Commercialized Jebus Crustian Gospel According to Black Rap Singing Bishop

Christianity, as a valid religion, began to decline late in the 20th century, especially in America. The rise of the electronic media was its partial crucifixion, but the surrender of the soul has become a 21st century phenomenon, largely propelled by the marginalization of the believers. That is only partly due to believers' susceptibility to criticism from freethinking people, and then there is their ongoing utter debasement -- I would call it whoring -- in death throes, which is most unseemly. Small wonder that so many cracker evangelicals openly rail against Shariah law: they're jealous of the inroads made by Muslim clerics toward theocracies, which as we have seen of late tend to be inimical to democratic principles.

I thought I had seen it all when a local megachurch headed by a moonfaced buffoon with spiked hair and a voice that would be envied by a carnival barker sent out salacious postcards displaying scantily clad couples whose marriage needs a jolt of Prosperity Gospel viagra. Then Rev. Bil (yes, one "l," he's never heard the word "affectation") and his perfect little Barbie Doll wifey copastor (these women are given dispensation from the requirement of remaining nothing but a help mate; after all, the wifey copastor is always part of the shill). You will pardon my use of carny language but when the shoe fits, --

These two bimbolimps put huge Bil-boards on every freeway in town with slogans like "Don't Go to the Megachurch. -- SATAN." And "I Died at the Megachurch. -- SATAN." I am surprised the city did not remove them to prevent accidents as people slow down to gander. This seemed to me the most incredibly flagrant example of what I consider the degradation of the Christian religion. With such mindless commercialism and rank hucksterism taking place, we atheists can simply sit back and watch the religion fade, like the worship of Dionysus, into history and legend. Christianity is already a myth; we are seeing the death of the cultus.

Enter Bishop Prince Moultry. Here is his curriculum vitae:

"Bishop Prince J. Moultry is the Pastor of the InTouch Christian Center. He is renowned for his innovative approach to addressing the overwhelming social issues such as gangs and violence that plague the urban Cleveland, Ohio community. He has received numerous awards including in F.B.I. Directors Community Leadership Award in 1995. Bishop Moultry is a facilitator at the Antioch Baptist Church's Project Respect, a job and readiness and placement program, the CEO of the Greater Cleveland Jail Division Program, and Chaplain for the East Cleveland jail.

"Bishop Moultry authors a weekly column in the Cleveland Life Magazine and is the composer of the first Roman Catholic Church Gospel Soul Mass. He will embark on a concert tour later this year."

Imagine that! He's also a shameless proselyte whose latest ploy was a "mock retrial of Casey Anthony," staged at his In Touch With Christ Christian Center in Cleveland. Apparently, Moultry thought it was the business of the church to impart "the important lesson...to protect children in Cleveland from the same fate as little Caylee Anthony." Excuse me? The last I looked our state courts are apolitical entities. You can't even post the so-called ten commandments inside a state courthouse so that religion doesn't intrude to far into judicial proceedings; we're now allowed to affirm rather than swear, which protects certain religious sects even as it protects atheists for having to say things they do not believe (and ironically thus become bearers of false witness). Religion in justice crosses the barrier between church and state.

Of course, the Moultry types do not believe in that doctrine, hypocritically -- in view of the dearth of factual proof in the historicity of their own prophet -- referring to it as a "myth." (See entry at this site about their whacky "historian," who appears on the disgraced Murdoch cable "news" as an "expert" in American history but never fails to distort or falsify recorded reality. Have I not said before, these folks are delusional?) Moultry must have thought he could do a better job than the civic minded participants in the Anthony trial, or else why stage another one? If he can preach, why couldn't he have born his "lesson" home simply by discussing the Anthony case from the Sunday pulpit?

No, Mr. Rev. Mouldy is a rap artist. His website identifies him as "Presiding Bishop" (appeal to authority) of a "Church in touch with it's [sic] Community" (aside from the spelling error, an appeal to masses) and having as its mission "winning lost souls to the glory of God" (do I envision a Crustian mission where a guy can get a bowl of soup just for praying a while?). Get this one. In the commercial web site at Facebook, Mouldy says the Church's "Products" consist of "The B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth," a dead giveaway that he is a Dominionist (i.e. theocratic) evangelical who is dedicated to bringing about the Rupture Rapture as soon as possible right now. Read your Booble while we encourage governments to take us to the Paradise with 72 Virgins and -- ooops!, wrong eschatology. Oh, well, it's the gimmicks these comedians use to get the sheep in for the shearing: pass the plate, now.

Like Woody Allen, from whom I borrow the line, I have no trouble with the Rapture, I just don't want to be there when it happens. That probably won't be the case as I think I will pass from earth from amazement at what these carnival shuck and jive artists will think of next.

P.S. The vote was eight to four in favor of guilt. Maybe Mouldy has an ulterior motive: let the congregation blow off steam. Here is the bottom line: what is the point of retrying an American in a church when a jury of her peers in a fair and impartial trial found the woman not guilty? It's too bad we can't sue Mouldy for violating the double jeopardy clause. Such a "service" at Mouldy's church (they actually called it a "service"!) does a disservice to democracy, the Constitution, reason, and common sense. Jesus said turn the other cheek. Yeah, right.