Rock on, Tommy!
Although I was brought up a catholic (plenty of potential rant/story material there but we won't go into that now) when I was 15 or so I fell in with a bunch of born-again Christians. They seemed OK initially, and I was feeling depressed and vulnerable at the time. They asked me and my mates if we wanted to go and see Cannon and Ball.

It's not something I normally would have said yes to (after all, they're not exactly the two ronnies) but they seemed keen and I thought, hey, it's a free ticket, I might as well go. So we all did.

Instead of the crap jokes we were expecting, we were treated to two hours of cannon and ball talking about how their fame had led them down a road of drink fast cars and women until! They found Jesus, praise the lord. There was much crying singing and handwaving involved.

That was nearly 15 years ago- and they're still doing the same show now (they were on at the Sheffield City Hall towards the end of last year- google Cannon Ball Jesus or similar and you'll find many sites on them)!!

I did convert a while later, and lasted a few months before their attitude towards sex, and specifically towards gayness made me leave. I'm not sorry.

They can be quite impressive with all their fainting and speaking in tongues etc and I was drawn in at the time, but nothing they did was half as impressive as the tricks Derren Brown does.

I am now a fully recovered atheist, but I can still speak in tongues which is an excellent party trick and freaks people out something chronic. Tee hee.

PS Does the SWP count? Spent a few years in that as well :-)
( faintpraise, Mon 30 Jan 2006, 23:17, Reply)