Pastor Rob

 

This is Pastor Rob (not his real name).  I have blurred his face because . . . well . . . just because.  
He is the husband of Mary (not her real name), the subject of my previous post on her claims of miraculous healing.  I know very little about Rob, met him only once so many years ago.  All I really know about him is gleaned from a few videos on his Facebook channel where he is fond of posting daily 30 minute videos of himself sitting in his car at some unknown location.  I am not going to bother posting any video links - honestly, I find them to be a tad nutty.  He starts just about every single video with him just laughing, seemingly at absolutely nothing for the first 20-30 seconds.  I believe this is some sort of Christian cult behavior, a by product of being exposed to the teachings of one Rev. Rodney Howard Brown.   

Much of the rest of each video consists of Rob breaking out in song, laugh more, reading a bit from the bible, speaking in tongues, repeat, over and over until the 30 minutes are up.  There doesn't seem to be any actual purpose or mission to these videos.  Judging by the few comments, there is very little interest in watching his daily performance.   Honestly, it takes me about 3-4 minutes to watch his 30 minute videos - I just skip ahead numerous times to avoid the constant laughing and singing.

He often wears these finger-less ?biker gloves? I am sure there is a logical explanation.

Then there is this image:  

That's right, a typical evangelical Trumper!  Or, perhaps I am jumping to conclusions.  Maybe the hat is strictly utilitarian and is being worn just to keep his head warm and the sun out of his eyes?  I mean, that's the reason I wear hats . . .

But no, as is often the case, my initial judgment is spot on.  Rob is a Trumper of the first order, but not just a Trumper - he is a frightening Trumper.  A couple weeks ago I watched one of his videos - he was wearing this:

Here are his words spoken near the end of another video:  

"I can't believe all the people who have capitulated - Mike Pence - chief offender - I pray to God I never meet the man, I am going to bust him square in his face.  That's the way I used to deal with things, and if I ever see him as he's getting off the ground I might hit him again. (laughs)"

That's right - this Christian minister just threatened the former Vice President (who is also a Christian) with actual bodily harm - twice - first to knock him to the ground and then second, when he tries to get up off the ground.  I just thank God for the Secret Service.  

I let the Rev. Rob (and Mary) know what I thought about his threat to physically assault the former VP. 

From my email:

Does Mary approve of this kind of talk directed toward another Christian?  I would really like to know.  

And I would really like to know this:  if you would assault another conservative Christian (Mike Pence) whom you disagree with, how would you behave toward a liberal Christian, or a non Christian, one who didn't live up to your beliefs or live up to your expectations?

If you would assault Mike Pence, would you strangle AOC to death?  How about President Biden, would you like to cut his throat and watch him bleed out?  These are perfectly reasonable questions.  I mean, if you have a violent attitude toward a fellow conservative Christian, logic dictates that your attitude toward more liberal Christians has to be at least as violent.  

Is this what it's like to be "Spirit filled, tongue speaking, Christian"?  This is how a grown man behaves, a man who is under the control of his loving God?  Seriously, you are confident that your God would approve of your violent, threatening words directed at another Christian?  You have to believe you are following Christ as you spew this violent rhetoric because just minutes before you said those words you were singing praise to Jesus and laughing, and did the same minutes after your violent threat.  

You have to believe that you are under the control of the Holy Spirit, correct?

Suffice it to say, personally, I find this brand of Christianity, to put it mildly, quite unpleasant.  A violent philosophy can usually be reasoned with.  But a violent philosophy that has religion as its foundation is almost impenetrable to reason.  

I have said it dozens of times but it needs saying again - Christians like you make me so very glad that I got out when I did.

Honestly, I think that you should be ashamed.

For what it's worth, I am un-apologetically liberal, an atheist, a secular humanist, and I don't want to hurt anyone.

~     ~     ~

From time to time, when in dialogue with Christians, they will ask me why I use a pseudonym, why not use my real name like they do?  What am I afraid of?  Christians like Rob are why I prefer to protect my identity.  Christians like Pastor Rob frighten me.

I have not gotten a response from Rob or Mary.  I don't really want one.

"Strange but true: those who have loved God most have loved men least."

~Robert G. Ingersoll

bob

r.u.reasonable@gmail.com