As a kid, my religious parents sometimes took us to huge events put on by a Catholic charismatic movement called Southern California Renewal Communities (SCRC). During the services held in large stadiums in Los Angeles attended by thousands of people, there were moments when the entire crowd would start speaking in tongues. I remember chills running up and down my body as the huge chorus of voices would harmonize in a massive, yet whispered Middle Eastern-ish cadence.

Today, I think people who speak in tongues are either deluded or con artists, but that doesn’t change the beautiful image of that memory — which makes me feel bad for the kids who have to sit through a service put on by Preacher Perry Stone.

The Friendly Atheist shared a video of Stone leading a service at Omega Center International in Tennessee this Thursday, and it shows what it’s like when people just phone it in while they’re supposedly being anointed by the Holy Spirit.

As Stone prays and rattles off gibberish, he repeatedly checks his phone. At one point, he’s seemingly distracted by the phone so much that his prayers melt into a prolonged moan.

Even giving him the benefit of the doubt (Maybe he’s reading something related to the service?), he’s not even trying to be convincing. He should take a lesson from Pastor Hank Kunneman.

“Batima elexcito porevashishne. Look, paracite, romondo saprika ellecito alamondose arrikelegenye. Watche, mose, bruschno, krande, biya! Se lushne romolo angreya eniste.”

Featured image via screen grab