The Uninspired Manifesto

I linked to this article in my previous post, but it was so fucked up, I just had to share it with you.

From The Houston Chronicle.

Murder suspect says he was doing God's work

A Cypress man charged in the death of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant said Saturday that he was doing God's work when he went to a Montrose-area bar last month, hunting for a gay man to kill.

"I believe I'm Elijah, called by God to be a prophet," said 26-year-old Terry Mark Mangum, charged with murder June 11. " ... I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing."

Interviewed in the Brazoria County Jail Saturday morning, Mangum said he feels no remorse for killing 46-year-old Kenneth Cummings Jr., whom relatives described as a "loving" son who never forgot a holiday and a devoted uncle who had set up college funds for his niece and nephew. He worked at Southwest for 24 years.

Mangum, who described himself as "definitely not a homosexual," said God called on him to "carry out a code of retribution" by killing a gay man because "sexual perversion" is the "worst sin."

Mangum believed Cummings to be gay.

"I planned on sending him to hell," he said.

Cummings disappeared June 4. His charred remains were found June 16, buried on a 50-acre ranch near San Antonio owned by Mangum's 90-year-old grandfather.

Mangum — who claimed he has studied the Bible for "thousands and thousands and thousands of hours" — said God first commanded him to kill during a "visitation," or dream, while he was in prison in 2001. He said his victim must be a man because men "carry the harvest of the sinner."

After six months' planning, Mangum said, he went to E.J.'s, a Montrose-area club, where he met Cummings. After they drank a couple of beers, he said, the two went to Cummings' home in Pearland.

Mangum said he stabbed Cummings with a "6-inch blade."

"It's not that I'm a bad dude," he said, expressing concern that people might view him as "strange." Pausing briefly, he said, "I love God."

You come to a point, after reading stories of this nature for so many years, that you have to seriously ask 'Is insanity a requirement for belief in religious doctorines?'. It always seems to amaze me that conservative christians can continually say that atheists can't justify their moral system. Presumably, however, christians have access to a superior moral system (ultimately expressed in the "nature" of their god, but only practically accessible through their the bible) which provide the guidelines for the only truly moral life. Still, they are just as quick to dismiss cases like this (of which there are so fucking many) as an individual who mis-interpreted the scripture.

What the fuck is there to mis-interpret? As I recall, the bible is chock-full of hideously violent acts, most of which make Mangum's act seem downright polite, and all of which are justified by christians today the same way that Mangum justifies his own actions- "I believe I'm Elijah, called by God to be a prophet... I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing."

Look, all moral systems come from the same place... you. Your life experience defines your morals, not some fucking book. If it did, every christian on the planet would be just as insane as this piece of shit. I know I say this a lot, but we only live once people. Don't fuck it up.