Spam E-mail My Mom Sends Me

[Robbobrob]

So, every so often my mom sends out one of these "pass it on" e-mails. I think it is her passive agressive way (being a lasped Catholic herself) to make sure I am on the right track. Either that, or so, though I have never proclaimed usch, ever, she thinks because I go to church regularly (Unitarian Universalist....not the standard bearer of Christian thought at all) that I actually agree with this crap.

 

But this is what I get this morning in my in box. Ick. Thanks Mom....

WRITTEN BY A 15 yr. Old SCHOOL KID IN ARIZONA :

 

 

 

New Pledge of Allegiance (TOTALLY

AWESOME) !

 

Since the Pledge of Allegiance

And

The Lord's Prayer

Are not allowed in most

Public schools anymore

Because the word 'God' is mentioned....

A kid in Arizona wrote the attached

NEW School prayer :

Now I sit me down in school

Where praying is against the rule

For this great nation under God

Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,

It violates the Bill of Rights.

And anytime my head I bow

Becomes a Federal matter now.

 

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,

That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.

The law is specific, the law is precise.

Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

 

For praying in a public hall

Might offend someone with no faith at all.

In silence alone we must meditate,

God's name is prohibited by the state.

 

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,

And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks..

They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.

To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,

And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.

It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,

We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and ! birth co ntrols,

Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,

No word of God must reach this crowd.

 

It's scary here I must confess,

When chaos reigns the school's a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make:

Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

 

If you aren't ashamed to do this,

Please pass this on.

Jesus said,

'If you are ashamed of me,

I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'

 

 

Not ashamed. Pass this on.

[Hineni]

I have a friend who doesn't know I'm an atheist...she sends me crap like this. I guess I'm 'ashamed', cuz I immediately delete it and clean my screen.

 

Excuse me...I have to go rinse the vomit out of my mouth.

[Japedo]

So, every so often my mom sends out one of these "pass it on" e-mails. I think it is her passive agressive way (being a lasped Catholic herself) to make sure I am on the right track. Either that, or so, though I have never proclaimed usch, ever, she thinks because I go to church regularly (Unitarian Universalist....not the standard bearer of Christian thought at all) that I actually agree with this crap.

 

So Christians are persecuted if they can't shove their prayers down others throats? I see. I wonder ... If these persecuted Xtians will defend and promote the right to allow the Wiccan blessings, Prayers to Mohammad, Prayers to the evil one and so forth out in the open for their children to hear. How soon they will change their tune once that's allowed? What's the problem of praying to yourself?

 

I wouldn't worry about this being passed on, People pass this on out of some obligation to god. When people send me stuff like this, I usually argue why it's wrong.. usually with a reply to all. Oddly enough... Many people have taken me off their spam sending..

[Spoomonkey]

I get a ton of these - especially on MySpace.

 

I got one the other day that was a link to a survery called "How Spiritual Are You?" I took the test and scored rather well - 45% when the average is 41. Of course, a lot of the questions were "Have you ever read the entire Bible" and crap like that. The funny thing is, I actually scored higher than some of my "fanatical" fmaily. Mostly because they are new... And they'll remain fanatical as long as they never actually read the Bible

 

I sent it back to sender with the message "not bad for a Pagan."

 

Needless to say, I didn't get a reply...

 

Spoomonkey

[Hineni]

I just got this one from my friend of 26 years. At the beginning, there is a pic of huge sculpted metal crosses.

 

 

"Who is Jesus?

HE IS JESUS

WHO IS HE?

IN CHEMISTRY, HE TURNED WATER TO WINE.

 

IN BIOLOGY, HE WAS BORN WITHOUT THE

NORMAL CONCEPTION;

 

IN PHYSICS, HE DISPROVED THE LAW OF

GRAVITY WHEN HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN;

 

IN ECONOMICS, HE DISPROVED THE LAW

OF DIMINISHING RETURN BY FEEDING 5000 MEN WITH

TWO FISHES & 5 LOAVES OF BREAD;

 

IN MEDICINE, HE CURED THE SICK AND THE

BLIND WITHOUT ADMINISTERING A SINGLE DOSE OF DRUGS,

 

IN HISTORY, HE IS THE

BEGINNING AND THE END;

 

IN GOVERNMENT, HE SAID THAT HE SHALL

BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, PRINCE OF PEACE;

IN RELIGION, HE SAID NO ONE COMES TO

THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM;

SO. WHO IS HE?

HE IS JESUS!

JOIN ME AND LET'S CELEBRATE HIM; HE IS

WORTHY.

THE EYES BEHOLDING THIS MESSAGE SHALL

NOT BEHOLD EVIL, THE HAND THAT WILL

SEND THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYBODY SHALL

NOT LABOR IN VAIN, AND THE MOUTH SAYING AMEN TO THIS PRAYER SHALL SMILE FOREVER.

REMAIN IN GOD AND SEEK HIS FACE ALWAYS.

AMEN

IN GOD I'VE FOUND EVERYTHING!

The Greatest Man in History

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.

Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.

Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.

He had no army, yet kings feared Him..

He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.

He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.

He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

I feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us!

If you believe in God and in Jesus

Christ His Son .. send this to all on

your buddy list . if not just ignore it.

If you ignore it, just remember that

Jesus said ..

'If you deny me before man, I will deny you before my Father in Heaven"

 

------------------

I guess I'm running the risk of causing poor Jesus to cry by not sending this no further than the Ex-christian site. Oh bother....I really need to find the courage to tell her the great news .... that I've been born again in non-belief.

[Monk]

It's all emotive, unfounded rubbish. American christians wouldn't know what persecution was if it jumped up and bit them in their proverbial asses.

[godlessgrrl]

I like to respond to spammy gushing emails like that with a response or link from one of the following:

 

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/glurge.asp

http://www.snopes.com/religion/religion.asp

 

Snopes is your friend. I love Snopes...

[R. S. Martin]

So, every so often my mom sends out one of these "pass it on" e-mails. I think it is her passive agressive way (being a lasped Catholic herself) to make sure I am on the right track. Either that, or so, though I have never proclaimed usch, ever, she thinks because I go to church regularly (Unitarian Universalist....not the standard bearer of Christian thought at all) that I actually agree with this crap.

 

But this is what I get this morning in my in box. Ick. Thanks Mom....

WRITTEN BY A 15 yr. Old SCHOOL KID IN ARIZONA :

 

 

 

New Pledge of Allegiance (TOTALLY

AWESOME) !

 

Since the Pledge of Allegiance

And

The Lord's Prayer

Are not allowed in most

Public schools anymore

Because the word 'God' is mentioned....

A kid in Arizona wrote the attached

NEW School prayer :

Now I sit me down in school

Where praying is against the rule

For this great nation under God

Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,

It violates the Bill of Rights.

And anytime my head I bow

Becomes a Federal matter now.

 

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,

That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.

The law is specific, the law is precise.

Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

 

For praying in a public hall

Might offend someone with no faith at all.

In silence alone we must meditate,

God's name is prohibited by the state.

 

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,

And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks..

They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.

To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,

And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.

It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,

We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and ! birth co ntrols,

Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,

No word of God must reach this crowd.

 

It's scary here I must confess,

When chaos reigns the school's a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make:

Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

 

If you aren't ashamed to do this,

Please pass this on.

Jesus said,

'If you are ashamed of me,

I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'

 

 

Not ashamed. Pass this on.

 

Excuse me. There's not a lot in there to be ashamed about. But I refuse to lie. There is so much falsehood in that crap that I wouldn't pass it on for that reason alone. 1. I've seen some version of that specific email before. 2. I seriously doubt that it was written by a 15-year-old. Seems I remember reading that it wasn't but I'm not absolutely sure anymore. 3. And even if it was, no one has a problem with anyone bowing their head for a word of silent prayer in a meditative moment. (Of course, if that Christian disobeys the Bible and makes a show of this head-bowing as in insisting that everybody honour and respect it with a moment of silence, then people will have problems with it.) 4. Quoting the Bible in the proper context and mood probably does not get the law on your case. For example, in a history of ancient literature class it should be acceptable as one example along with Homer, etc.The same should apply in a religious studies class where the Christian religion is studied along side other religions. 5. I'd need it on far stronger authority than this ditty that there is a state in the union that prohibits the use of the word God, as per the line God's name is prohibited by the state.

 

I went through it an bolded the parts I consider to be either falsehoods or half-truths. Some remain that I find disgusting but perhaps they don't count as half-truths so I let them be.

 

The statement about not teaching right from wrong seems like a half truth, too. While the labels right and wrong may not be attached, the emphasis is on providing information regarding what behaviour produces what consequences so that people can make informed decisions. If you don't want to be a parent saddled with kids at age 19, you know what you should and should not do, right? Okay, then live that way. Our society seems to value not having kids before age 25, but it also values freedom of choice. Thus it does not attach labels and judgments of right and wrong on behaviours that lead to parenthood at age 19. Whoever wrote that poem does not note this subtle distinction. They only take offense at the crude out-dated rules that have been chucked for better ones.

 

I would guess the Ten Commandments are allowed to be used as one example of ancient law or belief. But understandably not displayed on public propety at public expense where other religions are not given equal space.

[Monk]

Excuse me. There's not a lot in there to be ashamed about. But I refuse to lie. There is so much falsehood in that crap that I wouldn't pass it on for that reason alone. 1. I've seen some version of that specific email before. 2. I seriously doubt that it was written by a 15-year-old. Seems I remember reading that it wasn't but I'm not absolutely sure anymore. 3. And even if it was, no one has a problem with anyone bowing their head for a word of silent prayer in a meditative moment. (Of course, if that Christian disobeys the Bible and makes a show of this head-bowing as in insisting that everybody honour and respect it with a moment of silence, then people will have problems with it.) 4. Quoting the Bible in the proper context and mood probably does not get the law on your case. For example, in a history of ancient literature class it should be acceptable as one example along with Homer, etc.The same should apply in a religious studies class where the Christian religion is studied along side other religions. 5. I'd need it on far stronger authority than this ditty that there is a state in the union that prohibits the use of the word God, as per the line God's name is prohibited by the state.

 

I went through it an bolded the parts I consider to be either falsehoods or half-truths. Some remain that I find disgusting but perhaps they don't count as half-truths so I let them be.

 

The statement about not teaching right from wrong seems like a half truth, too. While the labels right and wrong may not be attached, the emphasis is on providing information regarding what behaviour produces what consequences so that people can make informed decisions. If you don't want to be a parent saddled with kids at age 19, you know what you should and should not do, right? Okay, then live that way. Our society seems to value not having kids before age 25, but it also values freedom of choice. Thus it does not attach labels and judgments of right and wrong on behaviours that lead to parenthood at age 19. Whoever wrote that poem does not note this subtle distinction. They only take offense at the crude out-dated rules that have been chucked for better ones.

 

I would guess the Ten Commandments are allowed to be used as one example of ancient law or belief. But understandably not displayed on public propety at public expense where other religions are not given equal space.

 

 

In summary, it seems to me that your broader theme is that they cry "persecution" where none exists. Absolutely. This sounds like a case of paranoid schizophrenia. I wonder if anyone has done a study on the correlation of schizophrenia and fundamentalist religion...?

[R. S. Martin]

In summary, it seems to me that your broader theme is that they cry "persecution" where none exists. Absolutely. This sounds like a case of paranoid schizophrenia. I wonder if anyone has done a study on the correlation of schizophrenia and fundamentalist religion...?

 

It didn't occur to me to put it that way but I find it ridiculous the way they always talk about not being ashamed of the gospel. As though there were something to be ashamed about! I just don't get it why one would be ashamed. If the gospel is right and true and noble then there's nothing to be ashamed about. If it's wrong and ignoble, then by all means GET OUT! Groveling around in the dirt about shame is STUPID in my book.

 

But I have a serious problem with lies--esp. with lies like these that are intended to make the general secular American public look evil enough to change public school legislation. Unless I am seriously mistaken, the lies in that email are far weightier reasons not to pass it on than any self-inflicted shame.

 

The uncomfortable feeling a person gets at the thought of passing on that kind of email is probably common sense telling them how inappropriate it is to fill up people's inbox with harmfull political propaganda. Or just with spam. So don't do it.

[Monk]

Excellent observations! I particularly liked:

 

 

But I have a serious problem with lies--esp. with lies like these that are intended to make the general secular American public look evil enough to change public school legislation. Unless I am seriously mistaken, the lies in that email are far weightier reasons not to pass it on than any self-inflicted shame.

 

It's the martyr mentality. I can't remember where I found the information, but I remember someone once suggested that christians have never got used to not being martyred for their faith in a public arena for all to see. The alleged early martyrdom period under the Romans was a glorious time that many wished to return to in hopes of dying for Jesus. To me, this false sense of persecution is nothing more than an extension of the desire to be martyred (or at least persecuted) for Jesus.

 

(*Edit: The above paragraph refers to the larger picture rather than Ruby's marvelous responses. Sorry for the confusion.)

[Jessica Sideways]

So, every so often my mom sends out one of these "pass it on" e-mails. I think it is her passive agressive way (being a lasped Catholic herself) to make sure I am on the right track. Either that, or so, though I have never proclaimed usch, ever, she thinks because I go to church regularly (Unitarian Universalist....not the standard bearer of Christian thought at all) that I actually agree with this crap.

 

So Christians are persecuted if they can't shove their prayers down others throats? I see. I wonder ... If these persecuted Xtians will defend and promote the right to allow the Wiccan blessings, Prayers to Mohammad, Prayers to the evil one and so forth out in the open for their children to hear. How soon they will change their tune once that's allowed? What's the problem of praying to yourself?

 

I wouldn't worry about this being passed on, People pass this on out of some obligation to god. When people send me stuff like this, I usually argue why it's wrong.. usually with a reply to all. Oddly enough... Many people have taken me off their spam sending..

 

Yes, let's show them what prayer in school sounds like to them by praying to the 'evil one' and then bitch about not being able to pray to the 'evil one'.