Please tell me this is fake...

[Sabby]

I can't verify the source, so I am really hoping this is just a hoax.

[Vekseid]

The least you can do is to actually link the source. You can read BluePojo's comments for more context there.

Yes, this stuff happens. Having been through the 'laying on of hands' myself I can say it is ridiculously creepy, myself.

[Izzie Aditi]

*stares* You what now?

Here you just need to "unregister" officially and it's a lot of work to get written out of the eh...memberslist, so to speak but for the rest they're like "whatever". But I'm in Europe and a Catholic, so yeah, that could be it.

Still! *gawks*

[Sabby]

It was sent to me on Facebook as just the picture, there was no link to follow up on. I didn't think of Googling Bluepojo, though... sorry about that >.<

[MasterMischief]

Is it not just a little bit ironic?  It is a summons to appear before the community that he is leaving to accept their punishment.  They have no authority over anyone who does not recognize their authority.

[Oniya]

It looks like a shunning to me (I have a good friend who used to be a Mennonite, and chose not to show up for his own shunning - he later got ordained through ULC and presided over my wedding.)

[Rinzler]

Is it not just a little bit ironic?  It is a summons to appear before the community that he is leaving to accept their punishment.  They have no authority over anyone who does not recognize their authority.

Yeah, but it's kind of difficult in this case, as one of the authorities happens to be Bluepojo's dad. I do agree, MasterMischief, that they have no authority over him as a church - puffed-up self-important deluded pricks that they are - but in this instance, it's a damn, damn awkward situation.

Daddy must obviously feel that this is his version of Abraham's Sacrifice. Well whoop-de-do for him.

[Oniya]

Yeah, but God stepped in before Abraham made Isaac bite the big one.

[Rinzler]

Yeah, but God stepped in before Abraham made Isaac bite the big one.

I'm thinking that's what the father's hoping for too - and no doubt enjoying the kudos of putting his superstition before the happiness of his son.

[MasterMischief]

How I hate that story.  Even as a kid, I was always like, "Hell no!"

[Rinzler]

How I hate that story.  Even as a kid, I was always like, "Hell no!"

It seems to have always been a bit of a bone of contention, for religious and non-religious folk alike. I'm reminded of an interview I saw on TV, where the actor Hugh Quarshie explained his disillusionment with religion precisely because of the Abraham and Isaac story, being appalled by it in the light of having a new-born son. I don't know if he was an fully paid-up believer beforehand, but it's a fair bet that he's somewhere between being faintly deistic or an outright atheist now.

[Sabby]

I try to picture a big circular room with high panels of robed figures trying to make their voices sound deeper, presiding over this hearing... ya know, to try and make it less infuriating. It's not helping :(

[MasterMischief]

Don't forget big, white powdered wigs.

[Oniya]

Maybe like the Judge from Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'?  (I'd post a video, but that scene is truly NSFW.)

[Hemingway]

I think, if I were in a belligerent mood ( which, let's face it, I usually am ), I would go. My personal feelings aside, it looks a lot like the appeals to gods and sacred texts atheists engaged in debates with religious people sometimes get. I just wonder why. I mean, they're either ignorant of the fact that they have no authority outside of their community or belief, which I tend not to believe. Or they're doing it for reasons that don't actually have anything directly to do with the person in question.

[Rinzler]

You know, on reflection, I was probably a bit harsh in my assessment of the dad. It seems far more likely to me that the guy genuinely believes he has his son's best interests at heart, and this 'summons' - such as it as - it there to provide what he sees as much needed spiritual medicine. But that, I suppose, would be the tragedy of it; no matter how much BluePojo might protest that this hearing is unnecessary and unwarrented, it will only compound the son's 'illness' in his father's eyes. As the old saying goes - you can't reason someone out of something they didn't use reason to get into in the first place.

[gaggedLouise]

Maybe like the Judge from Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'?  (I'd post a video, but that scene is truly NSFW.)

Or like Max von Sydow in The Exorcist: "The power of Christ compels you!" (repeated several times)

[Shjade]

I try to picture a big circular room with high panels of robed figures trying to make their voices sound deeper, presiding over this hearing... ya know, to try and make it less infuriating. It's not helping :(

Granted, the church where I work would never have a summons like this in the first place, but it is a Presbyterian church; from what I've seen of Presbytery meetings, whether religious or business in nature, it's mostly just people in standard Sunday dress: some suits and ties, some skirts and heels, rarely someone as far down the fashion ladder as "office casual," but no robed figures. Even the reverends take their robes off to attend their meetings after services have ended.

Maybe this church is just too progressive for Summonswear. ;p

[Serephino]

*shakes his head* 

Of course the father is doing what he thinks is best.  It's just sad he can't love his son for who he is.  That would be the more Christian thing to do.  I became a member of a Methodist church, and I could probably go back next Sunday with no questions asked.  Those who remember me would just be glad to see me again.  I liked that church.

[vtboy]

Were there any question over the wisdom of the framers of the Constitution in denying churches access to the coercive powers of the State, such summonses should dispell them. Just imagine the likely consequences for this heretic if, in addition to prayer and social approbation, the arsenal of this synod included thumb screws, the rack and the stake.

[OldSchoolGamer]

I would respond to such a letter with an official-looking flyer inviting them to bingo and ice cream social night at the local Church of Satan.

[Wolfy]

I try to picture a big circular room with high panels of robed figures trying to make their voices sound deeper, presiding over this hearing... ya know, to try and make it less infuriating. It's not helping :(

<_<>_>.....So it's Jedi's for Jesus? @_@

Oh man, if someone tells me that's a real thing...>_<

[vtboy]

You know, on reflection, I was probably a bit harsh in my assessment of the dad. It seems far more likely to me that the guy genuinely believes he has his son's best interests at heart, and this 'summons' - such as it as - it there to provide what he sees as much needed spiritual medicine. But that, I suppose, would be the tragedy of it; no matter how much BluePojo might protest that this hearing is unnecessary and unwarrented, it will only compound the son's 'illness' in his father's eyes. As the old saying goes - you can't reason someone out of something they didn't use reason to get into in the first place.

But that is precisely the problem. The faithful always know what is in everyone's spiritual best interests. Hence, the Inquisition, the honor killings, the witch trials, the nuclear Imams, bible camp terrorization of the young with tales of eternal hellfire, and sonic pre-abortion vaginal probes. (Except for the pre-abortion part, this last rings vaguely of sci-fi erotica).

[Rinzler]

^and you can add Jehova's Witnesses knocking on my door and disturbing my morning poo to that list, too!  ;D

[Callie Del Noire]

^and you can add Jehova's Witnesses knocking on my door and disturbing my morning poo to that list, too!  ;D

A friend of mine had the perfect come back to their 'Have you found the lord?' opening question.

He, being a self professed 'lapsed jew', opens the door and goes 'What you gentiles lose him again?' and slams the door on them.

The BEST one I've heard of is from a bunch of SCA'ers who had just gotten dressed for an event when the said callers came to the door. The guy opened the door, in full chain mail, tabard and sword and smiled, eased the door shut just enough break the line of sight and said 'get the goat off the altar guys.. we got a live one.' in a stage whisper then opened the door. To find an afterimage as they had run away.

They were late for their event because they had to pull over twice to laugh themselves out.