Another E-mail from a fundie friend, and my response...

[The Doctor.]

Just received this E-mail from a very sweet fundie girl;

Please forward this and then sign it and send to everyone on your email. I can't believe that anyone would try to do this! AMANDA

"Christianity hasn't been tried and found wanting, but rather has been found difficult and left untried. "
G. K. CHESTERTON

Dr. Dobson & CBS Response

Apparently we are to be allowed to watch TV programs that use every foul word in the English language, but not the word "God." It will only take a minute to read this and see if you think you should send it out

DR. DOBSON'S PLEA FOR ACTION

CBS discontinued "Touched by an Angel" for using the word God in every
program. Madeline Murray O'Hare, an atheist, successfully managed to eliminate the use of Bible reading from public schools a few years ago.
Now her organization has been granted a federal hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC.
Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America.

They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is
successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools!!

You as a Christian can help!

We are praying for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat their effort and show that there are many Christians alive, well and concerned about
our country. As Christians we must unite on this. Please don't take this lightly.
We ignored this lady once and lost prayer in our school and in offices across the nation.

Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together we can make a difference in our country while creating a way for the lost to know the Lord.
Please press "forward", and forward this to everyone that you think should read this.

So I responded;

"Hate to tell you this sweetheart... but it's a hoax.

Madeline Murray O'hare has been dead since 1995.

On top of that, no one has petitioned the FCC to 'ban' Christian broadcasters. What actually happened was a petition was filed to block religious groups from obtaining licenses to broadcast on channels reserved specifically for education until their programming could be verified... NOT to 'ban' Christian messages.

Here are a couple of excerpts;

"Claim: Atheists are petitioning the FCC to get religious broadcasting banned from American airwaves.

Status: False.

Madalyn Murray O'Hair never petitioned the FCC to ban religious programming nor was she ever granted a hearing by that regulatory body to discuss the matter. That's not all that surprising either for there is no federal law or regulation that gives the FCC the authority to prohibit radio and television stations from presenting religious programs. <snip>

The real petition the FCC was asked to consider was filed in December 1974 and defeated in August 1975. Even through the smokescreen of thousands of people misunderstanding what it had been asked to consider and heatedly arguing issues that weren't on the table, the FCC saw its role in such matters quite clearly:

"As a government agency, the Commission is enjoined by the First Amendment to observe a stance of neutrality toward religion, acting neither to promote nor inhibit religion."
<snip>


Between 1975 and 1995, more than 30 million pieces of mail decrying RM-2493 had been received by the FCC. Those worried that religion is dead in America, take heart. But also spare a bit of pity for the FCC — they've been buried under this hoax for over 25 years."


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



ALWAYS check the facts on something before sending it out and scaring everyone. If you really do stand for truth at all, you MUST read this link;
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/fcc.asp

And here's another;

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/madelynmurrayohair.htm

God created Reality for all of us, therefore we should all pledge to live in it.

God Bless,

{Dr. E}

Anyone have any suggestions on what the heck else to say to these people? I mean... she really is a very nice girl. I hate to see these people so badly taken advantage of but you can't tell them that.



:banghead:

[LisaM]

1. You might remind her that Madelyn Murray O'Hare was MURDERED

They still vilify her, despite her horrible end.

[SCDem]

2. I recieved that same letter

from a friend (not a fundie) but a person who surrounds herself with Christianity. I sent an email back describing all of Dobson's "Christian" beliefs and why I would never in a million years sign anything that was supported by Dobson.

She just said oh well.... I just get these and pass them on.

[The Doctor.]

3. "I just get these and pass them on"...

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

[electropop]

4. Does she pass along every chain mail that threatens

your nose will fall off if you don't forward it? Does she pass along every hair tonic and erection potion spam? Is this how gullible the "Christian" right is?

[zbdent]

6. You should PM a few loyal DUers and supply her e-mail addresses

You know, we could get some fundraising going that way . . .

[Hobarticus]

13. Ask her if she stops to eat dog shit off the sidewalk, too...

It's the intellectual equivalent, and is nutritious to boot!

[Gronk Groks]

5. The reply seems adequate for a logical person...

...question is: Is she a logical person??

Trouble is that I find very few logical fundies. Religion is suppose to enlighten people. Yet the more I understand of the fundamentalists, the less enlightenment I see...

I am at a loss for an explanation.

[B3Nut]

8. Fundamentalism is antithetical to enlightenment and reason.

Fundies will fall for about anything, and they are so annoyingly tech-illiterate it isn't funny. I always delete forwarded chain mail...back in the day when mainly geeks used the 'net this kind of bandwidth waste was roundly condemned. Now, the 'net is full of ignoramii who are clueless regarding Netiquette.

Todd in Beerbratistan, netizen since 1995

[ninkasi]

20. You know, you said something that makes me feel guilty

I'm annoyingly tech-illiterate, too. I wish I weren't, and I know my younger son, who is the only other Mac user in the family, does, too. Maybe it's my age, 62. I do, however, delete all of the stupid forwarded junk mail I get, some from people I would have thought knew better.

In some cases, it's almost as if they feel guilty about not passing on anything to do with religion. The irony is that the majority of the ones who send them are not fundies, and almost never go to church.

About the tech thing, though, maybe it's because I've never taken any classes. Oh, and it might also help if I read the instructions, too. :think:

[Gronk Groks]

26. Beer-brat-istan = Germany ???

Inquiring minds want to know...

[Dr.Phool]

7. God created reality for all of us.

Therefore we should pledge to live in it.

Good one!

[mzteris]

9. tell her touched by an angel

was dropped when it ran it's course and it became apparent it was no longer popular when it's ratings dropped like a stone. It happens to every show.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Good answer

[Hobarticus]

11. Very well researched, very well thought-out....A+!

For what it's worth, coming from me. I suspect she already has her version of the truth embedded in her brainstem.

[LostinVA]

12. SNOPES!!! This thing has been around for decades.

[Bridget Burke]

14. Your message was thoughtful & intelligent.

Recommending Snopes.com is much better than impugning her intelligence. Some people are not yet acquainted with the concept of Spam.

I wonder if the Chesterton-quoting author of that piece has read "Why I Am A Catholic"?

www.chesterton.org/gkc/theologian/whycatholic.htm

"Fundies" really DON'T like Catholics.

[jody]

15. Outstanding! When I reply like that, I select "Reply to All" to send my

reply to everyone on the sender's list. :hi:

[TlalocW]

16. The whole O'Hair getting rid of Christianity is stupid as well

The Supreme Court case that ruled that coercing students to pray wasn't even the one that she instigated. It was combined with another case, Abington v. Schempp, which was the one argued. O'Hair never got herself or her lawyers before the Supreme Court.

So basically your friend is aiding a known liar by helping to spread misinformation. O'Hair was an easy target because she started atheist advocacy groups, and she had the gaul to be born a woman who expressed her opinions.

TlalocW

[mcscajun]

17. Another link or two for you....

This one (a few years old) from "Touched By An Angel News" @ www.touched.com, illustrating how long this particular e-mail has been floating around:
http://www.touched.com/tbaanews/tbaahoax.html

TBAA was finally cancelled after nine seasons, a pretty respectable run for any show.

"This is a business of ratings," said co-star Della Reese of the show, which once ranked as TV's second-highest-rated drama, but now places 97th among network series two years after moving to Saturdays, scoring just above already-canceled CBS shows Queens Supreme and Robbery Homicide Division.
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/04/26/Floridian/_Angel__hangs_up_its_.shtml

[The Doctor.]

23. Thanks! n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

18. Oh good grief

Now days people appear to like drama and comedy and reality tv. I've tried watching "Touch By an Angel" and it started out okay but it soon got very boring. Mentioning "God" has nothing to do with it. Look at "7th Heaven"!! That show is in it's sixth maybe seventh season. I'm not sure, but it's been on for a long time now and this is a Christian based show. :eyes: Get real! On this Christian board I go on there was someone who was trying to boycott "Revelation". :eyes:

[sofa king]

19. Facts don't help the willingly ignorant

I'm sorry to have to say that. The best I managed to do was get my name removed from the send lists of a few notorious chain-mail forwarders I know.

The world doesn't run on facts. As my proof, I cite this little known fact: the followers of the Rev. Jim Jones in Guyana did not commit suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.

It was FlaVorAid.

[ContraBass Black]

21. I hope you made that a "Reply All"

Spread the word as far as possible.

[ellenfl]

22. i just reply (to all, of course), tell them that the email is a hoax and

direct these people to snopes.com, when i have found their email subject debunked there. no sense getting an email petition going for the other side.

i particularly like deflating the claims of emails sent by my boyfrend's cousin-in-law . . . altho' he knows better than to send me these emails anymore. the last one he sent was about hilary snubbing gold star moms a few years back. i directed him to the gsm website where THEY debunked the email. it was sweet.

ellen fl

[The Doctor.]

24. I didn't...

And I'm not sure if I want her to think, "Gosh... if I send anything to him, he'll turn around and make me look stupid." -Thus cutting herself off from any chance of learning the truth.

[ellenfl]

28. you are not making her look stupid . . . you are informing her

that responding to this, or any fake email, is futile. i never beat anyone up about it. i just direct them to the truth with no editorializing.

ellen fl

[bluedawg12]

30. Yoour response was rational-but she will never learn the truth

that letter to you borders on cult thinking-

For every lie you debink they have internalized 1,000.

I give up on the fundy/cons, our future IMHO will lie with the rest of the country and especially the silent apathetics or the young who don't vote- we need a vote drive. We need to shore up our base and leave their cult followers alone.

[RebelOne]

25. Madeline O'Hair may be dead, but the American Atheist

Society, which she founded, is alive and well.

[tanyev]

27. I just got this one a couple days ago, too.

I like to send them a link straight from the horse's mouth--the Focus on the Family website has a couple articles denying it.

http://www.family.org/fofmag/cl/a0026166.cfm

[The Doctor.]

29. Wow! Thank you for that link!

That will carry a great deal of weight with 'Christians'.

[bluedawg12]

31. They aren't Christians - they are politicians

render to Caesar what is Caesar's...