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"Interesting" things pastors get in the mail: offers to give my congregation free "voting guides" by someone who thinks that the national debt is the absolute most critical issue facing the nation (second only to the government "subsidizing" anything else he dislikes) and that anyone who disagrees is either a Calvinist or an "Islamist." And claiming that using his voting guide could result in a gift of $10,000 to my ministry.
This guy also wants me to show a DVD to my congregation about how "atheists, gaytheists, and lawless thugs have infiltrated the IRS for criminal harassment of churches." And assures me that anything I may have heard about churches losing IRS tax-exempt status for endorsing particular politicians is only "ridiculous misinformation" spread by "noisy atheist groups" to "gullible clerics."
It kinda has the feel of somebody taking a Nigerian scam email, diehard Tea Party frothing (not any of their actual serious discussion points, just the froth and slogans), and a Bible, throwing it all in a blender, and sprinkling cheerful glitter over the resulting incoherent mess. The smiley faces throughout add an ... interesting touch.
This guy also wants me to show a DVD to my congregation about how "atheists, gaytheists, and lawless thugs have infiltrated the IRS for criminal harassment of churches." And assures me that anything I may have heard about churches losing IRS tax-exempt status for endorsing particular politicians is only "ridiculous misinformation" spread by "noisy atheist groups" to "gullible clerics."
It kinda has the feel of somebody taking a Nigerian scam email, diehard Tea Party frothing (not any of their actual serious discussion points, just the froth and slogans), and a Bible, throwing it all in a blender, and sprinkling cheerful glitter over the resulting incoherent mess. The smiley faces throughout add an ... interesting touch.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 01:52 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 04:32 am (UTC)From:One of my friends from seminary who is also now a pastor and who happens to be Libertarian also received one of these letters, and his reaction was to read the more (unintentionally) funny parts of the letter to his wife and consider sending the dude a copy of last week's sermon, on the "Render unto Caesar" passage, about political parties becoming idols. But he concluded that the dude was too far into the tin-hat brigade to get any benefit from it.
When the libertarian thinks you are a right-wing whackadoodle ...
no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 02:53 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 04:32 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 03:16 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 04:34 am (UTC)From:Like I said. Back away slowly.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 02:47 pm (UTC)From:bitheists
asextheists
polytheists -- ok that one's in use already
pantheists -- darn it!
lesbitheists
no subject
Date: 2014-10-22 04:37 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 03:23 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 04:35 am (UTC)From: