ONLY 52 percent of Americans, according to a new poll, think that the Almighty is doing a good job as CEO of the universe.
But at the weekend one man – a Baptist preacher in Tennessee – appeared to give God unqualified approval when he thanked the deity for providing him with a “smokin’ hot wife”.
Pastor Joe Nelms
Joe Nelms, pastor at the Family Baptist Church in Lebanon, had been invited to pray at a motor racing event – the NASCAR Nationwide Federated Auto Parts 300 on Saturday in Nashville.
He also thanked God:
For the Dodges and the Toyotas. Thank you for the Fords. Thank you for Sunoco racing fuels and Goodyear tires.
He ended his prayer with the words:
In Jesus’ name. Boogity, boogity, boogity. Amen.
The track erupted in applause and laughter, with some folks in the stadium even tipping their hat to the man – Â but not everyone was impressed with Nelms’ choice of colourful words.
The pastor, who has done the invocation at the Nashville event three times before, said he has received plenty of emails since the invocation and although most of them are positive, quite a few have been negative.
Critics have blasted the Tennessee pastor for being “disgraceful”, “disrespectful” and even “blasphemous” – but Nelms said he was just making a break from tradition.
We should definitely pray for the safety of our soldiers and public officials. But nobody seems very interested in it. We wanted to do something to get their attention.
Nelms added that the prayer was not really aimed at Christians. Rather, he was trying to reach out to the “unsaved or those turned off by church”.
Our whole goal was to open doors that would not otherwise be open. There are a lot of folks who think churches are all [full of] serious people who never enjoy life and [who have] just a list of rules.
His invocation was all about showing the world what Christian joy looks like:
We who have been saved by Christ, we know that living has just begun. When I accepted Christ, that’s when I really learned what joy was.
Despite criticism, Nelms’ evangelism effort has apparently paid off; several people have contacted him expressing a desire to give church a try. He insisted:
I think a lot of times Christians have turned people off by trying to give a list of rules and regulations before giving them Christ. We have to give them Christ first.
Hat tip: Canada Dave (poll report)
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
July 28th, 2011 at 9:05 am
Have a watch, it’s actually very funny – the guy has got a sense of humour. In fact, if more christians were like Nelms I might not dislike them all so much. Then again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J74y88YuSJ8
July 28th, 2011 at 9:08 am
Steady on AC!
July 28th, 2011 at 9:33 am
Sorry, stargraves. Don’t know what came over me. Perhaps a little lie down might help.
July 28th, 2011 at 9:44 am
So where in the Wholly Babble does it say “Thou shalt not have a sense of humour”?
July 28th, 2011 at 10:53 am
yea this guy was funny…but in reality, here is one of the whack-jobs that harass me and others at youtube…anyone else want to debate them?
http://www.youtube.com/user/royalclass23548
July 28th, 2011 at 10:53 am
Daz, the Babble’s roaringly funny if you read it right. For example, I like to imagine that the Sodom and Gomorrah episode was a bit of Iron Age porn that accidentally got sent off to the printers.
July 28th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Marky Mark. Last comment on that youtube channel was 3 years ago. I think the debate may be a little stale.
July 28th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Daz. Abraham’s misses was given a divine bollocking after she laughed at the suggestion she was up the duff. Can’t be arsed to give the chapter/verse, but it’s probably in the Book of Genesis. So it must be true.
July 28th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Never knew Murdoch owned Genesis…
Marky Mark
Is there a particular video underneath which this debate is happening? Been ages since I debated on YT.
July 28th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Remigius said:
(Marky Mark. Last comment on that youtube channel was 3 years ago. I think the debate may be a little stale.)
Oh…its still active and this is just one of several profiles they use to bother me. Here is their latest comment:
Quote: (You know full well that the devil exists. Christians do not have ‘deranged personality flaws’ either. It is anti-christs like you that are deranged. Get your facts straight next time.)
Posted by royalclass23548 the 5th comment down after the most popular comments here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
They are from the right-wing political pundits that enter our prison system saving souls and helping to get child murders out early because the have been born again in prison…and I appose this.
Daz said:
(Marky Mark, Is there a particular video underneath which this debate is happening? Been ages since I debated on YT…see above Daz.
July 28th, 2011 at 7:17 pm
I have been having problems with this blog. The most recent posts and comments keep vanishing and then re-appearing. I have noticed the problem when visiting from work and our computer system is quite creaky, so I’m thinking that the problem may be there. Has anyone else had a problem?
With reference to earlier posts, there is not a lot of humour in the Bible, apart from stuff that is unintentionally funny that is.
July 28th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Stonyground – I get the same. Refreshing the page seems to sort it. It’s as if my browser isn’t checking for the latest version.
July 28th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Marky Mark
Wow,another hidden meaning discovered. It’s astonishing what nonsense is spouted by the learned holy men of today. Well, perhaps astonishing is a bit of a reach, but the audible gasps of the audience in the video brought that forth.
July 28th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Slightly off topic, but still, and I think always, relevant when coming to the subject of free speak.
Frank Zappa – Genius – http://youtu.be/8ISil7IHzxc
July 28th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
The man’s a fucking idiot!
July 28th, 2011 at 11:13 pm
BTW I learned what joy, and peace, and contentment were when I kicked “Christ” OUT of my life!!
July 28th, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Another simpleton spouting bollocks. Just look at some of the comments!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i95RXDyY70
What, exactly, is Nelmes doing leading public prayers at a motor racing event anyway? Is it, perchance, only open to “born again” Christians?
July 29th, 2011 at 8:12 am
The same thing had crossed my mind, barriejohn. Pardon the pun, but these bastards seem to think they have a god-given right to demand that everyone prays at any and every public event. The arrogance of it is breathtaking – or am I just being naive and all Americans really are religiots?
July 29th, 2011 at 9:19 am
bj + AgentC. NASCAR is really big among the bible-belters. In a poll
I just made upby the Poe Foundation it came second to The Lord Hisself in the list of the most important things that make Southern USAer’s lives worth living.1 Jeebus
2 NASCAR
3 Shootin’
4 Incest
5 Corn dogs/chilli dogs/weiners
6 Lynchin’ negroes
7 Grits (whatever the fuck they are)
8 County
9 Western
10 Chewin’ tabaccy
…
73 Education
July 29th, 2011 at 10:48 am
They are obviously very selective in their reading of “thah Buybull”, which maybe comes way below even Education on your list, Remigius:
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (I John 2:15)
July 29th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
NASCAR is most popular in the South especially among blue-collar redneck types. This demographic also tends to be very pseudo-religious – they don’t go to church much but are very willing to pray at outdoor events. It’s traditional to open just about anything from a NASCAR meet to a barbecue with a prayer….
Remigius: your list is fairly correct although lynchin’ is further down the list these days, and the “N word” is not negroes…..I’d put hush puppies and greens fried in bacon fat in the top ten along with double cheeseburgers & jumbo fries. You’re right about education. Survey after survey for many years has put mississippi and alabama at the bottom of the list in terms of primary and secondary education, even worse than Texas.
July 29th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
NASCAR:
“In the environs of the Richmond International Raceway, stretching to the horizon, are great tracts of pickups and trailers, fuming with barbecue and hot dogs and surmounted by flags. Old Glory predominates, but quite often the Stars and Bars is flown as well (though always underneath) or separately…. The tailgates groan with huge coolers, and groan even more when proud, gigantic rear ends are added. People wear shorts who shouldn´t even wear jeans.”
Sorry, I´ve just got my copy of the Quotable Hitchens. I´ll stop now.
July 29th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Thanks for that Sailor1031. I have never come across hush puppies and greens fried in bacon fat before. Sounds a bit chewy. Is it a Korean/American fusion dish?
How your hush puppy an’ gleen flied in rard?
It’s rubbery.
Ah thangu vey much.
One important item that I did leave of the list though, Not bein’ no nancy-boy faggot queer. It should go, appropriately, between items 3 & 4.
July 30th, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Remigius,
You forgot meth…while cat-licks may be drunks many of the evangelical horde are meth-heads, especially your southern breed. Not very good for ones health but sure does help with the delusion.