What can you say about a man who drags a huge cross down Bourbon Street?

[Philosoraptor]

My little brother, who voted twice for bush and whose daughter is now headed for Iraq to drive a truck for the Army, has made it a Mardi Gras tradition to drag a huge wooden cross down Bourbon Street during the revelry. He is deeply religious I guess. A little too deeply for my tastes.

Is he being too zealous? Is he being blasphemous? Is he looking at titties out of the corner of his eye? Is he mentally unstable? Does he have a messiah complex?

I have asked him if maybe he's a little too religious, and I have suggested to him that he needs to see a doctor about his constant, never ending spreading of the good news to anyone who gets near him. I told him I was worried about his mental health, and that he didn't need to drag that big heavy thing down the street if he didn't want to.

Should I just leave the poor guy alone? He's a pain in the ass to be around, but he's my little brother and I love him, but a man who is 55 years old and dragging the cross of Jesus down the street to screams of ridicule and derision and spit is in my opinion, disturbed.

Do you know anyone this zealous? I don't. He's reminding me more and more of that asshole who heckles funerals, and he shows no signs of letting up. He's always confrontational, pushy, and absolutely resolute in his beliefs. And he's always telling me how he'll miss me in heaven, and how he's really sorry that I'll suffer forever in hell.

Is there any help for a man this deeply immersed in Christianity?

[Swamp Rat]

1. No

Btw, I didn't see him this year. :shrug:

[Philosoraptor]

2. The Golf Ball of Turin has been myth busted.

Yeah, he visited me instead god dammit.

[Buzz Clik]

5. Jesus used a Max Black 1 exclusively.

[BOSSHOG]

12. I didn't seem him either, but

a bunch of them were in front of St Louis Cathedral in the morning. The Catholics were their target this year. One opposed to them had a megaphone and just kept repeating, "take your hate elsewhere." There was some in your face action, quite entertaining. A sweet little old lady was giving them a heavy dose of what for!!

I am a little confused about those who have themselves "tied" to crosses at Easter Time and those who pull crosses usually have a wheel on the bottom end of the cross. Is that the way Jesus did it?

[kskiska]

22. We asked about that wheel once

I lived in NOLA about 15 years ago. Don't know if it's the same guy, but there was a guy with a wheel on his cross back then, too. He said he tried it without the wheel, but the bottom of the cross kept wearing down.

[bluerum]

3. I'm gonna take my cross and go home.. eom

[dave_p]

4. The bright side

He's doing what he believes his faith dictates to him regardless of the ridicule: so long as it's not harming others there's courage and integrity in that, however bizarre we find it. And at least it's not every day.

The real issues's the beliefs. I don't know how anyone reconciles Christianity with Bush, but I guess it takes all sorts...

[tinfoilinfor2005]

17. Agree. I'd say he is doing something that is important to him.

What's the big deal?

[Philosoraptor]

23. So you don't think my little bro' has a mental issue?

[symbolman]

6. How about

"Been there, done that.."? :)

[jody]

7. IMO most people deeply immersed in Christianity are outstanding. The hard thing about Democracy is

getting disparate groups to work together for the common good and stop hating.

[Jacobin]

8. that's your little brother?

I see him at Mardi Gras. He has a line of people following behind him with their heads bowed, looking like martyrs.

Its quite a sight.

Its interesting to watch the evangelicals at Mardi Gras. If you watch for a while, you can often catch them stealing a guilty glance at women flashing for beads. :-)

[no_hypocrisy]

9. I thought that Ignatius J. Reilly was a fictional character . . . .

Or do you think that it's Officer Mancuso doing undercover work again?

[CBGLuthier]

10. Absolutely nothing, let me tell you why

I have decided one of the major problems in this world is that everybody needs to learn how to mind their own business.

This is NOT any of my business. Why should my or anyone else's opinion matter?

[MorningGlow]

11. Act according to the answer to one question

Is he harming anyone--himself or others? (Accosting, berating, beating, etc.?) If not, then let him do what he feels is best.

In my belief system, one of the main tenets is "An (if) it harm none, do what thou wilt." And that applies to everybody, even :scared: evangelicals.

Personally, I like the guy who hands out religious leaflets in the middle of Bourbon Street (right by the strip clubs) at all times of the year. I admire his level of commitment. Your brother's, too, in an odd way.
:hi:

[Marrah_G]

13. If only more folks lived by the Rede.

I have no issues with other religions unless they cause harm to themselves or others. My parents are deeply religious Catholics. They live their religion as they see it. They have spent a lifetime giving of themselves and helping others. I have to admire them for it.

[MorningGlow]

19. Merry meet!

Agree--I can respect those who devote their lives to charity, no matter what their religion. And the Rede has helped me temper my opinion of fundies a lot. I still get impatient with my highly Catholic aunt, who is of the "If you don't go to Catholic church like me, you're going to hell" variety (and yet she loves Rush and O'Reilly hate radio...hm....), but I'm much more able to shrug it off than I used to be.

If everyone followed the "live and let live" tenet, we sure wouldn't be in the mess we're in, politically as well as personally.

[Bridget Burke]

14. Whether he drags a cross down Bourbon Street....

Or dances down Bourbon Street in drag--he's just expressing himself.

It's still a free country.

[mwb970]

15. Whatever floats your boat.

Some people are obsessed with sky diving or dog shows. This guy is obsessed with Jesus. Whatever.

[toddaa]

16. Be polite and ask him if he needs any help being nailed to it

I'm always considerate about helping Christians with their martyrdom complexes.

[Morrisons Ghost]

18. I know people this zealous

I don't really have a problem getting along with them.They are entitled to their opinion just as all of us are.I can talk to just about anybody.I find that people with "out there" beliefs are quite fascinating to talk to actually. "Live and let live thats my motto Live and let live,anyone who can't go along with that take em outside and shoot the motherfucker". I just love that George Carlin bit.Always think of that when I talk to people with extreme views.:evilgrin:

[marions ghost]

20. Your brother needs to atone

for voting for The Decider and for the criminals in govt who put his daughter into Iraq, believing she is defending the United States. So leave him his performance art outlet. Otherwise his head might explode.

However I would look out for signs of this behavior getting worse, or if it starts to violate codes of decency such as the ghouls who protest at funerals. It sounds like you genuinely care about your bro, but about all you can do with such an obsessed individual is to be there when his rotor falls off. He's very wound up, very overboard about his cause --but so are a lot of people in our demented South Park culture.

How about that guy who dragged the cross around the world? So when is your brother going to go the distance? This little gig of his in Bourbon St is all street theatre by comparison.

[Philosoraptor]

21. He now regrets voting for bush, TWICE.

Now that his very own daughter is going there.

I suggested he go to Puerto Rico where they actually get crucified, and quit being a wuss.

[truebrit71]

24. Suggest he read the bible more closely...

This sentence stands out "And he's always telling me how he'll miss me in heaven, and how he's really sorry that I'll suffer forever in hell."

Ask him if he recalls reading somewhere something about "judge not lest ye be judged yourself"...

It is NOT for him to decide who goes where...Any REAL Christian knows that...