# Christian propoganda author dies in car accident -- grieve, or celebrate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 29, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163 "2011-04-29T14:43:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/41 "2011-04-30T00:20:51Z")
To add to what I said; a great deal of bigotry isn’t based on any sort of objective fact that that omniscience could prove or disprove. “Homosexuality is disgusting”, for example. A great deal of bigotry is a matter of taking subjective feelings like that and elevating them to a moral principle. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/42 "2011-04-30T04:08:01Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Yes a member of the human species has died, regardless of who or what he was, it is a tragedy, for we are all God’s children. No, the real tragedy was that this “member of the human species” spent his life preaching hurtful irrationality. If he was one of “God’s children,” so were the people he hurt. The only person I have compassion for was the other driver. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/43 "2011-04-30T10:50:46Z")
I read _The Cross and the Switchblade_. There was a part where he trusted some gangbanger with the church’s tithes. I donno why, but it stuck with me. A couple of times I’ve had a few bucks or my lunch out in the classroom and someone would say, “Aw, Miss, someone’s gonna steal it!” and my rationale was, “Well shit; they must need it.” anyway…that’s what I remember of the book. 😛 I wouldn’t celebrate his death. I’m sure he did a lot of good - evangelicalism aside. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/44 "2011-04-30T10:56:18Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Not really. First, being human isn’t enough to qualify the death of someone as a tragedy; we can start with Hitler and work our way down for a list of humans whose death wasn’t a tragedy. And second, if you actually buy that religious nonsense you should be happy for him because he’s in heaven with his bigoted God. Hitler himself was a tragedy. This pastor was not a bad person. He wasn’t killing people, committing rapes, stealing, whatever. All life is meaningful, **Der Trihs** , even people don’t ascribe to _your_ values. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/45 "2011-04-30T11:06:13Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > This pastor was not a bad person. Yes he was. He spent his life spreading an evil and delusional belief system. No, he wasn’t a Hitler; but Hitlers rise to power using the kind of hatred and irrationality this preacher spent his life creating. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/46 "2011-04-30T11:22:29Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Yes he was. He spent his life spreading an evil and delusional belief system. No, he wasn’t a Hitler; but Hitlers rise to power using the kind of hatred and irrationality this preacher spent his life creating. :rolleyes: Get over yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/47 "2011-04-30T11:28:48Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > :rolleyes: > > Get over yourself. And what did I say that was wrong? His religious nonsense is delusional, and the hatred of homosexuals has caused a great deal of suffering and death. And considering that homosexuals were rounded up and killed by them, the Nazi comparison is a fair example of where that kind of hatred can and has led. It’s no more unfair than someone bringing up Hitler when the subject is antisemitism. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/48 "2011-04-30T12:17:20Z")
This thread is all the evidence I need to rest assured that, his apocalyptic & holiness extremism to the side, a great man of God who saved a lot of lives, not to mention souls, passed to his reward this week. Pick on, vultures. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/49 "2011-04-30T12:27:19Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > …a great man of God who saved a lot of lives… How’s that? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/50 "2011-04-30T12:28:43Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > This thread is all the evidence I need to rest assured that, his apocalyptic & holiness extremism to the side, a great man of God who saved a lot of lives, not to mention souls, passed to his reward this week. Pick on, vultures. Color me confused- how is this thread the evidence you need? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/51 "2011-04-30T12:30:45Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > This thread is all the evidence I need to rest assured that, his apocalyptic & holiness extremism to the side, a great man of God who saved a lot of lives, not to mention souls, passed to his reward this week. Pick on, vultures. Yeah, it’s not like telling people they are evil for falling in love is a bad thing, right? And hey, if he drove a few people to suicide or murder, well that just proves they were evil and deserved it, right? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/52 "2011-04-30T12:35:24Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > And what did I say that was wrong? His religious nonsense is delusional, and the hatred of homosexuals has caused a great deal of suffering and death. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/53 "2011-04-30T12:53:53Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Cite? Say what? Are you really going to claim that you’ve never heard of gay bashing? Or how the Nazis [rounded up homosexuals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_triangle)? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/54 "2011-04-30T13:13:40Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Say what? Are you really going to claim that you’ve never heard of gay bashing? Or how the Nazis [rounded up homosexuals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_triangle)? You need to cite that he preached what you say he preached. And that, even if he did, that that kind of preaching led to Hitler and the holocaust. I’d also say you need to cite that religion is delusion, but that’s easy to do–the problem is that those people don’t really have any proof, iether. But a cite from someone who deals scientifically with delusions, like a psychologist, might be useful. Or, you could just say, “It’s all just my opinion,” and leave it at that. If you do that, you can even use, “My post is my cite.” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/55 "2011-04-30T13:29:03Z")
> [@Huckleberry Finn](#): > > Now I struck an idea, and fetched it out: > > “It warn’t the grounding – that didn’t keep us back but a little. We blowed out a cylinder-head.” > > “Good gracious! anybody hurt?” > > “No’m. Killed a nigger.” > > “Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt.” Twain remains an insightful writer. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![humanafterall](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/humanafterall/32/19654_2.png) [@humanafterall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humanafterall)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/56 "2011-04-30T13:43:56Z")
I really couldn’t care, all I wish to stop seeing is those damned Chick tracts, especially this one, [http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0093/0093\_01.asp](http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0093/0093_01.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/57 "2011-04-30T13:51:19Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > This thread is all the evidence I need to rest assured that, his apocalyptic & holiness extremism to the side, a great man of God who saved a lot of lives, not to mention souls, passed to his reward this week. Pick on, vultures. I think you have “evidence” confused with “poor excuse to believe what I already believe”. Outside of his publicity machine, what _evidence_ do you have? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/58 "2011-04-30T13:53:41Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > You need to cite that he preached what you say he preached. I’m going by what’s in this thread; I never heard of the man while he was alive. > [@BigT](#): > > And that, even if he did, that that kind of preaching led to Hitler and the holocaust. It’s called “cause and effect”. If you preach that Jews or homosexuals are evil for centuries, and people kill them because they believe Jews and homosexuals are evil, then there’s a very clear cut cause and effect relationship. The people who are being implausible here are the apologists for religion who try to pretend that there’s no connection between preaching hatred for a group and violence against that group (but of course, there is a connection between preaching good things and good behavior). > [@BigT](#): > > I’d also say you need to cite that religion is delusion, but that’s easy to do–the problem is that those people don’t really have any proof, iether. But a cite from someone who deals scientifically with delusions, like a psychologist, might be useful. The laws of physics are my cite. And the fact that the believers have been so relentlessly wrong throughout history. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/59 "2011-04-30T14:27:35Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > How’s that? I’m kind of wondering that, myself. Did the late pastor invent a vaccine or something? Did he run or found a successful drug-treatment center? ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163/60 "2011-04-30T15:09:37Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m kind of wondering that, myself. Did the late pastor invent a vaccine or something? Did he run or found a successful drug-treatment center? Well, if you thought that Teen Challenge (already mentioned) was very effective in reducing drug and alcohol use I suppose it’s not too far a stretch to implicate Wilkerson in saving “a lot” of lives. But its true efficacy is debatable, to say the least. It’s not easy to praise him, but I can’t imagine why anyone would _celebrate_ his death. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-propoganda-author-dies-in-car-accident-grieve-or-celebrate/580163.md?page=4)