# An Open Letter to the Writer of This Glurge (long) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 2, 2005, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437 "2005-10-02T11:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pythian\_Habenero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Pythian\_Habenero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythian_Habenero)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/1 "2005-10-02T11:03:30Z")
> [@some anonymous glurgist](#): > > This one will make you think > > In light of the many perversions and jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it’s not funny, it’s intended to get you thinking. > > Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her “How could God let something like this happen?” (regarding the attacks on Sept. 11). > > Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. > > And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone? > > In light of recent events…terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. You think that death and destruction and evil happen when someone decides she doesn’t want people to be made to bow to a belief system they do not hold? Now, I don’t know exactly what this woman was saying, and if she was trying to ban religious expression of any kind then you do have a right to be upset about it. But if all she wanted was to keep different belief systems separate, as they should be, then your logic is rather… illogical. > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school . the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. I’ve never read the Bible. I don’t kill, I don’t steal, and not to blow my own horn but I’m generally regarded as one of the most generous people I know. Why do we need religion to be moral? > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he’s talking about. And we said OK. …Were you spanked as a child? I wasn’t. I’m not sure about self-esteem, but hitting someone who can’t defend himself or herself is wrong in my book. I guess yours doesn’t see it that way. > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. I’m not asking myself any of that. I have faith, you see. It isn’t any faith you would recognize because it is not faith in any god or gods, but faith in the human spirit. I know plenty of children. I don’t know any murderers. > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with ‘WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.’" Or maybe it has a great deal to do with the fact that, sadly, humankind will always have its outcasts. I don’t think we need to sow anything in order to find weeds growing in our gardens. We simply have to transplant them to the compost heap where they will do the world some good. > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Is there anyone who accepts every “news item” they read, unequivocally, simply because it’s in print? Is there anyone who rejects everything they recognise as coming from the Bible, unequivocally, simply because they happen to be philosophically opposed to the source? Neither position is valid. The newspapers are generally true, except when they’re not. As for the Bible - again, I’ve never read it. I have no doubt that it teaches at least a few good lessons. I also have no doubt that it teaches at least a few bad ones. It’s up to an individual to decide which is which if they want to. I would prefer to find my moral lessons elsewhere. > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Funny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Yes. That is because there are people in this world who don’t believe in the same god you do. Few of them would appreciate being sent messages with regards to that god, just as you would probably not appreciate being sent… oh, the Wiccan Rede, for example. > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny how you fail to mention that lewd, crude, vulgar, and obscene articles are for the most part banned in the school and workplace. And I highly doubt that public discussion of God is in fact _suppressed_. Brash and annoying attempts at conversion are probably treated as the brash annoyances they are, but where do you live where religion is a taboo subject entirely? > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what they WILL think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. I didn’t forward this message. I posted it on the SDMB for all to see, and added my comments. I’ve probably gotten it more viewing in one go than it has had from any two previous forwarders. I’m not worried about what other people think of me, and I’m definitely not worried about what God thinks of me, because if he exists I dearly hope he has more important things to worry about. > [@s.a.g.](#): > > Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it… no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don’t sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in!! I have nothing to say to this that does not involve heavy doses of sarcasm, so I’ll refrain. [sub]Forgive me for being so polite in the Pit, but I see much vitriol in this message’s future. If I’m wrong, Mod, I apologise for the inconvenience of relocation.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/2 "2005-10-02T12:51:27Z")
> [@Pythian Habenero](#): > > > [@some anonymous glurgist](#): > > > > Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. > > > > And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone? > > > > In light of recent events…terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. > > You think that death and destruction and evil happen when someone decides she doesn’t want people to be made to bow to a belief system they do not hold? Now, I don’t know exactly what this woman was saying, and if she was trying to ban religious expression of any kind then you do have a right to be upset about it. But if all she wanted was to keep different belief systems separate, as they should be, then your logic is rather… illogical. Huh, so it all started when Murray O’Hair (I wish these glurgists would learn how to spell properly\*) started campaigning for further separation of church and state? Well, I guess that means that God’s been A-OK with all the genocide, terrorism, slaughter in the name of whatever religion, epidemics, famines, plagues, and all that other crap that’s come down the pipeline before the 1960s or so, eh? Otherwise him “backing out” of the lives of humans recently doesn’t seem to mean anything different when compared to the past existence of humanity. - Any spelling or grammar errors should obviously be considered to be present for purposes of irony, rather than manifestations of Gaudere’s Law. Yeah, that’s the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/3 "2005-10-02T13:43:50Z")
That piece of crap has been floating around the Internet for several years. I’ve lost track of the number of times it’s shown up in my inbox. It promptly gets replied to with somewhat the same answers that you gave, although mine are nowhere near as polite as yours are. Good post. Your responses are quite accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/4 "2005-10-02T13:48:15Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Well, I guess that means that God’s been A-OK with all the genocide, terrorism, slaughter in the name of whatever religion, epidemics, famines, plagues, and all that other crap that’s come down the pipeline before the 1960s or so, eh? The pat answer to that is, “Well, _ **those** _ people don’t accurately represent (insert religion here). Those people are crazy and have lost their way. A real believer in (insert religion here) is all about love and peace, etc, etc.” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/5 "2005-10-02T14:03:24Z")
When I was boy, these idiots stayed in tents and VBS. You see, this internet thing is a bad idea! If they make an extension for Porn (.xxx) I think they should make an extension for God so I don’t have to hear this sort of crap. ---
**Author:** ![Pythian\_Habenero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Pythian\_Habenero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythian_Habenero)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/6 "2005-10-02T19:02:22Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > That piece of crap has been floating around the Internet for several years. I’ve lost track of the number of times it’s shown up in my inbox. It promptly gets replied to with somewhat the same answers that you gave, although mine are nowhere near as polite as yours are. > > Good post. Your responses are quite accurate. Perhaps I should tell that to the person who forwarded it to me. (In fact, I believe I’ll just tell him about this thread.) Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/7 "2005-10-02T19:54:46Z")
I particularly like the element of “blame the victim” in that thing. That’s the mark of a real nutbag, in my opinion. It’s not terribly far to go from that position to Phelpsville. > [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > The pat answer to that is, “Well, _ **those** _ people don’t accurately represent (insert religion here). Those people are crazy and have lost their way. A real believer in (insert religion here) is all about love and peace, etc, etc.” Right. Now, could someone please tell me why you have to wear a kilt while saying that? It just doesn’t make sense that a just god would allow September 11th to happen in order to make a point to people who think like I do. If he has a problem with what I think, he knows where to find me. A god who allows the deaths of innocents to make a point would be as bad as the terrorists who killed those people to make a point. Not that I’m expecting a glurgist to make sense, but… ---
**Author:** ![Pythian\_Habenero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Pythian\_Habenero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythian_Habenero)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/8 "2005-10-02T20:29:27Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It just doesn’t make sense that a just god would allow September 11th to happen in order to make a point to people who think like I do. If he has a problem with what I think, he knows where to find me. A god who allows the deaths of innocents to make a point would be as bad as the terrorists who killed those people to make a point. Not that I’m expecting a glurgist to make sense, but… I think the glurgist’s logic was more along the lines of “We keep telling God to go away, and look what’s happened now that he finally listened!” Don’t ask me how that makes sense. I am not and have never been s.a.g.-gy. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/9 "2005-10-02T20:35:42Z")
> [@Pythian Habenero](#): > > I think the glurgist’s logic was more along the lines of “We keep telling God to go away, and look what’s happened now that he finally listened!” Exactly. He “finally listened,” allowing this to happen to prove we were wrong for “telling him to go away.” ---
**Author:** ![Pythian\_Habenero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Pythian\_Habenero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythian_Habenero)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/10 "2005-10-02T20:37:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Exactly. He “finally listened,” allowing this to happen to prove we were wrong for “telling him to go away.” Well, the glurgist is clearly trying to place all the blame on atheists, because of course (s)he can’t place it on God. Like I said - don’t ask _me_ to make sense of it. I’m not qualified. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/11 "2005-10-02T20:41:00Z")
> [@Pythian Habenero](#): > > Well, the glurgist is clearly trying to place all the blame on atheists, because of course (s)he can’t place it on God. I fully understand that. I’m just attempting to work with the loopy things he/she said. > [@](#): > > Like I said - don’t ask _me_ to make sense of it. I’m not qualified. 😉 You’re probably incapable because you’re overqualified. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SleepyDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@SleepyDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleepyDuck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/12 "2005-10-03T09:09:58Z")
Old glurge. Lame rant. Have fun in algebra Monday morning. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/13 "2005-10-03T10:51:35Z")
If I understand it correctly, God is either an abusive spouse or a mobster running a cosmic protection racket (Sure I’ll get out of your schools. Thems sure some nice towers. Be a shame if something happened to 'em.). So when do I get my no-prize? ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/14 "2005-10-03T11:17:32Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > If I understand it correctly, God is either an abusive spouse or a mobster running a cosmic protection racket (Sure I’ll get out of your schools. Thems sure some nice towers. Be a shame if something happened to 'em.). > > So when do I get my no-prize? And may your first child be a masculine child. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/15 "2005-10-03T11:23:14Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > And may your first child be a masculine child. Too late, but thanks anyways. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/16 "2005-10-03T16:00:48Z")
This lack of logic amongst discussions of what God does or doesn’t do isn’t new - whenever there is an event that kills a lot of people, there is always someone who was almost killed who comes along and says, “God was watching out for me that day. God saved me.” Well, the logical extension of that is that God sure was pissed at the rest of those people who died horribly. What utter arrogance - that somehow one person managed to cozy up to God enough that God saved them alone. I guess it keeps them warmer at night than the idea that their survival was purely accidental. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/17 "2005-10-03T16:37:41Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > Too late, but thanks anyways. It was a reference to Godfather. A lame attempt from my part at humour ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/18 "2005-10-03T16:52:54Z")
To further destroy the creedence of this glurge, it should be pointed that Dr. Spock’s son didn’t kill himself; it was his grandson. [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/medical/doctor/drspock.htm) has the whole story. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/19 "2005-10-03T22:35:24Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > It was a reference to Godfather. A lame attempt from my part at humour ☹ I figgered, but I had just taken my daughter to school so it was the first thought in my teensey ittle mind. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437/20 "2005-10-07T00:41:04Z")
For anyone who belittled Pythian (SleepyDuck???) for bringing up old news: [http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=224333](http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=224333) It’s only ingorance not worth fighting when the ignorant stop promulgating it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter-to-the-writer-of-this-glurge-long/324437.md?page=2)