-out if it did? If all the gays in SF actually went straight, just because of his warning? Really kind of makes you wonder why these people bother saying this stuff.

  • God turning San Francisco “into a scarecrow” will surely end up killing many San Franciscans. With that knowledge, when/if this sign of the Almighty One’s wrath towards the city by the bay takes place, can God be charged with first-degree murder, or at least manslaughter.

  • Rusty Lee is thinking he could always get lucky and SF could have a devastating earthquake which could bolster his reputation.

    Christians are getting tired of the response the get when they announce they are Christians. “Really…” and then comes that long pause of judgment. People just assume they are “that” kind of Christian…the condemning holier than thou narrow minded judgmental to fanatical Christian whose is not out to help anyone but merely to convert or damn.

    Christian reputation is now totally unchristian. Law schools over med schools, judges over missionaries, fear over love. The modern day Christian is defined by “Jesus Camp”…are you one of those brainwashed children turned adult, home schooled with propaganda before you were old enough to think for your self. Taught to ignore reason and replace it with acceptance.

    Why do Christians have to choose between defining themselves or defending themselves? Because of the mega churches rhetoric on the national public. Are you one of “those” Christians?

  • “A chaplain in today’s military, particularly one that’s deployed, may be responsible for more than 1,000 soldiers. Because of the shortage, they are often unable to tend to all the sick, conduct services in the field and counsel and comfort all those in need.” — ABC news

    What “all the sick”? Aren’t the sick (aka wounded) shipped out of Iraq pronto? And how many of that 1000 actually want to be the responsibility of the chaplain, anyway? I think the beef here is they don’t have enough time for proselytizing. My heart bleeds for their trouble. The last thing those soldiers need, in that hostile environment, is someone nagging at them “come to Jesus, or else”.

    I had no idea there was child sacrifice going on in San Francisco. — CB

    My guess is that it’s new code phrase for abortion.

  • Majorities of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay.

    Whoops, sounds like some things are going to have to change.

    The controversy at Oral Roberts continues to unfold:

    It continues to crack me up, is what it does.

    A U.S. soldier who said his Christian beliefs compelled him to love his enemies, not kill them,

    I think that’s a misunderstanding of Christianity, although of course love has a lot to do with Christianity.

    Personally I don’t believe that Lindsay is having sex with young boys.

    Personally I think she is. A lot of guys in high school are still stepping on their dicks; girls are a lot more picky about how they want guys to act often than guys that young have picked up on. A lot of guys never have sex until they’re in college. I’m sure planty of guys in high school would have sex with a really easy older woman.

  • Personally I think she is. A lot of guys in high school are still stepping on their dicks; girls are a lot more picky about how they want guys to act often than guys that young have picked up on. A lot of guys never have sex until they’re in college. I’m sure planty of guys in high school would have sex with a really easy older woman.

    Or I should say a lot of guys never have sex in high school and not for lack of trying.

    A man is supposed to be in his sexual peak of life when he’s 18, and a woman is supposed to when she’s 36, so it’s kind of natural that teenaged guys would be hooking up with middle-aged women somewhere.

    I know there are studies that have statistics because I’ve seen them before, but off the top of my head, from my own recollection of the stats and my own experience (having just been in high school 10 years ago) maybe 40-50% of high school kids actually have sex in high school, and another 40-50% go all through high school wishing to God they could have sex, and the remaining 10% or so just have some kind of inhibition from a bad experience or some kind of indoctrination and are really scared to have sex. This is just coming from a guy’s perspective; maybe women would see it a little different, and I didn’t have a lot of female friends in high school to talk with them about this, nor have I ever discussed with women what their percetions are of how many kids have sex, and why, in high school.

    I wrote:

    girls are a lot more picky about how they want guys to act often than guys that young have picked up on.

    Also you could kind of see an older woman being relatively not picky- the high school girl is still idealistic, usually, and wants the guy to act just like she thinks he should act in her fantasies of romance; on the other hand, an older woman who didn’t send signals out to a certain kind of guy she liked when she was in high school because she was too awkward, too scared or too dumb may see it as her chance, when she’s older, to fulfill that fantasy that she couldn’t when she was a teenager.

  • and another 40-50% go all through high school wishing to God they could have sex,

    but don’t because they’re never able to manage to put together the kind of situation they want.

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