I can’t believe this; I just got an email chain letter from someone at my Church; well meaning (albeit glurgy) as it is, I can’t help finding it a little…disturbing
The message itself has a seascape background, some embedded stained glass graphics and some MIDI muzak.
Like I said, it’s from someone I know , although I don’t know if they are the originators,and I’m sure they have the very best of intentions but there’s something about it that makes me…uneasy - am I overreacting here?
I’d pass it back to them and note that they are in the “not considered a friend” category and that I feel very Christ-like now.
What posseses people to forward this junk?
A great way to avoid these in the future is to filter all messages that contain “fwd” in the subject right into your trash. I’ve done this for about 2 years now and have never, ever missed a real message.
Zette
ugh. I’d reply and ask them nicely to not forward things to you in the future.
When it happens at home, I just send it on to /dev/null and forget about it the first time.
The second time, I inform the person that any further forwards will be sent back to them 100 fold.
If there’s a third time, I make good on the promise.
When forwards (especially religious ones, although it seems that’s all I get) bother me especially is at work.
It bothers me that someone is sitting at work trying to shove their religion down my throat by continually sending me Christian spam. I never get any spam from people of other religions at work, only Christian.
And it bothers me that Christian e-mails and websites are A-OK here, but witchcraft is blocked/banned by the NetAdmin. I’ve been flat out told that’s the case by the NetAdmin. The only ‘approved’ religions here are Christianity and Judaism. Sending ‘Satanic’ (his word for everything else) e-mail or visiting ‘Satanic’ websites is grounds for having net access revoked.
Why doesn’t everyone have to follow THE SAME rules?
GRRRR.
I’ve gotten those damn prayer chain spams before, usually from my sister-in-law. Anything she sends that isn’t a straight email gets deleted unread. I’ve been oh-so-tempted to reply back in a snotty tone to some of those that indicate her ignorance is at all time highs, such as the ones talking about removing “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance (she lives in Arkansas, not even in the area where that situation is playing out) or those that show her homophobia or the ones that imply that if everyone were just a Christian, the world would be a better place. I’ve managed to resist so far, but it’s a near miss at times.
It would make me uneasy to think that someone I came into contact with regularly would believe this.
I would be worried about his/her stability.
Oh Father, I ask you to bless the server that is innundated with this junk mail. Where there are Sun Microsystems Enterprise ™ E10000’s bogged down by the chain e-mail traffic, give them Your peace and mercy. Wherever there is a leaky junk mail filter, release in it a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through it and smite the evils that siege it. Wherever there is tired delete button, I ask You to give it patience, strength, and prevent its’ spring from breaking so it doesn’t screw up my freakin’ keyboard. I ask You to do these things in Jesus’ name. Amen
I am so going to Hell for that.
I’m a little skeptical about this. I’m not saying that you’re lying here, catsix, just that there may be more to the site you wanted to link to than you are telling us. Perhaps a friendly mod, or better yet an admin, could enlighten us on the Chicago Reader’s Policy here?
If you read catsix’s comment of “here” as being catsix’s place of work, it will make much more sense probably.
clearly you are confusing here as meaning the SDMB instead of catsix’s workplace.
Ahhhhh, that makes a whole lot more sense now. Thanks
I can see how this might work, actually.
If we can get enough people to call upon His name, surely He will return to us?
So, the more people we have saying “Jesus Christ! Not more bloody glurge!”, the better.
Don’t break the prayer wheel! Rather… alter it, forward it to an anonymous account (being sure to remove your email but not those of past senders from the header) and send it along.
May I suggest:
“Oh great sky pixie, though you have never acknowledged me before, hear now your humble servant: Please grant that mine enemies and detractors will be smote in your divine mercy. Also smiteth a number of mine friends and relatives, that I should feel more contented in mine own situation. Endoweth me great wealth, but if you have time after that, feel free to provide for some of the starving and oppressed. Lastly, present me with endless opportunities for fornication. Make the opposite gender servants to my every perverse whim, slaves to my insatiable lust. If you do these things for me, oh great one, I shall remain ever your devoted minion. If not, mark my words, I’ll give the clams a call and what they are offering.
Amen"
Yes, ‘here’ definitely meant my place of employment and not the SDMB.
It’s not even ‘linking’ a website, it’s that I can’t even VIEW a website here like druidry.org, and I get nasty comments if I respond to e-mails about the ‘Christian History of Halloween’ with ‘Happy Samhuinn.’
Sorry for the confusion.
Classic! Good work, Waverly
A better question is, “What possesses people to start this junk?” Consider this that I received from my boss recently:
Yes, she originated it, which happens to be against the agency’s anti-chainletter policy. Not that I really care one way or another.
“You’ll see what happens to you” indeed- you’ll probably get canned for violating the company’s anti-chainletter policy!
Once again I thank God, Jesus, the Magical Sky Pixie, and each and every other possible diety out there that I am no longer in IT. Shit like that used to just make me mental.
I’ll say. It’s time Christians, Jews AND Pagans at your company stop surfing the net for spiritual guidance, and get some fucking work done already. 
I like BEEBLEBROX’s prayer.
As a Christian, I get spammy crap like this very frequently. I Ha-AAAAAATE it. LOATHE it. It makes me feel distinctly un-Christian because it aggravates me so much and I get pissed at the person who sent it. (“Do they not know me at all?”) Not everyone appreciates having their time wasted!
I especially hate the ones that try to make you feel bad if you don’t do what you’re told like a good little sheep. (“Send this to ten friends or you will not be contributing to God’s love in the world;” “Send this to the person who sent it to you plus five others, then if you get six responses back you’ll know you’re a really good friend;” “A farmer in Guatemala broke this chain e-mail and then next day he was squashed by a meteorite;” etc. etc.)
I delete them. And I think a little less of the people who sent them. I never response to them. Ever ever ever. Because, good Lord, I hate them so.
I was getting these moronic glurge emails a while back from a fellow minister. I put up with it for a while (didn’t forward them, of course, except to show some friends what ridiculous nonsense he was sending), until one day I sent him a good-natured reply about broadening ones horizons by reading books like the Koran, Bagavad-Gita and Tao Te Ching in addition to the Bible, and that I’d be willing to lend him some of my copies.
That was over a year ago, and he’s never emailed me since. Go figure.
And catsix, unless you’re working at a place specifically devoted to Christianity (and even then), your admin’s behavior sounds like valid grounds for a discrimination complaint.
Catsix, I agree with sublight. I think you should sue these motherfuckers. Not only are you being subjected to religious harassment by Christians, you are forced to follow different rules than they are. This is illegal. Get a lawyer. Please.
Catsix, I agree with sublight. I think you should sue these motherfuckers. Not only are you being subjected to religious harassment by Christians, you are forced to follow different rules than they are. This is illegal. Get a lawyer. Please.