born again christian Mug

Someone who rebels against their upbringing in force so much, that they become a jerk, drug addict, alcoholic, sex addict, or possibly worse, but in later life they become terrified of the inevitable end, and go back to a sober, penitent and pious lifestyle. Such a person is also terrified of the possibility of hell, as may be dictated in a religious upbringing. Such a person then, in order to cancel out all fear of death, and possibility of hell actually existing, will take out a Hell Insurance Policy at the local fire and brimstone church, by paying out his unquestioning obedience to dogma, and giving his soul to (a usually white and conservative) Jesus, in return for a place in eternal heaven. Born again christians tend to be highly conservative in politics, and regularly ostracize minorities, non-Christians and Catholics, as well as try to demonstrate unquestioning loyalty to a conservative political establishment. Militarism is also quite common as well. This pattern of behavior amongst working-class caucasians of European extraction, is common in the American South and Midwest, and especially in Northern Ireland. Calvinism, a miserable interpretation of protestantism which exemplifies self-denial and hatred of the body, as well as ideation of salvation, is the cultural source of the born again phenomenon, as well as the tent revival phenomenon of the earlier 20th century. Calvinists were removed from England before and after Cromwell in the 17th century, (due to ruining everyone's fun), transplanted into Ulster and persecuted by the Gaelic Catholic locals (when they yet again, ruined their fun with teetotalism), and finally relocated to the US to inflict their misery on the Native Americans. They then splintered off into either mainstream, or wackjob/Pentecostal/etc etc. churches, depending on the education level and social class of parishoners. The less educated a person was, the more likely they were to embrace a sort of folk, pagan, voodoo interpretation of the bible, including 'healing', 'laying on of hands', 'speaking in tongues' and other occult activities. When the 20th century media began to broadcast radio and television, this folk religion suddenly had unbelievable resources, and became the 'born again' movement you see today, funded by TV preachers begging for money nationwide, from born again christians who want to spend their money on securing eternal life instead of booze, drugs, or women.