Sharing a video.

I know, I'm bad for not having proper original content. But the truth is I love to watch videos like this, and I want to share it as widely as possible. The original animation that was used for this video is a short animated film, about 9 minutes or so, linked in the description of this one on YouTube. I happened to prefer the musical oneI've posted here, but the original is very well worth a look. 

 Lyrics as follows:

(Verse One)I know of sin by the things momma prayedI know of heaven by the line at its gateI know of truth and America's wayCome drink the water if you want to be saved
(Verse Two)Don't drink the water if it's not from my streamIt's all still water if it's not flowing freeDon't drink the water at the watering holeIf you ain't got money, it can't save your soul
(Chorus)All God's people said amen
(Verse Three) It's not a sin if it can't make me cryHe's not the devil unless there's fire in his eyes It ain't the ghost if it don't speak in tongueIt's not a victory 'till the battles been won
(Chorus)
(Verse Four)Nobody prays unless they lose a sonDon't believe in God till a war's to be wonI know of truth by the lies I've been toldThe biggest one is that we're not getting old
(Verse Five)I know of sin by the things momma prayedI know of heaven by the line at it's gateHeard of a kingdom that's not far awayCome drink the water if you want to be saved
(Chorus) 

I see it as a pretty frank allegory of the use of religion as an excuse for violence and the dominance of force.

What about you?

Of Trolling Christians, wherein I suggest a method to discomfit people who try to save your soul.

I know, its basically shooting fish in a barrel in this country, we're damned lucky. But I came across the full text of Luke 6:27-30 in a blog I was reading (Alethian Worldview) and it made me think. So I checked to see that it was indeed the whole section, and found a link to it as well so you can see for yourself. It reads:

  ²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.


I draw your attention specifically to section 30. 

The Representatives of God and Cartoons

On the way to the train station that I go to to get to work, there is a church nearby. It's a baptist church (which seems invariably to mean that it's a depressing-looking broken-down cowshed) and it's tucked away down a side street. Every now and then there is a little old lady who stands on the confluence of the main street that leads to the station and that side street, and she seems to have taken it into her head to convert passers-by with dreary pamphlets about religion.

Today was one of those days.

Normally when this happens, I ignore her. I don't want what she's selling. But today, she stopped me, and not being in much of a rush, I let her. She seemed flustered, poor thing, that someone actually ceased to perambulate. She tried to save my soul.

She presented me with a badly-thought-out, badly-rehearsed, utterly predictable speech about how modern life was drawing me to Satan, and that that was a bad thing because I would surely burn in hell as a result unless I admitted Christ into my heart on the spot.

I'm not used to being proselytised at, nor preached to: it's rare in Glasgow for someone to harangue you in the street. I didn't have a snappy answer, or anything snarky or clever to say. I listened to her.