Thanks to Soft Skull Press for sending me an advance paperback copy of Daniel Radosh’s “Rapture Ready: Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture.” This book is righteously demented—true to the title, it’s a voyage through the bizarre world of Christian pop culture, in a time where it is essentially one more underground scene, a pocket pop universe just like juggalos or furries (though slightly bigger—as Radosh points out, this stuff totals up to a $7 billion a year industry). Radosh takes us on a voyage through the cult of Left Behind, Christian rock, and the rest of the American Christian scene. Along the way we get some serious gems like “BibleZine” (!!!), bumper stickers reading “Any Sex that can Put You in Hell ISN’T SAFE” and Jay Bakker (Jim and Tammy’s son), who runs his own punk rock church.

I mean, reading this, it’s like… this is the alternate universe version of Dangerous Minds’ readers, like we went into a wormhole and came out with goatees and freshly baptized.

There are some absolutely jaw-droppingly great snippets of “Christian” lore from the book. For instance, Radosh includes a depiction of the Rapture from one of the “Left Behind” books:

“[M]en and women soldiers and horses seemed to explode where they stood. It was as if the very words of the Lord had superheated their blood, causing it to burst through their veins and skin… Their innards and entrails gushed to the desert floor, and as those around them turned to run, they too were slain, their blood pooling and rising in the unforgiving brightness of the glory of Christ.

Gloria in excelsis Deo, motherfucker.

Awesome. Or try this one, from a Christian joke book Radosh finds:

One women’s libber started out a speech: “Where would you men be without us women?” A guy in the back shouted, “In the Garden of Eden!”

I gotta remember that one to impress the ladies with.

Anyway, excellent, hilarious, disturbing, sobering book. I imagine it would make a great read alongside Jeff Sharlet’s “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power” for a look at where the Christian right is, both in politics and in culture at large, at this moment. (Interview with author below!)

(Rapture Ready!: Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture)

GREETINGS AND FAITHFUL SAYINGS:

Greetings to one and all: In that most precious name. That name which is above every name, the name: “Jesus” ____There’s tremendous power in that name. I’d suppose we’ll never fully realize all that can truly be accomplished, by us simply calling out that name in true faith.____There’s an old, old, gospel song that goes like this: Faith in the Father, faith in the Son, faith in the Holy Spirit, great victories are won. Demons will tremble and sinners will awake, faith in Jehovah will anything shake.____For you who have never come into this realization, if you’re reading this, just give him a welcome into your heart and life. You will both feel and see an awesome difference. You will have also purchased the ticket to heaven (by accepting, therefore making him welcome to come into your life. You will also sup from His cup that contains living water. (As did the woman at the well of Bethesda.) John 4:10____Much love, ____Your brother in Christ Jesus, who is both our Lord, and Savior.____www.eloquentbooks.com/BeyondTheGoldenSunsetAndByT… “http://www.eloquentbooks.com/OffToVisitTheProphetElijah____” ...

^^^ Awesome.

Hi.
I found your Web Site by Google
And I wish you the best you can get,
the peace of God through Jesus Christ.

Welcome to visit my Site.
Allan Svensson, Sweden
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/INDEX.HTM

Most Christians have not yet begun to prepare
for Jesus’ coming. They can speak and write
about Jesus’ coming, and about the signs of the
time, yet they do not make any preparation to
meet Jesus. How can we make a preparation?
In the first hand God’s people must get the
knowledge of the Assembly of God.  The
truth of the Assembly of God has never been
peached in the churches.

People have a sort of love and fellowship that
does not endure the light of God’s word. When
we mention something about churches and
denominations, and compare with what the Bible
teaches about the Assembly of God, then a
remarkable phenomenon appears. Many Christians
become afraid and nervous and point out that we
shall love the assembly and not judge and criticize.
But what is it that they apprehend as criticism?
It is God’s word!

Just these Christians who have prayed for revival
during many years, they are the worst opponents
against revival. They do not endure the light of
God’s word. They do not want to hear the truth of
the Assembly of God. They think that the
Pentecostal churches and other free churches
are Assemblies of God.

They believe that the Assembly of God is constituted
of church systems and many religious organizations.
Can you anywhere in the Bible find any hint that the
Assembly of God is an organized movement or any
church system?

In the time of the apostles any church did not exist, and
therefore the word “church” does not occur in the Bible. 
Everywhere in your English Bible where you see the word
“church” it is a grave translation error. Also Matt. 16:18.
It ought to be “assembly”.

In the reality, the word “church” occurs not at all in the Bible.
I have five Bible translations in Swedish, (the oldest from
1703). Nowhere in these Bibles does the word “church”
(kyrka) occur. I have also a reference book where the New
Testament is translated word by word from Greek to Swedish.
Everywhere they translate the Greek word “ekklesia” to
församling (assembly).

Perhaps you want to raise the objection, there are many
bible translations in English which all have the word “church”.
This is a very stupid argument. A translation error does not
become better of repeating. A lie is a lie no matter how many
time it be repeated.

In Col. 1:18 (KJV) we can read: “And he (Christ) is the head
of the body, the church ...” And in Eph. 5:23-24, “For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the
church is subject unto Christ…”

This is a lie! The church is not subjected unto Christ. The
head of the Church is the pope, the black pope, and the devil.
The Bible translators do not make a difference between God’s
true people and Satan’s Church. From the Church’s deeds we
shall know the Church. Matt. 7:15-20. By their fruit we shall
recognize the false priesthood. The Catholic Church has
persecuted, tortured and murdered many millions of Christians.
This is a well-known fact. How could a good tree bear such
an evil fruit?

Why did the Bible translators use the same word “church” also
for God’s people, the Body of Christ? Why did not they see the
difference between the murderer and the victims for the
murderer? The first Christians were no church. Calling the
first Christians “the first church” is a grave insult against these
Christians. The Church is a mass murderer. The devil is the
real church father.

If we use the same name “church” on the murderer as on the
victims for the murderer, how then can we know what that
means when someone says “church”?

Right since the great falling away took place a very long
time ago and the first churches came into existence,
2 Thess. 2:3, God’s people have lived in slavery under
Satan’s churches and denominations. The churches have
all the time served the devil, but pretend to be God’s
servants and representatives. The churches have never
been any God’s assemblies or God’s temples. They have
already from their beginning been harlot beings. They
are born through religious fornication. People have
mixed God’s word with doctrines of evil spirits, and so
new churches appear.

Jesus cannot come today because God’s people are not ready
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/TODAY.HTM

Evil spirits in the churches
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/SPIRITS.HTM

Why did the Pentecostal Revival take an end?
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/CRISIS.HTM#end

What does hinder the Antichrist to appear?
What is the Restrainer?
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/MESSAGE.HTM#Antichrist

The restoration of the Assembly of God
after the great falling away
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/PREPARE.HTM#restoration

God is the Love
But God’s love does not hinder us to study God’s word
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/LOVE.HTM

^^^^^^ So…. Are these Christian spam-bots?

no, thats what the captcha is for. they’re just stupid.

Christian spam-bots is a redundant term, isn’t it? :D

I can’t really say. Christianity is still ok. But I hope it won’t ruin its reputation. Nice funny comments there. Christian spam-bots. xD

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