This is not Sunday school, precisely -- but our youth group had a "neighborhood cleanup" back in the very early 80s, picking up litter for a several-block radius around the church building. There were a couple of schools and a couple of parks in the area, so we had several bags of trash, and we had separated out the recyclables. We are just about done, we have most of the bags in the dumpster (good thing it was getting picked up the next morning) and one of the older youth had volunteered to take the things that could be recycled to the the center when here comes one of the Deacons. Cue a 35-minute Southern Baptist lecture about how we obviously "don't trust JAY-soos to SAVE us from the RAPT-choor! The WORSE things get the closer is His reTURN! WHY are you trying to de-LAY Him? Don't you know this is the DEV-il's work you are doing? This new-age stuff is nothing but WITCH-craft and DEV-il worshupp!"
Most of us were far too shocked to say anything. The one gal who did mention that we are to stewards of the earth, he screamed at her for saying anything until she was so mad she cried, then he mocked her for that; when one of the boys repeated the same argument he was informed "That is the OLD Testament! That no longer applies! There is a NEW Covenant!" All this with all the stereotypical foaming at the mouth, spittle-spraying, arm-waving, high-volume histronics in all the worst portrayals.
At the time, I was shocked to silence and somewhat frightened. Now I find it hilarious and sad.
