AMERICA truly is the land of the free -
only there would you be allowed to
roam unshackled among the general
community while being a member of
one of the families featured in C4's
excellent Cutting Edge: Baby Bible
Bashers.
More than 80 per cent of people
residing in Brookhaven, Mississippi, are
born again Evangelists. Among them
are Kendall and his seven-year-old son
Samuel.
Meanwhile, over in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, live Todd Durham and his - or
is it God's? -nine-year-old son Terry.
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Both deliver the word of the almighty
one - but for very different reasons.
Samuel and his dad preach the
message that God hates homosexuals,
money-lovers and drinkers, among
others. It's Old Testament bible-bashing
and Kendall, who comes across like a
backwater redneck from the King of the
Hill cartoon, decides Sam's the man to
take the message to the streets of New
York.
Young Sam's scared and rightly so. He
stalks the avenues Leonard De
Tompkinson-style, with a sandwich
board attached to him, harangues
drinkers outside a bar and harasses the
sinners of The Big Apple, who shout
and spit at him. He's moved on by
police at one point and close-up shots
reveal the fear in his eyes.
He cannot comprehend the hostility
shown towards him, breaks down and
cries, like any child would.
A normal father would, at this point,
attempt to show some sympathy for his
son. Not Kendall. He tells him these
sinners are wrong and will rot in eternal
hell. Sam braves the Cutting Edge
camera and says they will all be eaten
by worms.
"And I've heard there's some really big
worms in hell," he says. Social Services
really should intervene on his behalf.
Terry Durham, meanwhile, is a different
kettle of biblical fish.
He was ordained as a minister at the
tender age of six and, as such, is big
business.
His father Todd knows this and has,
accordingly, appointed himself
manager and employed a board of
directors, largely consisting of family
members.
Todd believes his son has a direct link
to God and so, it appears, does the
majority of his congregation, who have
turned up to witness him perform
miracles. He touches one woman, who
believes his hand may heal her of
cancer.
It's an impressive performance and the
up-close camerawork captures the
hysterical reaction to his Billy Grahamstyle
preaching, with the atmosphere
more akin to a cup final or rock concert
than a Sunday morning service at the
village church.
Todd says his son could soon be
preaching to crowds of more than
30,000 in a $1.5 million church. He
seems more interested in this
happening than the Little Man of God
spreading the message and he's angry
when Terry fails to perform to his full
capability.
Still, the merchandising stall is doing a
good trade and you can help make
Terry (and Todd) rich by purchasing a
"Terry Durham - Little Man of God" Tshirt
now. If you don't, he could easily
end up a ranting street alcoholic by the
age of 40 and you could go to hell.
● www.Channel4.com/cuttingedge
● www.ministerterrydurham.org
Paradise or Bust, BBC2, Monday 9pm
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