tonight, on celebrity deathmatch:

good versus evil, the next rematch:

this time, it's STILL not personal!!

it's the return of a classic. good evening, bible fans, fans, i'm johnny gomez--and i'm nick diamond--you'd better butter up the popcorn and open up a 40, because we're in for a doozy tonight!
that's right, johnny, and not only do these two old warriors need no introductions, they're not even waiting for the opening bell. right you are, nick: i've heard the thunderbolts and felt earthquakes all afternoon, and during soundcheck, the smack talk turned downright deadly. well, johnny, let's go right into the ring so we don't miss another word:
PETE: First of all, Kim is officially the first person I've ever met [the mostly reverend: maybe i'm just the first one who's ever told you] ...that is offended because someone has wished good will to be brought to him via a god. [i've said if you want to pray for me, clearly, i can't stop you. but why in the world do you feel compelled to TELL me? if your prayers really ARE answered, then i'll see the light. isn't this really the ultimate situation where actions will speak louder than words?]
...I can assure you if you were Muslim, Hindu or otherwise and offered a prayer I'd be thankful, regardless of my religion. [why can't you be just as happy, then, when someone wishes you a "happy holidays?" did it not occur to you that that might just be as close as you can get to an agnostic's or atheist's season's greetings? no--you just get pissed off, without thinking about the deeper implications. pete, THIS is an example of what i mean when i say that i just want folks--you--to THINK, and not just regurgitate what someone else tells you to think and say.] Just knowing that someone cares enough to offer their personal time to ask for the betterment of me is rather comforting. In this world of flipping people off, gossip, back biting and political correctness a Christian comes forward with a wide open heart with no hidden agenda, (the agenda is clear that I only hope God can intercede into Kim's life and fill his heart enough that he is able to get the answer's he needs to understand the incredible love God has for him), yet he is intolerable of our good intentions. It is a reoccurring sentiment in our country that agnostics and atheists alike fight against the Christian religion but work with the other religions to allow their intolerances…just doesn’t make sense to me. There is a real “catch-22” happening here. They are intolerant of our religion but tolerant of other religions????. [hey, pete, i'm NOT an uneducated third-world hunter-gatherer, i'm a 54 year-old with a bachelor's degree and a juris doctorate and 25 years experience in the practice of law. i do not need nor appreciate a modern-day missionary telling me that i need to believe and adopt his views of a higher power. i find the underlying premise that your religious beliefs are better than mine absolutely offensive, and the fact that you continually refuse to acknowledge that i find even more offensive. i don't want your god. period. i don't believe in your god. period. your god is not going to save my ass. period. if you want to proselytize someone, pick someone else. period. if i'm ultimately wrong, then that's my ass in the grinder, not yours. period. i'm going to spend eternity in hell, and i am quite happy to accept that fate, because it's NOT going to happen to me.] we'll be right back, after this and this.

PETE: Now to answering your question… I have to tell you this is a GREAT question that is a very complex question for those who do not believe in Jesus and very simplistic for those of us who have a strong belief in Jesus Christ. The reason we pray for others is because God has called us to pray for others as a means to accomplish His will. As a child of faith, I do as my father asks just as I did when I was a child in my own father’s home. When Jesus asks me to pray for my fellow man, I do it. Coincidentally, prayer really works!! Through my own prayers and those of our friends and family, our little daughter’s sight has improved dramatically when the doctors said it wouldn’t. I have many stories of where prayer has worked miraculously in my life that I’d be happy to share with anyone. Not only that but there are many studies that have been done in the medical field that prove prayer works!! [THE MOSTLY REVEREND: okay, but answer THIS: does your religion command that you tell everyone what you pray about? if so, then i think that's pretty fucked up. that seems pretty simple to me, but it must seem complicated to you, because i've asked you why you feel the need to let everyone know not only THAT you pray for someone, but WHY you pray for someone. it seems to me, pete, that if you really WERE right, then your universal correctness would result in massive prayer circles entirely about saving my wretched soul. but that hasn't happened yet, or at least to my knowledge, both of which seem to prove my points. not only that, presumably folks have quietly been praying for my sorry ass for years to no avail, which proves my initial point that it won't work anyway.] You see the dynamics of our responsibility to prayer are not fully defined by God but He chooses to work in conjunction with the will of his people therefore allowing for change in one’s heart. I pray for Kim and all agnostics / atheists because I know what is coming to those who do not receive Jesus in their heart and I don’t want that. Kim is a cycling brother and friend, despite all of our political and religious differences; despite his perceived anger towards our good wishes towards him, we do get along when together. He’s a pretty easy guy to talk to, rides hard and has a funny sense of humor, (when he keeps it relatively clean). I don’t want his soul to perish in hell…is that a bad thing for someone to want? I say no.As for the assessment of prayer facilitating a “so full of themselves”, or “make us feel better” approach the answer is no and yes. I offer my prayers in complete humility to those whom I pray for. It has nothing to do with being egotistical but exactly the opposite. It’s putting your fellow humans in front of yourself. Part of the problem with this world, (Kim included), is that they subscribe to the same religion, SELF WORSHIP.Prayer for others does make me feel better; wishing good will makes anyone feel better doesn’t it? That’s not why I do it though, that’s merely a side effect; prayer is called upon by God and is a way of conversing with Him. I get to know God better by prayer and in turn we have a stronger relationship. Through the works that have been performed in my life by prayer, my faith grows deeper consequently allowing for more happiness. [pete, i'd rather not have anything to do with the development of your faith, for better or worse. seriously. and if you must involve me in your religion, PLEASE don't announce it to me or anyone else, for that matter. can you not respect my feelings enough to understand this simple request? i don't want anything to do with your religion. i'll happily take part in a rational conversation about religion and religious values, but i do not care to argue or plead with someone about whether or why i must be the subject of someone's religious efforts. i just think it's sick, frankly.]
Kim says he’s all about peace, love and happiness, yet when those feelings are expressed to him he fires back with anger, (see above posts). If that is part of his constitution of beliefs then I’m confused as to why he’d even want to subscribe to it. [what you term "anger" is in reality "extreme frustration" with you for continuing publicly to involve me in your prayers. it's an insult to me, and a very public statement that you consider my belief system and values inferior to yours. your continued inability or unwillingness to grant me the right to believe as i wish makes me feel that you are the very bigotted person you claim me to be. i've not once told you that your beliefs are inferior to mine. i've never told you that you should not believe what you do. i've never told you that you should reject your beliefs and see the light and joy of not believing in god. i've told you all this before, in fact. and yet you persist in telling me that and why you pray for me.]