Fundie Crushes Man's Spirit, Posts Crime on YouTube

[Burris]

'Fake Judaism; real cruelty.'

That's how I would sum up the person and work of Houston street preacher Steven Whatley. When he's not out harassing pedestrians, he is working at the Messianic Jewish church he founded and advertizes over at MissionforChrist.com. (I strongly urge you to check it out if for no other reason than to laugh at how most of the English on his fugly-assed site is presented in what I'll charitably describe as a 'Hebraic font.')

It appears, at least at first glance, that this douchebag has a few groupies who attend his church.

I came across one of his videos this afternoon and have yet to fully recover my composure.

This video can be found by searching for its file title on YouTube: “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmnW68lz3Tk&feature=relatedâ€

The full title is presented on a card at the beginning of the clip: “Steven and Brad witness to a homeless man of 1-45 in Houston, Texas.â€

The video begins with a shot of, I presume, Steve – a healthy-looking guy in his mid-thirties whose whiny sales pitch could wear down even the hardiest of men.

Enter Jim, the homeless man. He's older, though his precise age would be hard to guess because he is malnourished and weather-beaten. In other words, Jim is “the least of these†- a homeless old man, lowest on the priority list for many organizations.

In order to do this thing justice, I have transcribed part of the video. (The following transcript, appearing in green, may not be exact, but any errors and omissions are purely accidental. My own commentary appears in black.)

You'll note, if you watch the video itself, that Steven edited the shit out of it before inflicting it on the rest of us.

--- TRANSCRIPT ---

STEVEN: “So, I want to ask you a few questions about it. Basically, what do you think happens after we die?â€

JIM: [shrugs] “Uh, I'd like to think we go to heaven, or hell.â€

STEVEN: “Go to heaven or hell?â€

JIM: “Uh huh.â€

STEVEN: “Do you feel like you're a good person?â€

That's right; this really is just another bone-headed iteration of the 'Good Person Test.

JIM: [shrugs] “Uh, well yeah I think I'm a good person.â€

STEVEN: “[unintelligible] What do you base that on, Jim?

Note here how casually Steven uses Jim's given name – often a sign of contempt

JIM: “I...as well as I can. I do what I'm told to do by God. I don't lie. I don't steal [unintelligible] I'm human. First and foremost, I'm human.â€

STEVEN: Let's say...I'll tell you what man. Let's say you have a Christian background.â€

JIM: “Well I don't...I don't really have a background. I met God and Jesus in prison.â€

So what we have here, now, is a broken old penitent who believes the basics of Christianity and tries to live an upright life – tries to be a good person. Does Steven sit Jim down, offer him a cup of coffee, pray and read some pertinent Psalms with him? Does he speak gently to a hurting man who may be reaching the end of his life? Since this is on FJ, you're correct to guess, 'No.'

STEVEN: “I'd like to ask you a few questions, since you have this Christian background: What is the standard now; what's just the Ten Commandments?â€

I, unlike a few politicians (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colber ... stmoreland)who claim to champion them, actually do know the Ten Commandments – in order. I also know three other things:

1) Romans 2:14-15: “(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)†An inability to list the Ten Commandments is not proof an individual is living lawlessly.

2) Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Yes, deeds of compassion do matter, but these are evidence of Grace and of the law working in every heart without prejudice.)

3) In the New Testament, the Ten Commandments were further distilled until only the Great Commandments – they that encompassed all the rest – remained: Matthew 22:36-40: “'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.â€

So here is a man who says he met God in prison and was thence transformed, at least somewhat, being human, and now may even consider himself good (with a small 'g' – like the rest of us).

The proper attitude towards such a man is lovingkindness, and not whatever the hell Steven was doing.

STEVEN: “Well Jim, have you ever told a lie?â€

JIM: “Yeah, I've told them before.â€

STEVEN: “So what does that make you, Jim?â€

JIM: It, uh...it makes me a liar.â€

[After that, another obvious edit was made]

STEVEN: Have you ever stole anything, Jim?â€

JIM: Yeah, I've stolen before in my life.â€

STEVEN: “So what does that make you?â€

This idiocy goes on for another couple of minutes, and then...

STEVEN: “When you stand before God, do you think you'll be innocent or guilty if God judges you by those [unintelligible]?â€

JIM: “I...I would have been.â€

STEVEN: “What do you think it takes to get to heaven, Jimâ€

JIM: “I think it takes believing. I think you have to have a personal relationship with God. You have to work...and study.†[he looks trapper and frightened] “Really, you just got to do what the Bible says. Got to live by God's word.â€

STEVEN: “You don't know what repentance means, Jim.â€

Yes you did just see Steven strip Jim of a little more dignity over what amounts to semantics. Was that worth it, Steve?

JIM: “It means you ask forgiveness and that's when you start working on changing your ways.â€

STEVEN: Jim...actually, you know, repentance means to turn and flee from that.â€

In other words, “repentance†means exactly what the unkempt ex-con said, but Steve just couldn't stand it.

JIM [shrugs] “Okay. Okayâ€

STEVEN: “You know, the reason we're out here, Jim, is because I care about you Jim. Okay? And I just want to make sure you understand, you know, that it's appointed to man once to die and then the Christ's judgment.â€

[Jim is pacing, looking really uncomfortable]

---TRANSCRIPT---

Steven then continues to harass Jim for the rest of the video. Soft Christian music begins playing at the end, while Steven tells Jim how to get saved for real this time. (It's another notch in Steven's bed-post: He "saved" someone who was already Christian by shredding him then offering to help build him up again.)

I posted the following comment to Steven's video:

Way to kick a guy when he's down, Steve! He had already admitted both to sin and to a knowledge of saving grace, but you gave him no comfort in his affliction. A true man of God will be humble and meek, and "...a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice." - (Isaiah 42:3) You could have eased that man's obvious pain, speaking peace, your words a balm, but instead you spoke as you ought not and God's judgment is on you.

This way Jim was treated genuinely saddened me and pissed me off.I know he'll likely never see it, but others in his situation might, and so this open letter is for them:

Dear Jim:

I understand you recently met a man named Steven Whatley, and his words troubled you. You looked uncomfortable in that situation, and for this I am sorry – though I fear it is a bit arrogant for me to apologize on behalf of the faithful everywhere.

Your definition of repentance – of turning around and away from former sins to embrace the goodness of God – is correct. You've been shown mercy and, I suspect, have gone on to show mercy to others. On that, the prophet Micah said:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God. -- Micah 6:8

God uses the humble to confound the wise and the weak to hobble the strong and the meek – some of whom started as murderers, even Moses – to inherit the Earth.

Your words and manners are those of someone who is doing his best to choose the good part. That never goes unnoticed by the God who is strong to save.

Go in peace – and again sorry you had to deal with that choad.

[maybeizfundie]

ew. :( That was just yucky. And depressing. :(

[easternabeille]

Lovely write up, thank you for watching and transcribing this disturbing video for the rest of us. Your post brought tears to my eyes, and it really drives home the point that those who profess to be the 'most Christian' of all of us usually act the least Christ like. I wish Jim peace, and I pray that some day Steve's eyes and heart will be opened.

[Vex]

That makes me feel horrible. Jim seemed like a decent guy who made mistakes and quietly worked to redeem himself. In other words, he was doing exactly what the bible says, and being a light to others. Steve, on the other hand, is preaching on the sidewalk, which the bible specifically says not to do.

Nice work, Steve. Way to convert those heathens. I know I was moved not by the testimony of the humble ex-con, but the lecturing of a stuffy, privileged hypocrite. Oh, wait.

[MonkeyMomma]

I just did a quick Google search for Houston homeless shelters ... maybe some FJers who are so moved would like to donate a bit in hopes that Jim can get a decent meal and a safe place to sleep?

https://www.sohmission.org/netcommunity ... px?pid=381