Vader joins the Lutheran Church of Iceland

cult
/kʌlt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kuhlt]
–noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
–adjective
9. of or pertaining to a cult.
10. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.
Origin:
1610–20; L cultus habitation, tilling, refinement, worship, equiv. to cul-, var. s. of colere to inhabit, till, worship + -tus suffix of v. action

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#9 posted by a_user , January 4, 2009 11:42 PM

I don't know about anyone else but I just love reading dictionary definitions.

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#10 posted by Takuan , January 4, 2009 11:53 PM

careful, I may look up "user" next

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#11 posted by Avarice , January 4, 2009 11:57 PM

Hah.

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#12 posted by monument , January 4, 2009 11:58 PM

#4:

There's actually a longer version to it:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=M0LbMQTvlBU

excellence.

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#13 posted by a_user , January 5, 2009 1:18 AM

@ Monument

I started with that but then thought it might be veering to far off topic and posted the link to the shorter one.

Cue for the best "Imperial March" thread?

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#14 posted by arikol , January 5, 2009 1:51 AM

Lutherans are considered quite extreme christians in most parts of the world.
That always surprises Icelanders because that state church is just another spineless state church with no soul, no power.

The Icelandic Lutheran church is more like a (very boring) club. There is no fire.

Icelanders are also ninety some percent lutherans. That's just because we get born into it and have to gice a damn to be bothered to register us out of it. That takes all of 5 minutes but you do have to get the right paper thingy to fill out.
I wasn't banished when I did so.

To end up, here are a few of our funny extra letters. When I come back you better have learned them.

á, ð, é, í, ó, ú, ý, þ, æ ,ö

(still easier than the Slovak alphabet)

All the best

Ari

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#15 posted by Alpinwolf , January 5, 2009 1:53 AM

Took me till half way thru the long one to hear R2 in his beats. Sick. Nice find.

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#16 posted by campidg , January 5, 2009 2:27 AM

This isn't the first time the Dark Lord of Sith has been spotted at Christian events. Here he is at World Youth Day, a catholic event held in Sydney last year.(http://www.eatlard.com/2008/07/spotted-darth-vader-celebrates-world-youth-day-in-sydney/).

Could it be the same prankster/performance artist/anti-church protester? A long way to go poke fun at Christians.

Cheers,

Cam

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#17 posted by spazzm , January 5, 2009 2:36 AM

That always surprises Icelanders because that state church is just another spineless state church with no soul, no power.

I always thought that was the reason for having a state church - to take the passion out of religion.

There's a reason there is no Church of Scientology in Iceland.

It's like having a cat; sure it sheds hair everywhere and stinks the place up, but it's better than having mice.

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#18 posted by Teapunk , January 5, 2009 2:48 AM

I do prefer religion without passion, I really do. It gives people the freedom to enjoy their own mind and life without too many shackles.
Seriously, look where religion with passion has led us: Never anything good.

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#19 posted by a_user , January 5, 2009 3:32 AM

hmm Darth Vadar and churches....

OMG!1!!!! OMG!!!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/1471279846/

A new internet conspiracy theory is born.

Oh and one more gem found trawling Youtube - mildly NSFW

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bAJe4XWWx1Q

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#20 posted by tomrigid , January 5, 2009 4:31 AM

@#1:

Wiping the tea off my keyboard. Thnks2U.

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#21 posted by Gutierrez , January 5, 2009 6:01 AM

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, Lutherans.

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#22 posted by Shrdlu , January 5, 2009 6:29 AM

Gee Whiz. You sure are hard on Lutherans. You ever heard of Southern Baptists or Opus Dei?

Here is a sort of "Chanukah Song" for Lutherans who might be feeling bad now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dRJ15gopRA

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#23 posted by jjasper , January 5, 2009 9:43 AM

Now with Yakety Sax

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#24 posted by Manooshi , January 5, 2009 10:31 AM

Too funny.

Thanks for posting this vid.

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#25 posted by Kyle Goetz

, January 5, 2009 10:32 AM

Shrdlu: Thanks for that link. I can't help but notice that practically everyone there has a Germanic surname! I wonder why...

Arikol: Lutherans are considered extreme Christians? Pray tell why. To the best of my knowledge, Lutherans are quite moderate Christians, and one might even go so far as to label them liberal Christians. Many divisions of Lutheranism are quite secular in nature, supporting the theory of evolution, the age of the earth, prioritizing scientific discovery, having no problems with gay marriage (three and a half years ago (ages, by Christian standards) the largest Lutheran body in the US approved gay marriage, etc.

I was raised Lutheran, and was repeatedly taught that my religion essentially espouses a metaphorical reading of any part of the Bible that contradicts scientific discovery. Basically, this makes it so science is never hindered by Lutheranism.

Now, I may have just grown up in a hippie quasi-Lutheran church, except that the church is in South Texas (hardly a bastion of liberalism), was the first Lutheran church in the area, and is/was run by a largely aging group of elders.

Take from it what you will, but at least in my neck of the woods, Lutheranism tends to be quite liberal in my opinion.

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#26 posted by Toast , January 5, 2009 10:44 AM

I'm glad there's still one group of people that liberal-minded folk can still make fun of and not feel ashamed about it.

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#27 posted by MarkM , January 5, 2009 10:52 AM

I think that would be Chad Vader, not Darth.
Im pretty sure Darth is a Unitarian.

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#28 posted by Caroline , January 5, 2009 12:01 PM

I believe this is Cult Procession Very Much Win, actually.

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#29 posted by XuYu , January 5, 2009 12:17 PM

And now Iceland's economy is in the toilet.

GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED!!!!!!!

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#30 posted by Patrick Dodds

, January 5, 2009 12:49 PM

Wæit Ari, ýou hæve to sign æ pæper to leæve? It's opt out, not in?

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#31 posted by billstewart , January 5, 2009 2:27 PM

Lutheranism in the United States varies widely in character and theology. I've lost track of exactly which groups merged into the ELCA, but it tends to be more liberal. Missouri Synod is theologically conservative; Wisconsin Synod is even more conservative, in a sternly-rejecting-unbelieving-outsiders flavor as opposed to a fire-breathing drag-them-in-to-convert-them flavor. The Evangelical Covenant Church of America (which grew out of Swedish Lutheranism) is socially liberal, theologically moderately conservative. The Covenant church I attended during grad school in Berkeley had a mixture of older Swedish families and mostly non-Swedish college students. I've gotten the impression that Missouri Synod tends to be more German (though I'm mostly basing that on their music) and some of the other groups are more Scandinavian.

Another cultural comparison - Lutheran churches make better coffee than Methodists, but Methodists make much better coffee than Southern Baptists; probably has a lot to do with coming from cold-weather cultures as opposed to iced-tea cultures.

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#32 posted by ekricyote , January 5, 2009 3:49 PM

Lex Luthor: "Gods are selfish beings who fly around in little red capes and don't share their powers with mankind."

Vader (activates lightsaber): "...I find your lack of faith disturbing."

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#33 posted by Pam Rosengren

, January 6, 2009 1:02 AM

Nice video.

This isn't a first, though, and it isn't the best.

Darth Vader attended the Papal procession at World Youth Day in Sydney, at Bondi Beach.

A friend of a friend took a photo and posted it on Facebook. I don't know how to share that here (otherwise I would have at the time).

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