This morning I got some insight into a VERY different type of religious thinking and doctrine. I visited my friend’s Baptist church. Let me just say that on the whole I found the experience to be very pleasant. The people were very friendly to me and the service was engaging. However, there were parts of the service that were, well, plain disturbing. For instance: when I visit a church one of the things I like to do is read through the bulletin before the service starts (just to make sure snakes will NOT be used in any way shape or form). In this particular bulletin there was an insert called “What In The World”. Apparently it’s a “news service prepared by Bob Jones University for the local church”. Most of it sounded like standard religious news. You know; government involvement, persecution abroad etc. However, the last story makes me wonder who is doing the research at Bob Jones University. I’ll just type the whole thing here:

“A group of researchers who plan to clone humans are ‘renegade scientists’ with some peculiar views, says Judie Brown of the American Life League. [Pay attention to this next part] These renegade scientists are all part of a very strange renegade church, something known as ‘The Religion of Rael…the Raelians’, Brown says. ‘They believe that you and I and everyone else are direct descendants of individuals who occupy UFO’s…They have a very strange viewpoint on the value and dignity of the human being.” Brown says the scientists are not to be trusted. ‘They are not credentialed [is this a word?] scientists – the cannot be believed” AganePress 8/28/01

Now I ask you, what the hell is that doing in a church bulletin??? It sounds more like something the National Inquirer looked at and said, “Heck, there are things even we can’t print.” I did check, this Religion of Rael is a real thing but I find it interesting that this article makes no mention of the other non-Raelian groups doing this research. Hmmm, wonder why? I still don’t know what to make of Bob Jones University. It didn’t help the opinion I already had of it I can tell you that.

So the rest of the service was fine. Different from what I grew up with but it was still nice. I don’t think I will be going back though. The TV cameras were sort of unsettling. That’s right, cameras. They rebroadcast all services on Wednesday. Plus, I could see all sorts of bad things happening if I did go back. Some of the stuff I heard in the sermon made me want to throw a shoe at the minister.

Uggg, this morning made my brain ache. Anyway.......

The rest of my day was boring: football, laundry, football, food. That’s it. What a life huh :)

Oh yeah...GO D-BACKS!!! Anyone who beats the Yuckees has my support.