GAH!
Oh Brother, It Just Never Stops!
More Christians getting sucked into spamming religious related memes!
And then some non-Christian doofus retaliates with a stupid tasteless tantrum!
Headers:
On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 9:59 AM, Cody Peck @ wrote:
— On Sun, 1/31/10, Sottile7 @ wrote:
From: Sottile7 @
Subject: Fw: The (scientific) death of Jesus
To: Undisclosed-Recipient@yahoo.com
Date: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 6:15 PM
—— Original Message -----
From: Linda Hanner
To: Barb Hanner
Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 2:15 PM
Subject: The (scientific) death of Jesus
Linda
John 3:16
Subject: FW: The (scientific) death of Jesus
😈Meme: Subject: FW: The (scientific) death of Jesus
🧝♀️ I do not require or want memes telling me how Jesus died. I am a Christian. And if I wasn't, chain letters are no way to get me that info.
Church, the Bible, and historical documentaries which are not done by people or memes bent on spreading the notion that Jesus and his life story are somehow untrue or unimportant, are the way to go for sources on this.
😈 For the next 60 seconds, set aside what ever you're doing and take this opportunity!
🧝♀️ Written like a bad sales pitch. Why say 60 seconds when you could've said a minute? And I'm taking the opportunity to put this thing in its place, which will probably take a bit more than a minute.
😈 Let's see if satan can stop this.
🧝♀️ ARGH! Did you not realize Satan started it? He started it again and again in such chains as Sleeping In Church Funny How Birdcage Prayer Wheel He's not going to want to stop a chain letter that makes a mockery of Christianity. But enough with that, Don't do what the word of faith/prosperity gospel/new apostalic reformation charismatic movement does. They go on and on about the devil, while doing things that please him instead of really worshiping God. Make no time for the devil... Ignore him and let's move on to mangling this meme.
😈 THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS
At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.
🧝♀️ Look, nobody needs memes telling them this, or 2+2=4 either...
😈 At the time crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixtion Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.
🧝♀️ *Delete rest of tortured death description*
You're wrong about it being "more dreadful" for Jesus than other people who were crucified by way of the nail method. Crucifixion is crucifixion, and if it wasn't done with nails, death came slower. It was utterly cruel no matter how you slice it, and it was intended to be. The torture everyone suffered before the crucifixion was incredibly sadistic and cruel also. I will never understand how anyone could do that to another living thing! You do not have to convince me this was unspeakably horrible!
The real difference with Jesus was that he died to save humanity. That's common knowledge among Christians, and even among others who are interested in Roman history. This chain letter isn't telling me something I haven't already heard for most of my life.
As a Christian, I believe Jesus Christ suffered horribly for all of us. I don't like thinking about it, I will never come to terms with the brutality in human history and even in the present. It is not pretty, it is appalling, whatever the reason it happened, appalling nonetheless.
Such an email could put an already depressed and sensitive person into a terrible funk. It does no good and only puts a downer on any recipient.
There was a time when I suffered depression because of a few years of unhappy and tragic events. An email like this would have put me in tears for probably a whole day, and what kind of insensitive, unthinking person who wants to be a friend, does that?
😈 Don't ignore this situation.
🧝♀️ Do you call this ignoring?
😈 JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU! For you,
🧝♀️ Don't shout! And yes, I know, I KNOW! I do not need memes telling me this.
😈 who now read this e-mail.
🧝♀️ And everyone else who hasn't, doesn't, and never will read this meme. Jesus didn't just die for a select few who happened to get or see a chain letter.
😈 Do not believe that He only died for others (those who go to church or for pastors, bishops, etc).
🧝♀️ Didn't I just say that? Look, it has already been established, and no one needs a meme telling them Jesus died for everyone. Furthermore, plenty of people don't want a meme telling them this, whether it's because they already believe and are well aware of it in my case, or else they are not Christian and sadly couldn't care less, but they will not be enriched by some meme. Those who feel enriched by it and get emotionally walloped into passing it along have been manipulated into a false sense of profundity.
Sometimes at Christmas, there have been messages warning against leaving Jesus in the manger, telling us there is more to the story and how we should remember he died for us.
Yes, but, by the same token, please don't leave him on the cross, either. There is more to the story. At any rate, chain letters will not bring it across well. Christians have so many other places starting with the Bible to look for inspiration. Youtube is full of great Bible-related videos, which are a great source of information and even comfort.
Non-Christians find religious memes as annoying as the world universally finds telemarketers, and some would undoubtedly prefer the telemarketers. I've seen way too many stupid rants against "religious chain letters" that turned into all out Christian-bashing, and those same people participating in that are still cool with other types of chain letters, especially viral jokes and those annoying funny cat video memes. It's this kind of thing, fuelled by memes like this, which make me lose faith in humanity.
😈 Accept the reality,
🧝♀️ Accept the reality that meme re-shares are nothing but annoying spam, and it's tasteless and exploitive trying to use Jesus's death in this way!
😈 the truth that JESUS IS THE ONLY SALVATION FOR THE WORLD.
🧝♀️ You don't have to lecture me, as a Christian, this is what I have already heard. There are others who have a big problem with this, and unless and until they decide to become Christians, they will continue to have problems with this. But, this meme is not going to change their minds.
This is a loaded issue for debate with some people, not something I am willing to get into. If you want to bring people to Christ, you won't do it by scaring them or putting them off with this statement. Instead of passing around gloomy memes that exploit your sense of religion, try setting a good example so that people will see you as a Christian and wonder why you are so strong or happy or whatever it is they admire about you. Because that's how you might get people interested in Christ. Not by sending out memes.
😈 God has plans for you,
🧝♀️ Yes I know, and one of them is trying to help repair Christianity's reputation on the net and turn the tide of religious exploitive and other virals.
😈 show all your friends what He experienced to save you.
🧝♀️ Can't do that. I can't whoosh myself let alone anyone else back in time and stand with them at the foot of the cross to watch a crucifixion, nor would I want to!
No, spamming people with this or any other meme does NOT amount to showing my friends what Jesus went through! But that's really what you're driving at. Unlike so many others, I can see right through your manipulative game-plan!
😈 Now think about this! May God bless your life!
🧝♀️ I think about God's blessings all the time, even when my life is going well, especially when my life is going well, I do not forget God. When my life is in the dumps, I also turn to God for comfort. I do not need chain letters telling me what to think.
😈 60 seconds with God...
🧝♀️ No, not just a minute with God, he's there my whole life!
😈 For the next 60 seconds, set aside what you're doing and take this opportunity!
🧝♀️ Infomercial repeat, you already said that somewhere above. Yes, did you get that? You already said that!
😈 Let's see if satan can stop this.
🧝♀️ Look, doofus, Satan started it! Do I have to say it again! Satan starts chain letters! It's up to us Christians to realize that and start breaking them! Where do you think those sick kid hoaxes that also reference God blasphemously come from?
😈 All you have to do is:
🧝♀️ Other than totally mangling it, nothing!
😈 1. Simply pray for the person who sent this message to you: Lord, you know the life of _________. I ask You to bless him/her in all things and make him/her prosperous. Take care of his/her family, his/her health, his/her work and all his/her future plans. Lead him/her not into temptation, but deliver him/her from evil. In Jesus' name, amen.
🧝♀️ *Headdesk!* I will pray for whoever whenever and in my own words, not some form-letter cardboard-cut-out, canned hackjob so-called prayer that ripped off bits of the Lord's Prayer to be put in with some generic meme that would make me nothing but an insincere, praying bot!
😈 2. Then, send this message to 10 people.
🧝♀️ It's embarrassing that Christians fall for this crap! No, don't send it to ten people or anywhere as if you think it's something necessary and cool to spread.
😈 3. 10 people will pray for you and you will make that many people pray to God for other people.
🧝♀️ BULLCRAP! How stupid do you think we Christians are!? You're not going to cause everybody who gets this thing to pray! I will not send this dreck to 10 people, and even if I did, it would not cause them to pray!
😈 4. Take a moment to appreciate the power of God in your life, for doing what pleases Him.
🧝♀️ I don't need memes telling me that!
😈 If you are not ashamed to do this,
🧝♀️ This bullying dreck has appeared in so many mutations of these memes, and here's the proof!
so, I've said it before, but obviously it bears repeating!
Do you have any idea how utterly twisted, offensive and asinine this is!? You are twisting scripture to suit your own ends, not God's! You are coercing Christians, as dupes, into spreading a lame piece of crap meme that's managed to pass itself off as religious advice, the same way those dying kid hoaxes pretend to be coming from charities, and dupe so many people into passing them along, in the belief that it was written by a real person with real concerns!
God will NOT be ashamed of you for failing to pass on this forward! Spreading memes, including this piece of religion-exploiting dreck does NOT amount to acknowledging Christ as my savior, or yours or anyone else's for that matter! You can show your love of Christ simply by praying privately, or expressing your own point of view as a Christian, by giving to Christian charities, there are so many ways you can demonstrate you love Christ, Spreading memes is NOT one of them!
There is only one way you can deny Christ, and that is to deny him, period. And denying him does not mean forgetting to pray once in a while, not attending a church, or even remaining quiet on religious matters on the net, and denying Christ certainly is not a forgetting or refusal to spread memes.
What the heck kind of friend tells another friend he or she will be judged as shameful by God because they didn't pass on some dumb junk!?
If you are not ashamed of making a total fool of yourself, you will spam the net with memes.
If you have respect for yourself, your friends and their and your own intelligence, you would be ashamed to pass this fraudulent piece of religious spam and any like it along! You would know better, and you would think too highly of your friends and certainly of The Lord to do something so utterly gauche!
I am so sick of memes targeting Christians and women as emotional basket cases who need to be preached at and manipulated into re-sharing this dreck! I'm equally sick of Christians and women falling for this because 'God' or something about 'women' is mentioned somewhere in the meme! I'm sick of all the memes being re-shared because people can't resist something that mentions cancer, and/or some sort of "raising awareness" of something!
I'm twice as sick of the end result, being, loads of ranters spewing out anti-Christian or at least dirty-minded, expletive-laiden twaddle, because some poor dupe sent them this kind of meme.
People, the only thing a meme can determine about you if you pass it along is that you replicate memes. In addition, you are demonstrating that you must be very young, or very inexperienced on the net and with life in general, or if you've been around a long time, you haven't learned anything and you wish to remain meme-addicted and clueless to the fact that your re-sharing stuff could be annoying people. It demonstrates your apparent willingness to believe anything that's got 'fwd' and 'pass it on' plastered throughout it!
😈 please, follow Jesus' instructions. He said (Matthew 10:32 & 33): "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whosoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven".
🧝♀️ Which he never meant to be twisted into use for passing on one of the most ludicrous pieces of emotional manipulative memes designed to target impulsive Christians!
In case you haven't gotten it yet, people have been saying they are Christian by their actions, their own words, and by prayer since the faith began, not by re-sharing memes! So don't even try this abusive, coercive tactic with me or anyone else!
😈 If you believe, send this message... But send it only if you believe in Christ Jesus is your Lord and Savior.
🧝♀️ NO! That is, no, do NOT send it if you believe in Christ. Do you believe in Christ, or do you believe in chain letters?
If you are a Christian and you really take your Christianity seriously, be outraged that your religion is being pirated by meme originators! Be insulted and embarrassed at your friends for their foolishness in replicating it! Be outraged that they have let themselves be taken in by a meme that's no more valid and every bit as crooked as any hoax, especially since it dresses itself up in a religious disguise!
😈 Yes, I love God. He is my source of life and my saviour.
🧝♀️ If you realize that, then you should know better. God is not in that chain letter.
Christ is my savior as well, but I know better than to originate or pass on junk, and would never use deceit in the form of pseudo-religion just to get people forwarding on copies and copies and copies of itself! Guilting or shaming people into passing on chain letters is absolutely low down, it's dirty, unethical, slimy, coercive, manipulative, and extremely hypocritical in the case of religious memes!
😈 He keeps me alive day and night. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13.
🧝♀️ Then show that amazing strength and stop twisting scripture and their meanings to spread memes! God doesn't work through spam!
😈 This is the simple proof.
🧝♀️ You are wrong!
🧝♀️ The only simple proof here is that somebody started a meme that preys on religious people, and it has been spread because people let it get to them, instead of writing their own notes and going out living life as Christians.
😈 If you love God and youbelieve and trust in salvation through Christ Jesus, send this to all those you love.
🧝♀️ No! No, no, no, no, NO! If you love God, you will know the difference between him and meme originators, and you will not pass on stuff just because it guilts you into it with mentions of God! You do NOT prove your love for God by passing on any memes, and God will NOT be ashamed of you for not spamming your friends! If you care about your friends at all, you will have the consideration and wisdom not to spam the net with memes other than the ones they've expressed a definite liking for! Got it?
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We need to push back when getting this spam, or even seeing it posted on the web. And that doesn't mean the humungus hordes of non-Christian people already shrieking and spewing against "religious" memes.
It's Christians the internet needs more of to be speaking out.
The non-Christians will not listen to Christians anyway, and especially not when whatever's being said is via memes, which are full of untruths, and what truth is in them is only exploited to play on people's emotions to get them spreading these virals around even more.
Christians will not listen to non-Christians telling them to stop spamming, because by reacting negatively, non-Christians are only making what the memes are saying, seem true - that Christianity is becoming endangered.
It is time we Christians spoke out and acknowledged religious memes for what they are and do our part to put a stop to them. Because whether or not they contain any truth, memes are all aiming for one and the only goal, to be spread, circulated, recycled and recirculated like mosquitoes. Many if not most were created by hoaxters for a "lulz" at the expense of Christians in the case of religious memes. And they are doing absolutely nothing good for Christians, Christianity, or anyone else.
Stop the madness!
OVER - AND - OUT!!!
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