Baptist President Say Atonement "only in Jesus"

Yesterday it was reported that Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler told Jewish Congressman Anthony Weiner that he needs to turn to Jesus, because Mohler stated that atonement is "found only in Jesus Christ". Apparently Mohler has never heard of Yom Kippur, or perhaps he thought it was some kind of spicy ethnic food dish. Back in reality, sir, Yom Kippur means "Day of Atonement". Of course, Mohler cannot really be as ignorant as he sounds. I'm sure that he has both heard of Yom Kippur and knows what it actually means. He just denies its theological efficacy. However, it is based upon the same ancient holy writings and traditions from which Christianity is derived . Jesus himself is depicted as fasting and praying in much the same way that Jews still do today on High Holy Days.

There are also a few other things upon which Mohler appears to be confused, and apparently needs some help figuring out. To begin with, I just want to remind him that "Christ" is not the last name of Jesus. He might be Jesus THE Christ, if you ignore the Bible's criteria for Messiahship. However, he was not the only person designated a messiah in the Bible.

More importantly, he might want to check with Jesus before referring Weiner to him. See, I did my own prayer interview with Jesus last night, and if I heard the Lord correctly, as my spiritual mentor Pat Robertson might say, Jesus told me that even He did not want to see Weiner's junk in a towel. He asked me to pass on to Mohler that, while in theory Jesus loves everyone, "I'm just not into Tony that way. Sorry dawg, but DAMN!" He then told me that he was changing his number to prevent Weiner from sexting him. Perhaps if Mohler would check with the guy up stairs before running his mouth then he would produce more accurate public comments.

Baptist President To Anthony Weiner: Turn to Jesus

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler offered some free and unsolicited advice to Congressman Anthony Weiner, who is embroiled in a scandal over the posting of racy pictures of himself. He says that, "There is no effective ‘treatment’ for sin. Only atonement, found only in Jesus Christ." Some considered this statement provocative, since Congressman Weiner is Jewish. However, perhaps they are missing the larger picture of what is wrong with this kind of cheap-shot evangelism.

Like most free advice, Mohler's seems to be worth every penny, and here's why. This man is offering no licensed medical advice on the subject, and it is clear that he has done little research on treatments related to sexual disorders. He claims that "sin" cannot be treated, but clearly Weiner is not trying to treat his previous actions, which cannot be undone. Rather, he is seeking treatment, presumably to understand and therefore avoid some of the irrational, perhaps even obsessive behaviors in which he engaged. Obsessions can be, and frequently are treated quite successful, Mohler's apparent ignorance on the subject notwithstanding. The same goes for irrational ideations, which are frequently addressed in therapy.

Jesus may or may not be able to forgive Weiner for his actions. Some of them, such as the sending of the single x-rated photo, if legitimate, may arguably cross the line into marital infidelity. Weiner's wife, being the injured party, would be the primary from whom atonement should presumably be sought. Given that she is a Muslim, it is unlike that she would want to involve Jesus as a third-party mediator here.

As a consequence, we have to conclude that Mohler could not have been altogether genuine in his suggestion. He had no reasonable expectation that he would convert a Jew or a Muslim to his brand of hard-line Christianity. Instead, he just wanted to exploit the present circumstances as an excuse to proselytize. He was just reminding his own base, as thought they did not already know, that Anthony Weiner is not one of them.

I would like to suggest that Congressman Weiner is not the only person who needs therapy. Mr. Mohler could probably benefit from therapy to treat his own obsessions with evangelical Christianity.

Weiner shouldn't throw in the towel

It's hard to tell who is more pathetic, Anthony and his Weiner, or the right-wing holy-warriors who have been ridiculously trying to crucify him over pictures that are mainly PG rated. I mean Republicans like Senator Vitter were caught banging prostitutes while married. Weiner boy takes a picture of himself wrapped in a towel and it's manufactured into a scandal. It's not like there is a sex tape. That's how the rest of our celebrities roll. There is no indication that Anthony stuck the Weiner into anything other than his own wife. It's not like he's Tiger Woods or anything, though he apparently has checked himself into sext-a-holics anonymous, taking a page out of the Tiger playbook. However, at least the media didn't have to wildly exaggerate Tiger's serial philandering. In Weiner's case they seem determined to create the illusion of philandering with the wave of a magic towel. Clearly Anthony has some issues, and probably should talk to a sex therapist about his freak little over-exposure fetish. However, it's hard to believe that this is anything other than intentional weiner roasting by a media who believes that they can embarrass a person into reversing the results of an election.

Gawd doesn't want Weiners to Pull Out

Just to reiterate a point for right-wing theocrats who are determined to see Anthony Weiner pull out of Congress, God may have other ideas. See God got mighty upset with Onan when he hit the road before dumping his load inside of his brother's wife Tamar. Since then the so-called "Sin of Onan" has been that of coitus interruptus, or robbing the booty without doing your duty. Yet now they keep demanding that Weiner pull out. I say he needs to stick with it until the Weiner has done what it came to do. No premature ejections. He needs to take a firm stand on this. He's a Weiner not a pussy-cat. I know he's being dogged by reporters, and he sometimes may feel like he's going to blow his top. But the longer he can last the better. Maybe that's what he's getting therapy for. These kinds of decisions can keep you up all night. But he can't let Pelosi and the DNC shove him around like a piece of meat. They're just trying to play with him and tease hiim and put him back in his cage. Don't fall for it. Don't droop to that level. Slap the table and show them whose in charge.

Gawd sez, You better like women, but not too much

You really got your Weiner in a jam now, didn't you Anthony? I'm speaking, of course, about Congressman Anthony Weiner, who always seemed to have a name too unfortunate for a top leadership, though he has proven himself a fiery, and entertaining speaker at times. Now Pelosi is calling for his resignation, and Weiner is allegedly checking himself into sext-a-holics anonymous. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Of course, right-wing theocrats have long and gleefully waged a jihad against Weiner, a Jew whose wife is a Muslim. Their latest tactic was to claim that he had phone communications with a 17-year-old Delaware girl. While I tire of defending this Weiner-brain, I don't think it takes more than 3 seconds of searching to confirm that the age of consent in Delaware is 16, and nobody is saying that Weiner actually had sex with this unnamed girl. In fact the girl denies that any inappropriate communication too place, and you know that has to be true, because otherwise it would be all over the internet by now.

My only amusement is that this comes on the heels of Tracy Morgan bashing gays. See he wants us to remember that God hates fags. That would make you think that he loves the Weiner. But apparently it's more complicated than that. While God wants you to love women, and the Old Testament thought polygamy was a dandy marriage, the Eternal One apparently changed his mind later on. He decided that you should love women, but just not too much. At least their God should take consolation that Weiner wasn't sexting dudes.

Pictures of a Weiner. Put it in perspective.

US Representative Anthony Weiner recently admitted that he had send lewd pictures of himself to several women whom he had met online, over the course of several years. He had previously claimed that his twitter account had been hacked. Now everyone is looking at a shirtless picture of someone who is purported to be Anthony Weiner. Really? Is this all they've got. It's not illegal or immoral for men to walk around topless in the summer. Ever heard of a public swimming pool?

Holier than thou right-wing theocrats are having a hypocritical field day condemning Weiner for such activity. That is, they are condemning him just on the basis of a few photographs less provocative than many Hollywood celebrities have taken of themselves on an almost daily basis.

Remember that, on many occasions, holier-than-thou right-wingers have been caught doing far more than sending photographs. For example the self-proclaimed "bishop" Eddie Long has been accused of homosexual activity with four men who were members of his church. Nobody is actually claiming that Weiner really had sex with any of these women. A number of these photographs, while inappropriate, are not invitations to perform any kind of sexual act. Some are just jokes. Yet in the minds of many evangelicals, they can't see the distinction. Even feeling momentary lust is tantamount to adultery, for them. To wit, see my previous post called "The Imaginary Teaching of Jesus".

See, according to Jesus, even looking at a woman lustfully is tantamount to adultery. Arguably, sending a provocative picture of yourself to a woman is not even looking at the woman, though presumably he did look at her picture online, or he probably wouldn't have sent the provocative photo. Still, is there really anyone who observes the standard of not even looking at an attractive woman (or man)? Is it even possible, without living in a monastery, or being blind altogether, to avoid this kind of momentary, hormone-induced reaction?

Now, if it turns out that Weiner actually slept with other women while he was married, or attempted to sleep with them, then that is a different story. But just sending mainly clothed pictures isn't much of a scandal.