Stuff XIXVII El Ocho
The story of Reverend Carlton Pearson (pictured), an evangelical pastor in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His church, Higher Dimensions, was once one of the biggest in the city, drawing crowds of 5,000 people every Sunday. But several years ago, scandal engulfed the Reverend, he was denounced by almost all his former supporters, and today his congregation is just a few hundred people. He didn't have an affair. He didn't embezzle lots of money. His sin was something that to a lot of people is far worse ... he stopped believing in hell. Broadcast the weekend of December 16-18 in most places, or here via RealAudio next week.
Video of Carlton Pearson and other ministers (including Bishop Yvette Flunder, who he talks about in his story) at a Harvard Divinity School conference last spring, talking about new directions in Pentecostalism.
So things have been going kind of great in life. I already got all my shopping done...well most the shopping done. Three out of four. I want to get my dad that awesome soldering iron. You know the one where it heats up all quick, and cools down immediately so you don't burn yourself. You've seen the commericals. I need to find that in town.
So did you see the guy above. He has the same view as me. Hell doesn't exist. God is Love. He got exhiled by his peers. He was all rockstar Pencostal bishop, but it freaked out everyone when he reread the scriptures and announced they were translated poorly. While I personally believe not to believe most of it, or all of it, he's fine with that. If there is a Heaven, everyone's going, even Hitler. I believe that. But this concept, scared the entire Televangelist community, the nutured him. This guy was pulling it in hardcore, a million a week at points. There was valet at his (think Castle Grey Skull from Heman)
Church. And when he changed his mind he lost it all. They shunned him. Oral Roberts, the O.G. Televangelist called him "his black son", prior to the whole civil rights movement. He was high up there among them. And they turned them all on him. In his Tulsa, they now ask what your religion and view is when you drive into town. They're fucked up.
But I've had a fun day. You know who I met. Alright so I was driving around From First to Last so they could go get tanked. They started off bright and early right as I walked in. They went to Chili's right about two and drank a bunch Brutuses, much like how I spent my night. They then split up and went shopping around Best Buy and going to Bob O's. Fucking Bob's was the really tanked guys and girls riding go cart's and playing laser tag. The guys who went to Best Buy lost out on the major fun points, but made up for it by witnessing a fight. Right by the Payless shoe store, this Jetta almost or did clip a Saab, didn't see him hit him. But the guys came out beefing from the Saab. So the guy steps out of the Jetta with his girl, they're all Mexican. The guy talks shit, the girl talks shit, they all talk shit, but I can't hear them. In the big green Holiday Inn van, the Incredible Bulk, we are listening to this hard ass metal on Hero. So the driver from the Jetta starts moving all crazy kind of dancing around like the Fighting Irish mascot, and he gets in close and >BAM
In other new, Ervin crushed 15 cans on his head, there is digital images of it out there, somewhere. In full motion video. You have to see it, its sick. The way his afro moves is bad ass. Atomic wedgies, that party was funny, and there was actually far too much beer. 2 fucking kegs and a big ass purified water jug worth of jungle juice. And nobody drank that, because everyone had cans. Andy's party was cool.