Aye, the fundies are me brothas. But they need to keep their wee-nillies in their bloomers, lest all bloody helluva heck breaks loose!

It would be really interesting to see how a nation of fundamental right wing Christians would fare. I think it would be a lot like Iran, only with elections. We could even put them all in Texas, where the climate is kind of similar.

Some people from work and I were talking about how, in many ways, fundies derive their identity from the wall that separates them from the rest of the evil secular society. Without that wall, without something to define themselves against, they would turn on each other like rabid wolves.

I would like to see a group of fundies get really righteously angry about gang violence. I want to see freakish right-wing Christian websites devoted to stopping the bearing of false witness. Since when is sexual "sin" the worst sin of all? How come the big sins, like the ones in the Ten Commandments, don't get any real publicity? huh? huh?

Jealousy. :-P

I think some of the friends you keep testify to the fact that you don't hate Christians, Mike. You just don't prefer them over pot-smoking atheists. ;-)

I jest, of course.

The Christians can't get me the good drugs that the pot-smoking atheists can get. Plus their music is lame.

I don't know, ancient Gregorian chanting is pretty cool! "Christian" rock would be better called "cheesified evangelical Bible-believing Christian" rock, in my oh-so-humble and not-snotty-at-all opinion.

Anyway, Mike, you should just get high on life.

Dude, we rock out to Petra all the bong time! Christian rock rules! And let's not forget the inspirational messages of Creed.

My problem with Christian rock is that the subject matter seems so limited. It seems like all of the songs are about how great Jesus is. It's like a lot of rap music, only the lyrics aren't about the person delivering them.

I didn't even know that "Christian rock" existed until I moved to the midwest and went to a Protestant college. Catholics just aren't into that stuff, I guess.

Christian rock ruined my church. They used to have two morning services, and once in awhile they would do a "contemporary" service, which uses the Christian rock, or spruce up the traditional one with some guitar or keyboard- playing soloists and stuff like that. It was nice. I really liked the variety.

Then they decided to make the early morning service permanently traditional, and the later service permanently contemporary. Damned the bastards! I despise having to get up early for the traditional service, but the contemporary service gets really dull very quickly. The traditional service does, too, but I still prefer it. It was AWESOME when they used to mix and match.

To make matters worse, my wife is in the traditional choir and the handbell choir. So I have to get up freakin' early on Sundays now. It was so much better before. I am to the point where church feels like a chore and I am not getting as much out of it as I used to. It is kind of depressing.

Curses!!

What kind of church do you attend, Shane? We're Episcopalians. "Contemporary music" is a HUGE no-no in that denomination. Most 'piskies would rather die than be subjected to guitars and keyboards in church. All traditional organ, all the time, baby! (Which is A-okay with me.)

It is a Southern Baptist church. We go there because Angela is a part of their musical ministry, and because I am not Catholic. (Though I do not have anything against Catholics!) I don't want to jump ship just because I am bored. She really enjoys the people she works with, and the choir and handbells are a big part of her life. So I get out of the services what I can, and make up for what is missing through my personal relationship with God.

Part of the problem is not the church. Part of the problem is that I am a Michigan Yankee in Tallahassee, Florida. It really is a different culture down here. Most of the time that is really cool, but at church it makes me feel a bit like an outsider.

In any case, I really don't mind the contemporary music as a change of pace. I just don't like it every Sunday stealing my beloved 11 o'clock time slot!

I don't mind GOOD contemporary music at some services. But dear Lord, is it ever easy to mess up contemporary worship music. I have experienced this and it is not pretty.

My husband's always trying to convince me to go to the 8:30 service "so we have more of our day." That makes me laugh.

The contemporary music at our church is pretty much the same ol', same ol' every week. You'd think they would have more variety by now. Alas, I don't have to worry about it anymore, now that I am stuck going to the early service.

Lately it seems like the traditional hymns have the same problem. Generally, I really like traditional hymns. There are over 600 hymns in our hymnal, and yet it seems like we are always singing the same damned ones. Hmm.

The funny thing about "having more of our day" with the early service... all it does it result in naps for us. So much for having more of the day!