The Omnibus

Issue date: 5/6/04 Section: The Gallery

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"Baptist Pastor Under Investigation for Speaking in Tongues," "Can You Hate Your Mother as Much as Jesus Hated His?" and "Bible Fear Factor Too Gruesome for Network Television." These are just a few of the current headlines on the homepage of the Landover Baptist Church's Web site.

Landover Baptist Church offers a free PlayStation 2 to any teen who accepts Christ.

At first glance, the home page appears to be the Web site of an extremely conservative and old-fashionwd Baptist church. But if a person spends just a few minutes exploring the site, he or she will begin to wonder if this Church is even Christian, let alone Baptist.

The Web site claims Landover Baptist Church was started in 1612 and has been saving souls since then. The site also describes the church as a place "where the worthwhile worship" and the "unsaved are unwelcome, as Jesus commanded." This church proudly gives a warning to all non-Christians, telling them not to come within a 10-mile radius of the church.

Landover's Web site is very elaborate, well-updated and has several linking pages for sermons, ministries, forums and quizzes. A person can easily give their e-mail address and be notified of updates on the page. It is probably one of the biggest and well-kept "ministries" available on the Net.

The Web site is also very accessible. If a person types in "Baptist church" into any popular search engine, Landover Baptist is always the first church listed on the page.

Some of the ministries they claim to do include: an ex-Negro ministry, a vacation Bible gun camp and a self-circumcision ministry. The titles of a few of the sermons include topics like "I can't wait to see them burn in hell," "Do you have demons in your colon" and "Vegans: modern day witches."

A person can even buy Landover Baptist merchandise. Items for sale include T-shirts and a "What Would Jesus Do" thong with a picture of Jesus on the front. Every piece of merchandise criticizes the Baptist church in some way.

Everything associated with the Baptist denomination, and even churches in general, is being made fun of on this Web site. Landover gives a bad name to typical ministries offered in a Baptist church and gives the impression Christians are not interested in the welfare of non-believers. Even church activities like Vacation Bible School and women's ministries are insulted.

Although the church is supposedly located in Iowa, Landover Baptist does not exist (and neither does the town it claims to be located in). Nowhere on the Web site does it explain that all the information given is not true.

Someone has poured a lot of time and energy into a Web site, for the sole purpose of making fun of Baptist churches. Though some may think it is humorous (especially when they realize it is fake), others could be misled. Those who search the Web for a church because they are seeking truth may be turned away.

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