Comments

  1. Blaidd Drwg says

    Have you ever noticed that any time the RRR feels threatened, it suddenly becomes “The very future of our nation’s foundation is at stake”, and the “Most critical *whatever* in history”?

    From what I’ve seen, the only things that are at stake are the collection plates, and the free rides that the clergy enjoy in our society.

  3. Yazbec says

    IANAL, but isn’t this type of thing expressly illegal for churches and other tax exempt entities? Perhaps the loophole is that the petition is only asking for the church leaders to encourage them to vote, not explicitly to vote in one direction or the other? The letter clearly states how you should have your congregation vote. Perchance we could find a way to forward this entire list to a very entrepreneurial lawyer at the many organizations that support the separation of church and state?

    Can someone point out the fault in my logic here? Surely even for the idiots they are, they wouldn’t make such a classic blunder as to put the name of their church on a list that says they are going to directly influence their members to vote in a certain way, thereby breaking the law and jeopardizing their tax exempt status?

  4. RideThePig says

    “From what I’ve seen, the only things that are at stake are the collection plates, and the free rides that the clergy enjoy in our society.”

    Ditto. Who knows how much money’s been funneled into these liars that could have actually been put to some kind of use?

  6. Cafeeine says

    Yasbek,

    Yet the text in the message shows a clear partisan view. I don’t see how anyone could make the claim that Wildmon intends for pastors to encourage their flock to vote for a liberal or even entertain that it is a good possibility.

  7. jc says

    “if the liberals win you will lose some of your religious freedom and free speech rights.”

    WTF? If the “Liberals” win everyone will have all the rights they want in spades. Else, we lose our right to freedom from religion (… education, science, health….).

  8. says

    Isn’t AK the code for Alaska, and AL for Alabama? There’s only three signatories from Alaska, but the Alabamans go on and on and on and on . . .

    Maybe a bunch of people should pretend to be from Alaska, and sign up a bunch of, say, Pastafarian churches. Or the First Church of Satan, that would be good, too. Or maybe the “Religion-Blinded Sheep of Fairbanks”. If this thing is automated, they could take over the entire first and second pages pretty quickly.

  9. Richard Harris says

    Shouldn’t we all claim to be pastors of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

    I’ll start the ball rolling.

  10. Yazbec says

    Agreed Cafeeine, I just wonder if that will be enough when the defense attorney says “but they never called for them to vote THAT way, just to vote.” not by common sense of course, but by the letter of the law; it will not jeopardize their tax exempt status to encourage voting, just to encourage it in a certain way.
    I hope you are right, that the entire letter would make it clear what the intent was, for even a court to have to incorporate the tone and intent of it all when deciding whether to hear the case and also when deciding the outcome. As I recall, the IRS recently showed some willingness to go after churches that should be paying taxes; perhaps we could alert them to this little petition? There’s money in it for them!

  14. tsg says

    Can someone point out the fault in my logic here?

    They’re supporting the people who are in charge of the investigation.

  15. says

    you might want to encourage your ecclesiastical friends to participate

    Oh, they need no encouragement from me. Why, Rev’d Wildmon’s message is so important that Rev’d Gary Aldridge himself had to come back from the dead just now, peel off his two wetsuits and pull the dildo out of his arse to sign on.

    For any of you contemplating paying Rev’d Wildmon’s site a visit to “spoof” it (as I believe the young people say), I can only stress that this would be very bad indeed, almost as bad as spoofing Conservapædia.

  16. says

    Next Sunday is D-Day for The Pulpit Initiative, in which various right-wing pastors have pledged to endorse specific candidates and initiative campaigns during church services. (This is just a guess, but I think most of them will be pushing McCain/Palin and bans on same-sex marriage.)

    Hmm. I’m an ordained minister myself, and I’m pretty sure I can dig up my Web-based ordination papers. Maybe I should take the pledge and go find a flock to preach to. Obama/Biden ’08! No on (California) Proposition 8! No on (Colorado) Amendment 48!

    Amen.

  18. jeffrobodean says

    I finally get to use my “credentials of ministry” for something useful. I paid 12 bucks for that certificate and I want my moneys worth.

  19. Flex says

    While IANAL, from my reading of the various IRS guidelines there doesn’t appear to be anything in the letter endorsing a specific candidate or party and so it would probably pass an IRS review.

    However…

    It is very nice that they included a list of churches which signed up. If people attended the churches in question and made recordings of sermons, there may be grounds for complaints to the IRS. Without a recording it would be hard to prove anything which violates the tax-exempt status occured. A bald denial from the church would satisfy the IRS simply because they don’t have the manpower to monitor every potential abuse of the 501(3)(c) requirements.

    Mind you, even with a recording of blatent political activism it’s unlikely that anything more than a reminder of the law would occur for a first offence. And keep in mind that most churches are aware of the 501(3)(c) requirements and abide by them, so there is little chance that random church attendance would catch abuse.

    Yet, if it was possible to find a church which did violate the 501(3)(c) requirements, extensively document the abuse over a period of months or years, and then generate a high-profile media campaign in conjunction with an IRS complaint, the publicity alone would likely moderate some of the more blatent abuse.

    As well as possibly causing even more paranoia and claims of persecution by pointing out that atheists may be monitoring their sermons.

  22. says

    I put in a title that I think the Christians might miss, but the people on this blog won’t. Does anybody think that the Christians will be able to detect the satire in the “United church of Saint Pharyngula”?

  23. tsg says

    Yet, if it was possible to find a church which did violate the 501(3)(c) requirements, extensively document the abuse over a period of months or years, and then generate a high-profile media campaign in conjunction with an IRS complaint, the publicity alone would likely moderate some of the more blatent abuse.

    Not to be the eternal cynic, but I don’t think this would generate any media interest except from those who think it should be allowed. “Church violated tax exempt status” isn’t exactly a riveting headline.

  26. Copache says

    Kirk Hayden with the First Church of the Incompetent Bigot In The Sky in Anchorage, AK reporting for duty!

  29. says

    The organization itself (AFA) violates 501c3 status here: http://www.afa.net/08VG/index.html
    It gives a highly skewed and politically charged perspective on the candidates with its wording. This may not be “overt political endorsement” but it is pretty damn close… It omits most other issues in the campaign and only puts forth the ones people that are highly religious would agree with McCain on.

  30. tsg says

    They seem to have got wise to us. All ‘our’ entries seem to have disappeared.

    Of course, now we have to find the most egregious non-church name that gets past them. Let the games begin!

  31. Robert Jase says

    I noticed that Obed Marsh of the EOD in Innsmouth, MA, signed in. Gotta keep heterosexual marriage going to make more deep ones.

  33. Lee Picton says

    Since Alaska entries are first for those who don’t want to be bothered going past the first page, I suggest signing up with your church as, say, Atheist Alliance from Anchorage, and use an anchorage zipcode. Look at the first page and you will see me there (Psst, I’m really from Maryland).

  34. foolfodder says

    The name of chirch column isn’t very wide. If you came up with the right name you could spell out a rude word with the first letter of each word.

    e.g.

    Baptist
    Unification
    Ministry

  35. Lee Picton says

    LOL. I went back and read the Alaska antries more carefully. Now we need a contingent from ALabama.

  36. raven says

    Even much of the GOP is abandoning McCain. About all McCain has left is the Death Cultists. He isn’t really one of them and they know it, more interested in women, money, and power. It is Palin they want, crazy mom cultist with a brain the size of a walnut and hate modules the size of Alaska.

    McCain is the most likely candidate to have a fatal “accident” shortly after election. There would be cultists lined up to push him down a stairway for jesus.

    old post. The tide might be going out on the christofascists.
    The Voters are also blaming the Death Cult fundies for destroying the USA and its economy.

    50% – More Conservatives Now Say Churches Should Stay Out of Politics Wed Sep 24, 12:00 AM ET
    Half of self-described conservatives now express the view that churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics; four years ago, only 30% of conservatives expressed this view. Overall, a new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds a narrow majority of the public (52%) now says that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of political matters and not express their views on day-to-day social and political matters. For a decade, majorities of Americans had voiced support for religious institutions speaking out on such issues. The survey also finds that most of the reconsideration of the desirability of religious involvement in politics has occurred among conservatives. As a result, conservatives’ views on this issue are much more in line with the views of moderates and liberals than was previously the case. Similarly, the sharp divisions between Republicans and Democrats that previously existed on this issue have disappeared. There are other signs in the new poll about a potential change in the climate of opinion about mixing religion and politics. First, the survey finds a small but significant increase since 2004 in the percentage of respondents saying that they are uncomfortable when they hear politicians talk about how religious they are — from 40% to 46%. Again, the increase in negative sentiment about religion and politics is much more apparent among Republicans than among Democrats.

    Looks like there is a backlash against the Death Cults. These are nihilists who have only brought death and destruction during their time in power. Their latest victim is the US economy, the largest in the world at one time. Palin is one, a hardcore religious kook.

    It is no secret that she believes the earth is 6,000 years old and that god will show up any day, destroy the earth and kill 6.7 billion people. And that this is a good thing. She sacrificed her own daughter on the altar of her extremist views.

    McCain made a mistake with that choice. While christofascists will vote for her, many in the rest of the USA have had enough of these nutters and are appalled that what is basically a crazy mom is one old man away from the potential presidency.

  37. --PatF in Madison says

    So…

    We have the worst financial crisis in the post WWII era.

    We are grinding our army to bits in an unnecessary war.

    Our schools are in lousy shape.

    Our economy is still dependent on foreign oil.

    We have millions of people without health care.

    But…
    GOTTA MAKE SURE VOTE AGAINST THE GUY WHO MAY ALLOW GAYS TO MARRY!

    Wildmon is a fool.

  38. says

    I took the pledge as the “pastor” of the Atheists of Northeast Arkansas (AoNEA). And I’m encouraging all seven of our members to register and vote!

  39. shonny says

    Posted by: Robin | September 25, 2008 9:11 AM
    Here’s an idea: financial crisis in the US? Collect taxes from churches. Problem solved in so many ways.

    And include back taxes plus penalties for tax fraud.
    The US economy would bounce back with a vengeance!
    And the priest and other religious parasites would have to work to earn a living. Definitely a win-win situation for the economy and for common decency.

  40. Waldo McFroog says

    Rev Waldo McFroog from “Captain Satan’s World of Gayness and Laughter (and Baby Eating)” reporting for duty, Sah!

  42. DanDeLeon says

    You’ll be pleased to know that Dan DeLeon of the South Homer Institute of Tithing is represented.

  43. Quiet_Desperation says

    Here’s an idea: financial crisis in the US? Collect taxes from churches. Problem solved in so many ways.

    1. Pass law taxing churches.
    2. Make it retroactive to 1776.
    3. Audit Pope.

  44. Waldo McFroog says

    You know what, they may be disappearing, but it’s causing some arsehole agravation, so it’s still worthwhile.

  45. tsg says

    McCain made a mistake with that choice. While christofascists will vote for her, many in the rest of the USA have had enough of these nutters and are appalled that what is basically a crazy mom is one old man away from the potential presidency.

    I think you might be putting too much stock in the conservatives (claimed) desire to keep religion out of politics affecting who they will vote for.

  49. says

    Damn… looks like a lot of our entries have been deleted again. We must be giving someone one hell of a headache. For some reason I don’t feel bad about that.

  50. tsg says

    Damn… looks like a lot of our entries have been deleted again. We must be giving someone one hell of a headache. For some reason I don’t feel bad about that.

    And, with any luck, they will delete some real entries as well.

  51. charley says

    Don’t do what I stupidly tried and use a made-up email address, because it comes back and says to expect a confirmation email. Poor tjones”at”yahoo.com will be receiving a rather peculiar message asking if he is indeed Fr. Ben Dover of St. Gullible Catholic Church in Bethel AK.

  53. Cut and Paste says

    My copy b4 deletion.

    My entry for Kurt Vonnegut and Bokonon apperently never made the list

    Clinton Huxley You are a bunch of disgusting bigots Trinity AK

    Edward Teach The Chruch of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Gnome AK

    Mark Fiend First Church of Satan Juneau AK

    Bob Vogel Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Anchorage AK

    James Bremner Church of the really nice guy who believes in evolution and loves doing embryonic stem cell research and who likes gay people and everything! Anchorage AK

    Eusthenopteron McCracken First Church of Satan the Eternally Triumphant Anchorage AK

    Leroy Jones First Church of What’s Happening Now Ketchikan AK

    The Right Reverend Jeffro Bodean First Atheist Liberal Church Bumfuq AK

    Fearuff Diff’rance You are the ones restricting freedoms and rights Anchorage AK

    Brian Coughlan Partially Reformed Church of the Apostolic Succession for wayward boys (Orthodox) Anchorage AK

    Lou Seefer 3 1/2th Church of God the Totally Incompetent Pandemonium AK

  54. tsg says

    Don’t click the link up top in case their keying in on the referrer tag. Copy/paste it in a new window.

  55. raven says

    It is illegal for churches to involve themselves in partisan politics by endorsing parties or candidates. They can’t do it and keep their tax exemption as charitable organizations. IRS rules.

    In practice they just ignore the laws. The IRS rarely prosecutes.

    They also mostly ignore the bible and their religion. The cultists are all about being cultists and not much about religion. They really want money and power. The jesus schtick is just a means to an end.

  57. Jeeves says

    I don’t understand their rationale for deleting some things while allowing others. New Jersey’s page had a “U.R. Ridiculous” so I felt comfortable enough signing up “Chicken Little” at “Our Lady of Bigotry” but unfortunately, that was just a little too implausible to them. However, U.R. Ridiculous is apparently a prized member of their Christian Nation. Damn.

  59. Bunk says

    I was laughing about Team Jesus Motorsports too. I see someone’s invoking Poe’s law on it. I’m not surprised.

    Someone seems to be cleaning up the list. 2nd Darwinian Church, Liberal, AK showed up on the front page when I first looked. It’s gone now.

  60. nankay says

    Hmmm…I went back to the site and I can’t see a link to post/submit anymore. Have they stopped the sign up?

  62. Timcol says

    I just registered as “First Unified Church of Kansas”

    In Topeka (where else). Even better the zip code is 66604.

  63. Benjamin Franklin says

    Now here’s a growing church-

    Johnny Appleseed Holy Mackeral Church New York NY

    But there is something fishy about it…

  65. Chris Jackson says

    I used me regular email address. I hope I don’t get a flood of angry Christian BS! My submission:

    Name: Ben Dover
    Church of: God stole my lube to use on Jesus
    City: Mianus, Connecticut

    Maybe it will turn into a mega church soon, with the hidden purpose of luring homophobic pastors and church members in the middle of the pews and surrounding them by sadomasochists dressed in all leather and whips! I would pay to see that!

  66. tsg says

    I have a dollar for anyone who can get L. Ron Hoover from the “First Church of Appliantology” through.

  67. tsg says

    And, not to be Captain Obvious or anything, but it could be they are deleting anything that shows up here.

  68. Malaclypse the Younger says

    Pastor Malaclypse the Younger from the church of POEE in Basra AK reporting for duty.

  69. mike says

    Liberal Atheist Smart People’s church just went up in the number 1 spot (anchorage, ak). Lets see how long it stays. You’re welcome.

  70. says

    Have you ever noticed that any time the RRR feels threatened, it suddenly becomes “The very future of our nation’s foundation is at stake”, and the “Most critical *whatever* in history”?

    This is something of a standard practice of demagogues. If you want people to do stupid things not particularly in their interest, anxiety and panic can be very useful, as can be, therefore, immininent danger. See also: ‘the terrorists are a-comin”, ‘oh noes, WMDS!’ and ‘the Great Depression is a-comin’ agin”

  74. raven says

    I think you might be putting too much stock in the conservatives (claimed) desire to keep religion out of politics affecting who they will vote for.

    Yeah probably. The old line conservatives wish they had more than a confused old man and an ignorant religious kook as candidates. They will probably still vote for them.

    Some of the undecideds, independents, and nonfundie xian vote probably won’t. I’m sure Palin cost them some and gained them little. It wasn’t like the Death Cultists were going to vote for Obama.

    You have to remember that Xians have been fighting sectarian wars for 2,000 years among themselves. They are very good at hating and they all hate each other. The fundies call the catholic church, the church of satan and the catholics call the protestants fake churches.

  76. Jeeves says

    This reminds me of trying to crash the America Family something or other when they boycotted McDonald’s for donating one tenth of one percent of their quarterly earning to Gay and Lesbian Alliance. The funny thing was the emails that were sent in…I am 99% sure those people were being honest and it was sad. People going to McDonald 5-6 times a week, bringing their 6-11 kids, spending $200+ every week. If nothing else, their boycott (does anyone know if it still is in effect?) has probably added 10 years to their lives.

  77. 386sx says

    Runny Camenbert from Needham is in there, but I’m a little suspicious of that one. Be careful out there, people.

  78. Tulse says

    I’m sure Palin cost them some and gained them little. It wasn’t like the Death Cultists were going to vote for Obama.

    But they might have stayed home, or not put in motion the giant political machine that was created during the Reagan years. Palin was a hugely cynical choice, but I’m not sure that choice was all that bad in purely political terms. It remains to be seen whether she turns into a liability among the reality-based voters.

  81. nankay says

    Deleted my cookies and voila , back in business. Our Lady of Repression–Catholics seemed underrepresented.

  83. says

    All you blasphemers for the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, have you no dignity, infidels? The one TRUE Lord is the Invisible Pink Unicorn! Damn you all to eternal pleasure!

  88. matt says

    If you guys wanted to peg them for supporting specific partisan candidates, couldn’t you just send them an email asking innocently, as an undecided pastor, which non-liberal candidates you should be asking your flock to vote for?

    If he emails back anything other than “a conservative”, he should be pegged, right?

  90. Brad D says

    A little more subtle, but topical: Clay Aiken has now signed the list from 90210 zip code and “The Hills Church”. You know they’ll purge all the obvious jokes, but they might miss this for a while.

    I feel so mature now. ;)

  91. tsg says

    If you guys wanted to peg them for supporting specific partisan candidates, couldn’t you just send them an email asking innocently, as an undecided pastor, which non-liberal candidates you should be asking your flock to vote for?

    If he emails back anything other than “a conservative”, he should be pegged, right?

    It would be bloody obvious and he’d have to be an idiot to answer anything other than “As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we are prohibited from endorsing any particular candidate.”

  93. Charlie Foxtrot says

    I didn’t know HalfLife had spawned a church… I did use to play that game religiously, I guess :)

  95. Mus says

    tsg: It would be bloody obvious and he’d have to be an idiot to answer anything other than

    Do you doubt his idiocy?

    How DARE you doubt his idiocy?

  97. raven says

    Palin was a hugely cynical choice, but I’m not sure that choice was all that bad in purely political terms. It remains to be seen whether she turns into a liability among the reality-based voters.

    The polls show her favorability is eroding rapidly. Palin has several characteristics that turn people off.

    1. She is a religous nutcase. Oddly enough the witch hunting, rapture monkey stuff didn’t seem to bother that many people.

    2. She also appears to be not very bright and completely ignorant of much of anything outside of Alaska. She doesn’t know much about the basics like geography, economics, world politics, and so on. That is why the handlers have been keeping her away from the press.

    3. She also seems to have a vindictive, mean, petty personality, superficial charm that leaves close associates with knives in their backs.

    You have to remember Alaska’s economy is based on pumping oil, mining minerals, gathering federal funds, cutting down trees, shooting moose, and killing fish. You don’t have to be too smart to figure out how those work.

  98. Thundergunn says

    Check out there AFA.net site. They have a poll under there issues section asking if a marriage amendment will help there candidates. Amazing that they can argue for freedom of speech and religion, but turn around and say it only applies to christians.

  99. tsg says

    Do you doubt his idiocy?

    How DARE you doubt his idiocy?

    I realize this was largely tongue-in-cheek, but they are devious, dishonest, misguided, hateful, and wrong, but they aren’t stupid. Underestimating them will surely lead to failure.

  103. Ian James Anthony says

    Pastor Oliver Closehoff (couldn’t resist!) of the Church of the First Natural Selection in Urbana, Illinois is ready to take up the cause!

  105. Kyle W. says

    I’m out of e-mail addresses… here’s a good fake name for someone to use, just make sure you match it with a good church name that might fly under the radar:

    “Mensby Hinds”

  106. says

    In addition to Rev’d Aldridge, I submitted Father Seamus O’Reely of St Tibulus RC Church, but then noticed that one needs to reply to a confirmation email. Since I’d made up the email addresses, my entries didn’t get through. I see that I shall have to create some new addresses on my server tonight…

    Also, if you click the column header, you can reorganize the table. No need to start with AK.

  107. tsg says

    Since I’d made up the email addresses, my entries didn’t get through. I see that I shall have to create some new addresses on my server tonight…

    See #72 for info on spoofing the confirmation.

  108. tsg says

    Just to add: if you can remember the email addresses you used, you can validate them without having to re-enter them.

  110. varlo says

    I skipped ahead so someone may have suggested this already, but I believe if we spread them out over a couple of days and made up more plausible names we might have better luck.

  112. bernard quatermass says

    “I noticed that Obed Marsh of the EOD in Innsmouth, MA, signed in. Gotta keep heterosexual marriage going to make more deep ones.”

    I for one think “the Innsmouth look” is hawt.

  114. Richard Harris says

    They’ve not removed all of our spoof entries. Mine is still there, from hours ago!

    Richard Harris Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Fairfax VA

    But I preferred:

    Dr Richard Dawkins Church of Infinite Stupidity Aaron River AL

  116. stephanie says

    Wow, good thing the Liberal party is staying up here in Canada! the Democrats are still pretty conservative by our standards

  117. says

    Why don’t all just go pray rather than go vote? If their god is all powerful, couldn’t God just multiply the number of Republican ballots or turn the hearts of liberals as they stand at the voting booth?

  118. tsg says

    Poll 2 as of now:
    Yes – 73.88%

    No – 26.12%

    134 responses

    There’s a bug in the webform. If you block cookies from onenewsnow.com, you can hammer the vote button and it looks like it counts a lot of them.

  123. the petey says

    Why don’t all just go pray rather than go vote? If their god is all powerful, couldn’t God just multiply the number of Republican ballots or turn the hearts of liberals as they stand at the voting booth?

    i’m pretty sure the republicans have been doping that for the last 8 years without god’s help

  130. Rocketman says

    Ia! Cthulhu f’taghn! We have pledged!

    I think my brothers and sisters in the Esoteric Order of Dagon have also pledged to support The Goat With a Thousand Young (Sarah Palin) come election day.

  131. says

    Mailinator.com is a good way to sign up for things without the risk of spam. And I’m sure Rev. Phil McCrack of the First Church of the Sainted Aunt doesn’t want any spam.

  132. says

    Look, these guys always come out and vote.

    We just need to make sure that the sane, pro-freedom contingent goes out and votes too.

  133. tsg says

    Yes – 17.20%

    No – 82.80%

    2023 responses

    It looks like someone’s trying to crash it the other way, now.

  136. says

    @126 Those are not feet, they are claspers which are slightly deformed. anatomically as different from legs and feet as insect wings and bird wings…

  138. says

    Jim @ 134: the guy said.
    “There is nobody who will ever tell me what I can and cannot say from behind my pulpit,” Booth said, “except the spirit of God or the word of God.”
    Obviously he’s never met an IRS agent…

  139. karen says

    Sister Sarah of St. Mattress of the Springs from Tick Bite NC has signed on. She is preparing to open missions in as many states as possible, along with Wench Clara Cappelini of the Church of the FSM!

  141. Stagyar zil Doggo says

    Rev Benny the Rat
    of
    the Church of Active Gay Demons

    thanks Michael @72 for helping him work the Intarwebs and join this just Crusade.

  142. Life of Brian says

    Brian Cohen from theMessiah Nailed to Boards for You Redeemer Church has signed in.
    (Sing along…) Always look on the bright side of life… (whistle……)
    (Just don’t say Jehovah.) Ouch! Stop throwing ro-aaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!

  143. Life of Brian says

    Brian Cohen from the Messiah Nailed to Boards for You Redeemer Church, has signed in.
    (Sing along…) Always look on the bright side of life… (whistle……)
    (Just don’t say Jehovah.) Ouch! Stop throwing ro-aaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!

  144. Shaden Freud says

    I’m guessing it’s a joke, but check under Kansas:

    Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, KS

    #53

    Eusthenopteron McCracken

    Brilliant.

  148. tsg says

    “There is nobody who will ever tell me what I can and cannot say from behind my pulpit,” Booth said, “except the spirit of God or the word of God.”
    Obviously he’s never met an IRS agent…

    Well, he’s right. He can say whatever he likes behind his pulpit. He just doesn’t get to stay tax exempt if he violates the 501(c)(3) rules.

    That’s the lie. They are trying to say this is a free speech issue. It isn’t. It’s a tax exemption issue. The Federal Government agreed not to charge them taxes. In return, the church agreed, among other things, not to endorse a particular political candidate, just like every other tax exempt organiztion. Now they don’t want to play by those rules. Fine. Pay taxes just like every other corporation. To do otherwise is asking for special treatment for being a church.

  149. Lee Picton says

    Yes, they are removing names, but new ones seem to be appearing just as fast. Especially in Alaska. My newest one is in Latin.

  150. David Marjanović, OM says

    Of course, now we have to find the most egregious non-church name that gets past them. Let the games begin!

    Are all of you ordained by the Universal Church Triumphant of the Apathetic Agnostic yet? Fill out the web form and wait for your pdf.

    There’s a bug in the webform. If you block cookies from onenewsnow.com, you can hammer the vote button and it looks like it counts a lot of them.

    I doubt that. I bet hundreds of Pharyngulites are simply voting at the same time as you. It often happens that I click a “vote” button twice and the vote total increases by 2 to 5 or so…

    Hey PZ, love your blog. Just wanted to turn your attention to this if you haven’t seen it yet:
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/yacomink/sharks-with-legs-v
    So the next time someone says “well, you don’t see an eagle’s head on a fishes body” or other such nonsense, just show them this picture ;)

    Wow. If this isn’t photoshopped, it’s of major interest for evo-devo.

    Ia! Cthulhu f’taghn!

    Those who cannot spell “Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!” shall be eaten next to last.

    The Goat With a Thousand Young (Sarah Palin)

    ROTFL!

    anatomically as different from legs and feet as insect wings and bird wings…

    Oh no. The pectoral and pelvic fins, respectively, are homologous to fore- and hindlimbs. It’s more like bird wings and bat wings.

  151. Ichthyic says

    Brian Cohen from theMessiah Nailed to Boards for You Redeemer Church has signed in.

    Weleath Bwian!!

  152. Voltaire Kinison says

    Dang! I signed in as Rev. Adolph Hitler from the God Is With Us Holy Church in New Berlin Wisconsin, but got a message saying sorry Rev. Hitler, you’re already registered.
    Nice work friends!

  153. Julie Stahlhut says

    The Rev. Coccinella Punctata of the Church of Our Lady of All Bugs in Bugtussle, KY has duly joined the cause. After all, the Great Arthropod doesn’t want any confusion between ladybugs and gentlemanbugs.

  154. tsg says

    I doubt that. I bet hundreds of Pharyngulites are simply voting at the same time as you. It often happens that I click a “vote” button twice and the vote total increases by 2 to 5 or so…

    I thought of that, but it seems to increase a lot quicker when I’m doing it than when I’m not.

  155. Ichthyic says

    Hey PZ, love your blog. Just wanted to turn your attention to this if you haven’t seen it yet:
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/yacomink/sharks-with-legs-v
    So the next time someone says “well, you don’t see an eagle’s head on a fishes body” or other such nonsense, just show them this picture ;)

    might not be photoshopped, but they’re not legs, either.

    those are mutated claspers (or else they cut them to look like that).

    OTOH…

    this could be a very young landshark.

  156. Ichthyic says

    it seems to increase a lot quicker when I’m doing it than when I’m not.

    I understand what you mean here, but my first thought on reading was:

    “Of course, things I’m doing tend to get done faster when I’m actually doing them than when I’m not, too!”

  157. Supercelt says

    I have added my church in Salt Lake City, Utah:

    Center for Enthusiastic Abandonment of Rational Thought

    Best Regards,
    Pastor Agammemmnon Illuminotti

    P.S. Please add churches in your home state so that we are all well represented.

  158. Bill Ockham says

    Elbow Macaroni of the Second Pastafarian Church in Lasagna, NY is still up. Maybe they gave up purging the list, they are only going to spam us anyway.
    Oh, yeah, spamblockers!

  160. tsg says

    As a test, there were ~2200 an hour and a half ago (yes ~20%) when I stopped doing it and ~3500 votes with yes 35% ten minutes ago. In those ten minutes, with me hammering the vote button on “no”, the number of votes went to >5000 and yes is back down to 25%.

    If it isn’t me doing it, it’s one hell of a coincidence.

  162. nokin says

    God Dammit – I Thought I Told You – To Stay Out of Politics – WA

    Whoever entered that, I Love it!

  164. Levi says

    I’m almost tempted to send this to my grandmother (a minister in Vermont who performs gay civil unions).

    Oh, and I am going to be getting out the vote. This Saturday I’m going to New Hampshire to knock on doors for Obama!

  166. senecasam says

    They edited my entry – changed my affiliation from Flying Spaghetti Monster to Smithville Baptist Church.

    Why, they’re as dishonest as I am! Bwahahahahaha.

  167. Shaden Freud says

    “Pique-op N’Droppoff, Siberian Chauffeurs of Christ, Moscow, MN”

    Someone’s a Car Talk fan!

  168. fatherdaddy says

    O.K., The First Internoncongregasensationalist Unreformed UFO Church Of Dobbs Of The Living Smoke, Of The Immaculate Sale, The Perfect Hamburger, And The Last Laugh is on the list. I can’t wait to tell my flock who to vote for.

  170. the petey says

    has anyone posted one in TX yet??

    Some of them LOOK like jokes, but i can’t really tell

    scaaaaaary

  172. tsg says

    If I could remember the name of the religion Father Guido Sarducci invented where everybody gets to be pope, I’d have to register it.

  178. Voltaire Kinison says

    For you Frank Zappa fans, we have Father O’Blivion – St. Alphonzo’s – Yellow Snow, Alaska

  180. tsg says

    For you Frank Zappa fans, we have Father O’Blivion – St. Alphonzo’s – Yellow Snow, Alaska

    No L. Ron Hoover?

  181. kmarissa says

    Hmm, when I click on the link now there’s no list of churches whatsoever. Maybe they gave up.

    The way it seems to be set up now, if you select a state from the first drop-down menu, it shows the churches from that state that have signed up.

  182. says

    Huh? Did they take the submission forms down? Because I’m not seeing them.

    However, the Everyone Loves Potato Soup Church of Burlington, VT is still going strong!

  183. tsg says

    Yes – 24.81%

    No – 75.19%

    8008 responses

    They’ll need at least 4000 more yes votes (about twice as many more as they already have) just to get even.

  184. kmarissa says

    PS, I don’t know how to save screen-shots, but if you look up DC churches RIGHT NOW, the second one down is “IRS 501(c)3 Infractions Investigations”.

  185. tsg says

    PS, I don’t know how to save screen-shots, but if you look up DC churches RIGHT NOW, the second one down is “IRS 501(c)3 Infractions Investigations”.

    You mean this one?

    I don’t know where that could have come from…. *looks away whistling*

  187. Sven DiMilo says

    Father O’Blivion – St. Alphonzo’s – Yellow Snow, Alaska

    where I stole the margareen?

  188. kmarissa says

    tsg, thanks. There have been many funny entries but yours is my favorite. The beautifully sly “Obed Marsh of the EOD, Innsmouth, MA” entry would have had you beat but apparently that one was deleted before I had a chance to see it on their website.

  189. bybelknap, FCD says

    Rev Ron Linguini of the First Pastafarian Church of Stroudsburg PA reporting for duty.
    Ramen!

  190. Stagyar zil Doggo says

    Michael @72:

    The confirmation link you gave no longer works. :-( I’m getting a message that says –

    Please click the link from your confirmation request email. Of course, since I gave them a fake email address, that is not an option.

    Any other workarounds, anyone?

  191. Hockey Bob says

    I just added mine – it’s a secret, but it’s one of the entries for my old hometown, St. Paul, MN. See if you can guess who it is! ;-)

  192. Mus says

    kmarissa, regarding screenshots- After you click “PrtSc”, just ctrl + v (or right click and paste) into a paint document.

  198. karen says

    Um, I promised to add more St. Mattress of the Springs Churches, but I can’t get back to the form to fill out. All I get is the completed list now. What’s a computer-challenged Sister Sarah to do? The good news is that they seem to find my church innocuous; it’s still there. I’ve read through the entire list and there are maybe a dozen to 15 or so that are still in the midst of the real deal. One of my favs that I don’t think has been highlighted yet, and I don’t know how it got overlooked, is:
    Trey Riddick First United Church of Knowing God (F.U.C.K. God) Knoxville TN

  199. eric says

    Here’s a resource of real but odd town names to make your satire less obvious (I particularly like Buddha, IN)

  202. tsgt says

    What’s a computer-challenged Sister Sarah to do?

    Clear your cookies, specifically anything from afa.net.

  203. Disciple of "Bob" says

    Elvis Nixon
    First Gaylord Texan Church of Man On Man Love
    Flower Mound TX

    (I didn’t do it!)

  206. Bunk says

    I though Ajo Baptist was a clever phonetic shot at A-hole Baptist, but it’s just as real as Team Jesus Motorsports.

  208. Ichthyic says

    What – you got a problem with tiny pictures or something? ;)

    my screen is 21″ wide.

    that thing was smaller than a postage stamp!

    all i got out of it was that it was a square with some color on it.

    Kinda looks like my driver’s license picture, now that I think on it.

  210. Bjørn Østman says

    Check out this very recent update on their list of Californian pastors:

    German Galvez Iglesia Camino al Cielo City of Commerce CA
    Liberals are against free Speech now? Claremont CA
    David Hutton Village Baptist Church Clearlake CA

  211. Ubi Dubium says

    I spot-checked several states, and Landover Baptist seems to be getting through without being caught. Eastboro Baptist might fly too – worth trying.

  212. SC says

    Kinda looks like my driver’s license picture, now that I think on it.

    Hmmm. Don’t think I want to ask any follow-up questions about that observation.

    Speaking of DLs, I got carded yesterday – she told me I must have “young genes.” They’ll get my return business, for sure.

  214. Tiktaalik roseae says

    Hm.

    Entering the following:

    Tiktaalik Roseae
    Elpistostegalian Sarcopterygian of the
    Fram Formation
    Anaktuvuk
    AK
    (yes, I know it should have been Nunavut, Canada)

    Got me flung to the Answersingenesis page on the Flying Spaghetti Monster, when I clicked “submit”.

    Hm.

  215. Phil says

    Anyone get linked to an Answers in Genesis page about the Flying Spaghetti Monster when trying to submit?

  219. Tiktaalik roseae says

    I think it might be the e-mail address, which is mailinator…

    Nope, changing that didn’t work either. Hm.

  220. Janine ID AKA The Lone Drinker says

    Posted by: SC | September 25, 2008 5:08 PM

    Reverend Jim Ignatowski, Church of the Peaceful

    Sssllllooooooowwwww ddooooooowwnnnnnnnnn!

  222. Shaden Freud says

    #220

    Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat…dooooooeeeesssss….a….

    *checks test paper*

    yeeeeellllllloooowwwwww…..liiiiight….MEAN?

  223. SC says

    Posted by: Shaden Freud | September 25, 2008 5:34 PM

    Shit! I leave for a few minutes and someone beats me to it!

    Ah, nostalgia…

  224. Benjamin Geiger says

    I used to have a furniture polish abuse problem, but it’s fine now. I took the Pledge.

  226. says

    Well my entry disappeared from the list so I sent the following email to AFA through their contact us page:

    I am very upset. I took the Pastor’s Pledge and then followed through by contacting the members of my group to encourage them to register and vote. However, my entry has disappeared from the list. I can only assume that this is due to the fact that my group is AoNEA (Atheists of Northeast Arkansas). I am disappointed that your organization would be so threatened by opposing views that you would resort to censorship to suppress them.

  227. k says

    Well, I cleared my cookies, and that got me the submit form, thanks! But I keep getting routed to the FSM page too. Even when I tried using a different email address. Guess my fun is over. :-(

  228. Dahan says

    Well, they took mine off right away, but I see that whoever put up the “Siberian Chauffeurs of Christ” church is still doing fine here in Minnesota.

  229. David Marjanović, OM says

    I’m particularly impressed with the Alaskan contingent so far.

    I still am!

    Amo Pudenda | Landover Baptist Church | Anchorage AK
    Charles Dyson | Anchoraget Baptist Temple | Anchorage AK
    John Clunas | Landover Baptist Church | Bethel AK
    Josh Hardington | Landover Baptist Church | Bismarck AK
    Fuschia Equidae | First IPU Chevak | Chevak AK
    Napoleon Solo | United Nazzerene Church of Life Eternal | Deering AK
    Steve McNeal | Dillingham Bible fellowship | Dillingham AK
    Michael Mauger | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Alpenglow Ward | Eagle River AK
    Giordano Bruno | He Died for Your Sins | Emmonak AK
    Jengu Banshee | guisket@gmail.com | Juneau AK
    John Forrester | First Baptist Church | Kotzebue AK
    Roger Murkin | Church Under New Testament | Wasilla AK

    Only three of these are real, right?

    (I’m so stealing “he died for your sins”…)

    DC has been completely purged, on the other hand: it has a single entry — and that entry lacks a church name!

    Alabama seems to be entirely real, too.

    Vermont is apparently nicely balanced:

    Kevin Horion | Bethel Chapel Assembly of God | Brattleboro VT
    Rob Carter | Bristol Christian Fellowship | Bristol VT
    Potato Soup | Everyone Loves Potato Soup Church | Burlington VT
    Dr. Larry Laffer | Freemason Unification Church – Killington | Killington VT
    C. Andrew Chrysler | God’s Little Brown Church | Swanton VT
    Richard Callahan | Maranatha Christian Church | Williston VT

  231. David Marjanović, OM says

    Louisiana is entirely real, except for… most probably… the Fellowship of Divine Unity Under Lucifer in Gonzales, LA.

  232. David Marjanović, OM says

    It seems Poe’s coming back to bite them for a change. Funny.

    Revenge is the best revenge.
    — Klingon proverb

  233. David Marjanović, OM says

    Just for the record, Google found me the original:

    bortaS nIvqu’ ‘oH bortaS’e’.

  240. Ichthyic says

    You guys need to learn how to troll better. Try a little subtlety next time. ;)

    you need to learn what the definition of trolling is, because if you’re referring to the current frivolity, posting fictitious names for fun on a ridiculous, bordering on tax code violation, pledge drive sheet is not trolling.

    as to subtle, what makes you think the entries need to be subtle?

    If you read upthread, you’d see there are a lot of people who understand the value of NON subtlety here.

  242. s1mplex says

    Fatherdaddy:

    Tell me Jesus H. Christo of Escondido, CA is real. Too funny.

    Ha, great find. Oh yeah, that is definitely some killer reverse Poe action right there.

    I actually caught myself wondering whether Jeebus really had a middle initial or not!

    Hmmm… maybe we can sprinkle in some reverse Poe-ing with our poll crashing.

    Borat always does some nice reverse Poe.

  243. Sanity Jane says

    Well, I got no confirmation e-mail, just shunted to that eye-bleedingly stupid article on AIG, but it’s still fun to see all the other faux fundies that have so far avoided detection. Hee hee hee…

  247. Lee Picton says

    Hah! It’s after 10 PM and I’m still the number one pastor in Alaska. Seriously, some human webmaster is not very bright.

  248. Epinephrine says

    Notre Dame du Mamelon Glissant, Phil McCrakken, Larose, LA

    Helps if you translate it – Our Lady of the Slippery Nipple… subtle is Phil’s middle name

  250. JPS, FCD says

    Checking in from Kentucky; our place names here are something else. Eric (#200), thanks for posting that list. I think it’s Depoy instead of Decoy; don’t know what the heck that means. And Paint Lick is just down the road a piece from where I’m sitting.

    JPS

  251. The Cheerful Nihilist says

    Yucky. This as close to Fred Phelps as I hope to evar get!
    (Though I did get placed above him.)

  252. JPS, FCD says

    Check out the entry for Mayfield, KY.

    Several apparently genuine Kentucky entries are right here in my county. Damn!

    JPS

  253. The Cheerful Nihilist says

    Oops. forgot to paste

    John Enderby TRANSFORMATION CHURCH Shawnee KS
    Russ Tuttle Community Life Church Shawnee KS
    Adam Lester Southern Baptist Church Sublette KS
    Joe Handson First Pentacostal Reformed Topeka KS
    Fred Phelps Westboro Baptist Church Topeka KS

    By the way, if you’re in Omaha on Sunday, stop by Elmwood Park to hear me preach. I’ll be at the south ball field roaming center field if I’m lucky.

    I’ll be the one yelling, “Mine, Mine, Mine!”

  254. Charlie Foxtrot says

    Damn! They finally caught up with Gordon Freeman of Black Mesa, NY.

    Mind you, that NY list is now only about a third of what it was, so it looks like they’re employing a real scorched-earth approach…

    …how unlike Christians…

  256. DangerAardvark says

    Sigh, they deleted my pledge from Pastor Dan Meathammer of the United Fellowship of Butthole Pleasures.

  259. mesnjr ov Ceiling Cat, AKA themadLOLscientist says

    Rev. Wantru Seelingkat
    Siamese Church of St. Thom
    Sacramento, CA

    =^..^=

  268. Atticus says

    I have chipped in with Fr. Ted Crilly, Passion of St Tibulus Church. Like a lot of folk, I’ve gone for Alaska.

  269. Lee Picton says

    It looks like my nom de plume Amo Pudenda was finally translated. That along with all entries from Landover Baptist Church have been rendered.

  272. Quidam says

    Are ANY of these real? (timestamp 11:07est) I recognise 7 of them

    Charles Dyson Anchoraget Baptist Temple Anchorage AK
    Lance Harmstrong St. Ana Lcunt Worship Center Anchorage AK
    Freeman Dyson Temple of Light, Anchorage Anchorage AK
    Amy Winehouse Convent of Saint Sylivia Incarnata Anchorage AK
    Aaron DeMonde Chapel of the Golden Showers Anchorage AK
    Steve McNeal Dillingham Bible fellowship Dillingham AK
    Michael Mauger Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Alpenglow Ward Eagle River AK
    John Forrester First Baptist Church Kotzebue AK
    Bravd Veasel Temple of Bel-Shamharoth MOOSE PASS AK
    Roger Murkin Church Under New Testament Wasilla AK

  273. nankay says

    my home state:
    Dr Samuel Libre-Pensador Our Lady of Ateísmo (Dr. Free-thinker, Our Lady of Atheism)

    Henrietta Darwin Church of True Knowledge Darwin,

    Lotsa Tatas Just pick one, they’re all the same anyway Does Mine ,

    Billy Reuben Landover Baptist Church Freehold ,
    Albert Gunny Landover Baptist Church Freehold ,

  275. Nick Gotts says

    I’m not getting the invitation to pledge any more when I click on the link at the top of the post – just the list. Anyone else have that problem / know how to avoid it.

  276. nankay says

    Nick, I go back and erase my cookies (oo that sounds painful) and I can go back in.

    Do you think Rev Christopher Hitchens of the Church of the Holy Cannibals in Alaska will stick?

  278. Coragyps says

    “Sophonda Cox” in Arkansas – a big junior high guffaw for that one! Isn’t her cousin Fonda Peters?

  281. nankay says

    Yay, all of mine in Iowa are still up and running. All my Alaska ones are gone though….oh well.

  282. mesnjr ov Ceiling Cat, AKA themadlolscientist, FCD says

    My guess is that they’ve wised up and started monitoring this thread (and the other related one). One of mine is gone, but the other is still there.

  283. Lee Picton says

    My Alaska one is gone but I shall create some others, but I’m not telling where. Nyah, nyah, nyah! Yeah, I think the creotards are monitoring.

  284. Nerd of Redhead says

    Yeah, I think the creotards are monitoring.

    I was thinking that yesterday, but everyone was having too much fun for me to point out the obvious.

  286. Carl says

    I put as my church as the Liberal Godless Atheist church with the name of Charles Darwin. I wonder how long they will keep it on there until they find out it is under Bloomington MN.

  288. says

    Boy I thought you atheists were so intellectual. How funny. Your depth is just fascinating. Hell’s fuel is your destiny or is your god darwin going to save you?

  290. Satan says

    Hell doesn’t exist…

    Well, to be pedantically and excruciatingly accurate, there’s a Hell in Michigan, and a different Hell in Norway, and a few other places are also called Hell.

    Last I checked, though, they don’t use humans as fuel in any of those places.

    If they’ve changed their policies, well, no one sent me a memo.