Websites to Watch Out for

[Unmasked]

Have you ever come across those wacky websites that make you want to pull your hair out? It seems like a new one pops up every day. We all know about Westboro Baptist Church's websites, but what other ones have you seen that made you angry, made you cry, or even made you laugh?

One that I found was gotquestions.org I was researching some stuff for a paper and ran into that particular one. They claim that if you ask them a question, you'll get a biblically based answer in 2-7 days. They looked legit for a second, until I read their assessment of Sodom. I even sent them a question and got a biased answer back on why their answers were infallible. Check them out if you get the chance, and maybe send them a few complaints ;)

www.wnd.com (WorldNetDaily) is a biased news site that pushes a strong anti-LGBT agenda, and also cooks up wild conspiracy theories on how the World seeks to destroy the church and criminalize Christianity.

www.chick.com is convinced that Halloween is a plot by Satanists to sacrifice children "to Satan (or Samhain)". I find it incredibly amusing that they mixed up the name of the Sabbat with the Tempter. They also claim to have testimony from ex-satanists affirming this. Funny, because the Church of Satan doesn't believe in a Deity or a Devil. Satanism is just a shocking name for a religion that's really about hedonism.

www.christiangallery.com is probably the oddest site I've ever seen. Their primary concern seems to be ending legalized abortion and showing pictures of dead babies, but they've managed to tie homosexuality into it as well. I've never made the connection between the two, but if you've got a strong stomach, check them out.

demonbuster.com -- Obsessed with demons, need I say more?

cuttingedge.org - Obsessed with witches and human sacrifice. They also seem to think that Catholic Eucharist amounts to the same thing.
http://www.cuttingedge.org/ce1059.html

What ones have you encountered lately? What'd you think of them? Have a "favorite"? Mine is probably chick.com or wnd because they're both so ridiculous that I can't help but smile at their nonsense.

[Unmasked]

I know that there are screwed up groups out there, but the fundie sites make them seem much bigger than they actually are. These sites mislead people and make them target innocent Pagans and Wiccans as Satanic child murderers. I've seen "Divine Justice" enacted at solstice celebrations, where a caravan of extremist crash the gate blaring Petra, using hateful language, and getting violent. The overstatement fuels groups like the Army of God, and gives way to terrorist attacks and concert riots that make us all look horrible.

[Progo35]

One of the worst websites I've ever seen is one set up to parady southern baptist fundamentalism, called Landover Baptist. This website's contents contain very hostile anti-religious progoganda, some of which seems designed to make visitors think that this is a real church somewhere that espouses their beliefs. I guess the saddest thing is that some of the statements CAN come off sounding similar to some of the most extreme groups or evangelism methods out there, but there are enough red flags to indicate that the people who designed the site are truly bigoted.

[keltic63]

One of the funniest satirical sites that lampoons the fundies is Landover Baptist. It has quizzes you can take that at first seem so simple, but the authors have really done their research. It's amazing what you can learn about the Bible from this site. The humor is so over the top that I don't think anyone would ever believe it's a real church. The authors make statements similar to those made by extreme fundamentalist churches/pastors/church members and skewer them, sometimes just carrying them through to their logical ends. The people who designed the site must have grown up in fundamentalist churches to be able to pull of this satire without actually being antagonistic.

[keltic63]

btw, here's a great site for the newest information concerning pharmaceutical research and homosexuality: http://www.hetracil.com/ I'm sure you'll find some great info on that site.

[dsdrane]

Honestly, the jokes write themselves.

You really can't make this stuff up.

Scary people will always exist...so thank God for our inalienable right to make fun of them.

I have no doubt the Lord has a fantastic sense of humor.

I mean: have you seen a giraffe lately??

:D

[Daniel]

sat·ire
n.
A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.
The branch of literature constituting such works.
Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity.

[Latin satira, probably alteration (influenced by Greek satur, satyr, and saturos, burlesque of a mythical episode), of (lanx) satura, fruit (plate) mixture, from feminine of satur, sated, well-fitted.]

Well-fitted? Sated? Fruit?

Sounds gay to me! I guess this is why I love satire. It presupposes that those who use it- and enjoy it- know what they are talking about.

[antonyh]

Honestly, the jokes write themselves.

You really can't make this stuff up.

Scary people will always exist...so thank God for our inalienable right to make fun of them.

I have no doubt the Lord has a fantastic sense of humor.

I mean: have you seen a giraffe lately??

:D

Has it every occurred to you that a Giraffe may think you look funny :lol:

[dsdrane]

Has it every occurred to you that a Giraffe may think you look funny :lol:

Of course!:D

[BrianB]

One of the funniest satirical sites that lampoons the fundies is Landover Baptist. It has quizzes you can take that at first seem so simple, but the authors have really done their research. It's amazing what you can learn about the Bible from this site. The humor is so over the top that I don't think anyone would ever believe it's a real church. The authors make statements similar to those made by extreme fundamentalist churches/pastors/church members and skewer them, sometimes just carrying them through to their logical ends. The people who designed the site must have grown up in fundamentalist churches to be able to pull of this satire without actually being antagonistic.

I think the funniest part of Landover Baptist is the email they receive. Maybe some of the email is made up but some of it sounds too serious. The emails have me :lol: every time. Mostly some fool writes in thinking he is writing to a real church with a real pastor. It's clear that he doesn't get the parody.

[Daniel]

It's clear that he doesn't get the parody.

Really? Well....I'll be danged! ;)

[Unmasked]

I think giraffes look very endearing. Ever see a platypus?

[Progo35]

Well, I don't know if any of you have ever had the "pleasure" of complaining about the website, but I personally know that the person who plays the character of Betsy Bowers feels that it is her personal mission to convince people that Jesus never lived and that the entire Christian religion is based on the mythologies of Osiris and Dionysisus. I also know that a few years ago, Landover Baptist used to provide the personal emails of everyone who wrote to their site for whatever reason. I got two emails from one person who wrote that Christians were "walking hate crimes" and "should be gassed in camps." This continued until I and some other people who were angered at the continued harassment threatened legal action if our email addresses were not taken down. So, just puting it out there for you.

[antonyh]

Well, I don't know if any of you have ever had the "pleasure" of complaining about the website, but I personally know that the person who plays the character of Betsy Bowers feels that it is her personal mission to convince people that Jesus never lived and that the entire Christian religion is based on the mythologies of Osiris and Dionysisus. I also know that a few years ago, Landover Baptist used to provide the personal emails of everyone who wrote to their site for whatever reason. I got two emails from one person who wrote that Christians were "walking hate crimes" and "should be gassed in camps." This continued until I and some other people who were angered at the continued harassment threatened legal action if our email addresses were not taken down. So, just puting it out there for you.

I am glad that religion is a protected category in the existing hate crimes bill!

[keltic63]

Well, I don't know if any of you have ever had the "pleasure" of complaining about the website, but I personally know that the person who plays the character of Betsy Bowers feels that it is her personal mission to convince people that Jesus never lived and that the entire Christian religion is based on the mythologies of Osiris and Dionysisus. I also know that a few years ago, Landover Baptist used to provide the personal emails of everyone who wrote to their site for whatever reason. I got two emails from one person who wrote that Christians were "walking hate crimes" and "should be gassed in camps." This continued until I and some other people who were angered at the continued harassment threatened legal action if our email addresses were not taken down. So, just puting it out there for you.


can you support this statement?

[Progo35]

Well, I could, if I had obsessively held unto her email from when I was eighteen years old (8 yrs ago). Unless, of course, you think that I would make that up for my own amusement. I remember quite clearly, however. I wrote that as a Christian, I shared the gospel because "I have a responsibility to tell others the truth." She wrote, "And I also have a responsibility to tell others the truth: that this Jesus never lived. His entire story was fabricated from the pagan stories of Osirus and Dionysius. So, your entire religion is a fraud. Have a lovely day." I wouldn't waste my time writing to these people now, but at the time I thought it was a good idea. You could, perhaps, find our exchanges on their website, as I think it's in their archive somewhere.

[Unmasked]

We have varied writings to prove that there was a Jesus who was looked to as a Messiah. Jews, Romans, and Greeks wrote about him. The travels of Jesus were well known. She might have a better time referencing all of the other "Messiahs" we never hear about today, like Apollonius. Jesus was the most out there and he pissed the Pharisees off more.

[keltic63]

from wikipedia:

The character, as well as the content of the website, was created by Paul Bradley, who is also one of the lead writers for the websites LandoverBaptist.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landover_Baptist_Church) (a parody site concerning religion) and Whitehouse.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehouse.org). Bradley is the sole author of all material on the Betty Bowers site, as well as the author of What Would Betty Do? (Simon & Schuster 2002), based on the same character.
Bradley was also a co-author on The White House Employee Handbook (Penguin 2004) and Welcome to Jesusland! (formerly the United States of America) (Time Warner 2006). The character Betty Bowers appears in all three of these books.
The content of the website and site "newsletters" varies; sometimes the satire is a tongue-in-cheek spoof (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody) of its intended target, whereas other pieces may have content that is directly critical of those targets.


So now the question becomes "who are we talking about? Paul Bradley? the model/actress who appears in the photographs as Betty Bowers? the author who responded to the emails?" Who is the person at the Landover Baptist site that feels it a personal mission to convince people that Jesus never lived and that the entire Christian religion is based on the mythologies of Osiris and Dionysisus?

[paul]

www.chick.com is convinced that Halloween is a plot by Satanists to sacrifice children "to Satan (or Samhain)". I find it incredibly amusing that they mixed up the name of the Sabbat with the Tempter. They also claim to have testimony from ex-satanists affirming this. Funny, because the Church of Satan doesn't believe in a Deity or a Devil. Satanism is just a shocking name for a religion that's really about hedonism.

not to be confused with bikerchick.com

[Progo35]

I don't know, Keltic-why don't you email Betsy Bowers and ask her?

[keltic63]

I don't know, Keltic-why don't you email Betsy Bowers and ask her?


Because YOU made the statement, and YOU have the responsibility to support it. Did you even know that there is no BETTY BOWERS? or have you depended on me to look that up for you? you know, you are losing more and more credibility here with your refusal to accept responsibility for your statements.

[Daniel]

There isn't any Betty Bowers.

You're indignation is wearing thin. You might consider these options.

1) develop a sense of humor.

Very hard to those who take themselves are their causes seriously....I know.....I'm prone to this myself.....seeing that I just love to be right....but this doesn't make for happiness....trust me.. I know I'm right about this.... :lol:

If you can't muster #1...please consider

2) back up your statements with facts instead of attitude.

And if you can't do this.....

3) back out of the argument with grace.




And if all else fails.....

[Progo35]

__________________



There isn't any Betty Bowers. I KNOW THAT. That fact should be abundantly clear in my first post.

You're indignation is wearing thin. You might consider these options.

1) develop a sense of humor.
I have one. Please don't assume that everyone who doesn't find the Landover Baptist site funny lacks a sense of humor.
Very hard to those who take themselves are their causes seriously....I know.....I'm prone to this myself.....seeing that I just love to be right....but this doesn't make for happiness....trust me.. I know I'm right about this....

If you can't muster #1...please consider2) back up your statements with facts instead of attitude.

In this case, I don't really care about whether or not others believe me, as I got rid of any evidence I might have had to support the statement eight years ago, and I have better things to do than to break through the school's content blocker to the Landover website to retrieve eight year old emails to proof the validity of my statement about a parody website.

And if you can't do this.....3) back out of the argument with grace.

I did, I told Keltic to go and ask Better Bowers about it, which was my way of indicating that I was done with the conversation.


1) Did you even know that there is no BETTY BOWERS? or have you depended on me to look that up for you?
I am not an idiot, so don't talk to me like one.

2) Because YOU made the statement, and YOU have the responsibility to support it.When someone assumes a persona in this context, that persona is being used to project an image of what that person feels is wrong with the targeted personality type or people group, which means that of course there is no Betsy Bowers, but that someone, somewhere, would have liked me to belive that the stories about Jesus' life were derived from Greek or Egyptian mythology when they emailed me eight years ago. Anyone who carefully read my first post carefully has read the sentence in red:

One of the worst websites I've ever seen is one set up to parady southern baptist fundamentalism, called Landover Baptist. This website's contents contain very hostile anti-religious progoganda, some of which seems designed to make visitors think that this is a real church somewhere that espouses their beliefs. I guess the saddest thing is that some of the statements CAN come off sounding similar to some of the most extreme groups or evangelism methods out there, but there are enough red flags to indicate that the people who designed the site are truly bigoted.

My position is since I've cited the fact that it comes off as sounding similar to actual evangelism methods, I've also indicated the website's status as a parody by default.

3) The fact that Betsy Bowers is actually someone taking on that persona is exactly the point. Whoever is assuming that character wrote what I previoulsy quoted via email.

4) I don't feel compelled to back up everything I say on this forum unless it is of great consequence. Frankly, I don't give a crap about the Landover website or about whether you believe what I said about it.

5) This is the last time I'm addressing this, period, regardless of what else is said about this topic on this forum anywhere.

[Daniel]

I have one. Please don't assume that everyone who doesn't find the Landover Baptist site funny lacks a sense of humor.

He said.....looking down over his bifocal glasses.

"I can't see it."

I don't feel compelled to back up everything I say on this forum unless it is of great consequence. Frankly, I don't give a crap about the Landover website or about whether you believe what I said about it.


You're 25, right? Well...I have more news for you. If you want to sit at the grownup table, you had better get used to backing up your assertions.

This is the last time I'm addressing this, period, regardless of what else is said about this topic on this forum anywhere.

Such hauteur!

Dear one....you really should leave the drag to the gay guys.

[scott snedeker]

...my underwear. I just went to landoverbaptist.com and laughed so hard I ....ok I'll stop there. It's Monty python, millenium style ....and now for somethig completely different :D

[andrewlittle]

5) This is the last time I'm addressing this, period, regardless of what else is said about this topic on this forum anywhere. [/COLOR]

Further more, I'm taking my ball with me. Oh, I'm sorry! Did I misunderstand the context?

[Unmasked]

I feel kinda bad now...I didn't mean to get an argument going...

If it makes you all feel any better I found more sites that are so stupidly hateful that it's almost funny.

http://www.bible.ca/s-homo-vaccine.htm

Make sure to click the condemnation link when you're done. They give it like 18 times, but it's worth a read if you like to read stupid things. Here's a snippet I loved.

"If the homosexual community chooses to practice homosexuality in privacy, that is there free choice. But let such persons know for certain that the Christian Bible condemns all such practices and God will judge them unfit for the kingdom of heaven if the continue to practice and openly promote homosexual sex."

Anybody catch that they used the wrong there? It's "their", guys. What is this practice of homosexuality that they refer to? I assume that most of us plan to make love in private, or in privacy if you're a conservative Christian with bad grammar, but what is the rest that they wish we wouldn't display? Holding hands, kissing, listening to Bette Midler? Well, holding hands is only considered romantic in the United States, many men hold hands as a sign of friendship in Europe and almost every country but the United States. I get weirded out when heterosexual couples kiss in public, so until they stop doing that, they can shove it. Bette is amazing, and if I want to listen to her while I'm out walking around or driving in my car, I'm not turning my music off for anybody.

[BrianB]

Really? Well....I'll be danged! ;)

Was that really necessary, Daniel? I was merely making a comment that I enjoy the email section of Landover Baptist. Udog has a good suggestion. I'm going to leave this thread alone for a while.

[Daniel]

Was that really necessary, Daniel? I was merely making a comment that I enjoy the email section of Landover Baptist. Udog has a good suggestion. I'm going to leave this thread alone for a while.


Perhaps you missed the wink at the end of the line in question? I was trying to convey- perhaps with impudence- how obvious the humor is to those who can see it for what it is, while others miss it entirely- as one person on this thread has shown.

The sarcasm- if you want to call it that- was not directed at you, but those who set their own hair on fire and then sound the alarm.