Brother Jed Smock comes to the University of Arizona
by Don Lacey on Mar. 20, 2012, under Abortion, Armageddon, Atheism, Biblical Inerrancy, Christian Self-Righteous Arrogance, Christianity, Creationism, Critical Thinking, Ethics, Fundamentalism, Gay Marriage, God & Bible, History, Power of Prayer, Religion, Willful Ignorance
Here is an article on Brother Jed from Jim Wilson:
Brother Jed visits U of A
Hey gang! It was that time of year again, Brother Jed Smock, the colorful college minister was back in town preaching on the University of Arizona campus. He was appearing on campus for a couple days and his highly entertaining style captured a huge crowd.
In case you are not familiar with Jed, his ministries which he repeat from year to year feature his stories of his adventures in the American counter-culture of the sixties, complete with wild stories of sex and drugs and then his conversion to a self loathing sexually hung up Christian. He is highly confrontational to his audience and is known to say things like: “I don’t know how the whore houses in this town stay open — all of you sorority girls are giving it away for free!,” or “The only thing Mexicans contribute to society is burritos and Jewish people are only good at making bagels and running banks” or “A masturbator today is a homosexual tomorrow.”
His ministry spend plenty of time demonizing liberals, homosexuals, fans of rock music, those who engage in premarital sex, feminist, and those who reject traditional gender roles (all of which apparently are destined for hell). He is frequently mocked by the usually young college students he appears to and some of his act almost has to be self parody. For example last year, during his Sex Ed with Brother Jed segment he warned the males in his audience that after they get married and finally engage in sex for the first time, to be careful not to mistake their wives anus for her vagina (one student responded with “what if I do and she likes it?”).
Personally, as an outspoken Atheist I want to thank Brother Jed for doing my work for me. His presentation does everything to highlight, the ridiculous, superstitious, bigoted, hateful, and reactionary baggage that other Christians sweep under the carpet. He makes Christianity the object of ridicule it deserves to be, and does so in a way that is wonderfully over the top. His visits mark the highest recruitment times of the year for local Atheist and Skeptics groups, many of which milk the opportunity by hosting games of Brother Jed Bingo. In these games listeners are given bingo cards with words on it that regularly appear in his narrative and those who fill their cards out first win a prize. My copy from last year features such phrases as “Penis,” “Squirt-squirt,” “Whiskey,” “Sexual Frenzy,”“Freaks,” “Get Laid” and “Oral Sex.” Ironically it’s the young people he talks to who are supposedly obsessed with sex.
There is unfortunately a dark side in all this. He drags his teenage daughters around the country with him, who seem to be just as brainwashed as he is. These virginal girls make sex-negative presentations as part of his ministry and unfortunately open themselves up to questioning from the audience that no-one should have to endure. Last, year I remember listeners asking one of his daughters if she had ever masturbated or experienced an orgasm. As would be expected of someone raised in a sex-negative environment the answer was no. Needless to say, it saddens me to see people that young subjected to the ridicule their father brings on himself and it saddens me more to see this man instilling these girls with his repulsive beliefs and attitudes.
Also, one interesting thing to note is that Brother Jed’s concept of God is admittedly not all-powerful or all-knowing, making his theology slightly different from other many other Christians. Personally, this idea of a God who is lacking in these areas and presumably not completely competent actually makes much more sense than the standard version.
All that said, Brother Jed is definitely a trip, and it is refreshing if not disturbing to see a Christian so out and open about all the horrible things that many of them actually believe.
Thank you, Jim.
I have to add the following about my experience with Brother Jed:
Brother Jed Smock continues to give me material to cover. He’s now in California expressing his confrontational ministry to the heathens of Southern California. It may surprise folks reading this blog but I’m actually one of his Facebook friends. I read about him from time to time and see what he’s up to and how the people are treating him. I first saw Brother Jed when I was in College at the University of Colorado in 1980.
He was here a couple of weeks ago and we had an opportunity to play “Brother Jed” Bingo. The students of the University of Arizona sat on the grassy knoll and listen to him and his antics. We provide the bingo cards that contain the common phrases that Brother Jed uses in his shtick. When one of the students get a “bingo,” we give them candy or a trinket. It is great fun and the Skeptic Club of the University of Arizona used the opportunity to increase their membership.
Brother Jed was in San Diego when he posted on Facebook, “Anyone who is not a Christian has serious intellectual and behavior problems?”
I had to respond to him!
“Excuse me! This is what intellectual people call a ‘fallacious generalization.’ Specifically, in this case it is a ‘sweeping generalization.’ While there is evidence to support the fact that many of the non-Christian people you meet on your circuit may have intellectual and/or behavior problems, not all of them do. Your ‘Confrontational Evangelism’ tends to bring that out in people.”
To which he responded, “Hello Donald, I am coming from a Biblical perspective on this comment. “The fool has said in his heart there is not God.” Psalm 14:1 Read also Roman 1 and 2. “If God is our loving creator than it is wicked not to serve and love him.” Actually, I do not consider my statement to be a generalization but an absolute. I do not mean that all unbelievers lack intellectual capacities. All knowledge begins with God.
His next comment was, “Donald, it is always good talking with you and your atheist friends when I visit ASU. The Brother Jed bingo a[dd]s to the fun.”
I thanked him for his kind words and reminded him that it was at the University of Arizona where he met me. I also directed him to this blog. Perhaps we’ll meet again when he comes back in 2013.
Don Lacey
