Annonymously Mailing Religious Pamphlets To An Atheist - Thoughts?

[Japanfan]

I think Peter explained that in the post right above your's, AxelAnnie.

 

[AxelAnnie]

I think Peter explained that in the post right above your's, AxelAnnie.

I see why he says it is creepy. . My point is it isn't creepy, personal, or anything else. I get stuff that is addressed to me... No return address.. Sometimes handwritten. . I admit I have never checked with the neighbors to see if they got one too. . I just figure I made someone's list. . Being an athiest or religious Jew doesn't mean you are a special category that should be exempt from dumb mailing. . Being gay doesnt mean you are a special class exempt from being bombarded. . Peter is free to think it is creepy. And the point is? What? He has mail he doesn't want? Get in line. Does he feel personally threatened? Go to the police.
I assume he is singled out as a demographic not a person.

Listen... I get creeped out when I check the Alexis Bittar (jewelry) site and then find Alexis Bittar ads on the next 40 sites I go to.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

The literature is not the issue. If someone got into the building and stuck the pamphlets anonymously into each and every mailbox, that's creepy, but not uber-creepy. What makes something uber-creepy is to:

1. Stuff the pamphlets into an envelope with no note or explanation as to why it is being sent
2. The item being addressed to one specific personal in particular...and not including a return address
3. The literature being mailed to one specific person and not everyone else in the building

I suppose it would be in poor taste to link a video excerpt from the film "The Color Purple" showing the number "God's Tryin' to Tell You Something".

 

[twinsissv]

I received two mailings today (it must be that time of year!)
One was addressed to "Dear Catholic Friend" (lots of pictures of the Pope).
The other was addressed to "Dear Friend in Christ".
(seemed to come from some very anti-Democratic, anti-Obama Christian types)
No problem...both shredded beautifully.

 

[MacMadame]

as for religious mail, a couple of mega churches nearby send mailings... come to our new sermon series on Family and Marriage! Child Care! Sunday School! NO WEIRD STUFF! (yes, the most frequent mailer's tagline is 'no weird stuff').

There's a church around here that has billboards that say: Not Religious? Neither are We!

For some reason this annoys me to no end.

It's not splitting hairs as that is a central tenet of the Jesus narrative, and the allegation by mythicists is Jesus simply represents a recap of pagan myths when such a narrative is not present. And to clarify, the virgin birth is seen as part of the atonement theme. So they are very much connected, and represent a departure from other mythological tropes.

So your argument that Jesus was an historical figure is that his story adds a twist to the virgin birth mythology? Sorry if I don't find that particularly compelling.

I do find it compelling if it's true that the vast majority of historians except that he was an actual historical figure who existed. After all, I am not an expert on that period of history and so would defer to actual experts. But so far you've only quoted one person and the whole tone of his piece was rather nasty and not intellectual at all. (Calling people names is not a logical argument.) Plus it contains inaccuracies, which casts doubt on its accuracy.

 

[Aussie Willy]

We live in a day and age where so many people know so much about you. Just go onto Facebook. You get links to articles/ads that are based on an algorithm of what you have clicked on previously. You get junkmail from all sorts of organisations. You get cold calls from charities and telemarketers based on your shopping habits which are linked to what you purchase your debit/credit cards at supermarkets. It is never ending and religions are just thrown into the mix. It is all part of big business and that is how they operate these days.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

PeterG, at least your mail doesn't sound like it's from the Watcher :

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...m-the-watcher-house-on-sale-for-1-25-million/

"Where are you?” the first letter read. “I will find out.”

“Have they found out what is in the walls yet?”

“I am pleased to know your names now and the name of the young blood you have brought to me.”

“Will the young bloods play in the basement?”

“Who has the bedrooms facing the street? I’ll know as soon as you move in. … It will help me to know who is in which bedroom then I can plan better.”

Or is it????? [insert] spooky ghost music [/insert]

 

[Rogue]

I guess I am among those who find it no more creepy than getting flyers, invitations, and surveys, etc. from a political party that I do not agree with.

 

[antmanb]

Someone (s) are trying to tell me my body is in mortal danger and I need to repent of my ways. I find it offensive and in some cases (ie gulten free stuff) creepy when people want to discuss the condition of my bowels.

I just let the shit go.

Pun intended?

 

[ArtisticFan]

I can certainly understand why Peter would have viewed the package as harassing or creepy. It is extremely cowardly and cheapens/lessens the impact of ones message to do so in a way that devalues communication and privacy. Communication is a two way street, which is why even with most junk mail there is a way to contact, request more information, and/or stop future contact. To send any information in an anonymous way that does not allow any reaction on the part of the receiver is essentially invading someone's personal space and sense of privacy.

Peter had the unfortunate incident with the ants invading his physical space, the other people making light of that situation, and then to receive this message was another invasion. It is a shame that some people seem to think that such cowardly attempts to contact someone and/or convert them makes it any more palatable. I can only think that the person is too afraid of rejection of their message or lacks true conviction to that message to behave in such a way.

 

[PDilemma]

If you are on Twitter, go read the quote of the day posted by The Skating Lesson.

I think it applies here.

Evangelicals hand out tracts. They mail out tracts. They bring tracts to your front door. When I taught at an "interdenominational" Christian school (and "interdenominational" meant evangelical or fundamentalist, never Catholic or Anglican/Episcopal and rarely Lutheran, Presbyterian or Methodist), one family had a "family ministry" of handing out tracts outside of concerts, festivals, car shows, home shows, etc... A retired pastor came once a year to talk to the high school kids about ways to hand out tracts and who needed them--atheists were not ever mentioned specifically, mostly it was your neighborhood Catholics and mainline Protestants. Mailing them anonymously to family members was suggested so as not to cause family rifts.

If you've never received a tract and you are an American, you are likely a fast walker good at avoiding people pressing things into your hands and live in a neighborhood they haven't found yet. Lucky you. We get them on our door about once a month (less in winter) and have encountered them on the street (although we are good at walking fast and avoiding them). We received two in sympathy cards when my dad died last September (talk about offensive...we considered the source and threw them straight in the garbage).

Read the TSL post. Apply the last part here and go on with your life.

 

[Rob]

I think it is creepy if someone you know sent you an anonymous envelope of religious pamphlets. I have received them stuck in the door with no name or with my name/address printed --someone clearly bought a list. I have never received a handwritten envelope of religious stuff, but I do get handwritten envelopes when March of Dimes gets neighbors to send donation requests. I wonder if that it is. Someone did it because their church asked, but s/he didn't really want to so s/he didn't put include a name.

 

[leesaleesa]

At least your unsolicited pamphlets weren't in Greek. I assume. Here I thought it was an inheritance from the old country, but no, Greek Jehovahs sending me stuff like they know me.

The neighbors try to convert me to Islam. They're nice enough. So are the Mormons, but they won't drink coffee with me. Some of those Mormon men are pretty attractive, too.

You know what's truly horrific? A robo call at 6:00 on a Saturday from Debbie Wasserman Schultz.