Bacon church says it's no joke

Saturday, August 8, 2015

The United Church of Bacon in Las Vegas, Nevada, is accepting new members. The catch? This church's membership is predominantly atheist.

Formed in 2010 by ex-Marine and former pilot John Whiteside, the church's nine commandments include "Be Skeptical" and "Praise Bacon." "Bacon is a way to bring people together; even if you are religious, there's no discrimination. You can have a god before bacon," Whiteside told Fox News. "I like pigs in a blanket, that's great, I like donuts and bacon, any type of bacon is great."

This church is no joke, however. According to its website, the church was created to fight religious discrimination against non-believers, to promote church-state separation, and to demand equal rights for everyone, regardless of faith. "We're not immoral, we're not un-American. We are atheists, we are skeptics but (that) shouldn't be a reason to lose family, friends and possibly even your job," Whiteside told Fox News. Canadian member Jeff Ledold said, "I'm an atheist and the Church of Bacon is one of those groups you can join where atheists join together to promote good."

The church's website says it will officiate over secular weddings for free, along with baptisms, funerals and other events. BP