Intrusive Assholes

MattShizzle
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Intrusive Assholes

I just had to rant about this it made me so mad. My grandfather died last week - he was in a nursing home for 7 years after having a stroke. Anyway, today some guy sent a letter to my mom about it - it was very long and fundi religious shit - and included a bunch of those asshatish pamphlets. My mom is a believer, but found this rude and intrusive. I was very tempted to send back something like ffrf nontracts, printouts of Robert Ingersoll, Dan Barker or Richard Dawkins essays - or maybe some things from here, but decided that might get him to send more or show up to preach. How would they feel if this happened to them and we sent things that said "well, you don't have to worry about him going to hell because there is no such place and there is no god?" I think my aunt may have had this happen - she's somewhat of a fundie and doesn't get along with my mom.

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Monica (not verified)
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My condolences

I know. We had a close friend pass away from Leukemia and the whole time people tried to console her parents by telling her "It was for the best." I found that to be highly insensitive.

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curlytoes79
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If it was one of those "God

If it was one of those "God will comfort you in your grief" pamphlets, the guy was probably just trying to help, and your mom may appreciate any comfort she can get while she's hurting. Many people cling to religion for this very reason -- it helps them deal with sadness and loss.

I would have definitely taken offense if someone knew my mom wasn't a believer  and chose this moment to send god pamphlets. To me, that's trying to break someone down during their most vulnerable moment, and that's cruel.


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You're right that sending

You're right that sending back "counter-argument" material would escalate him.

However;

It may be worth it, if for no other reason that to do something for yourself, to write a letter reminding him that such doing such a thing is rude, opportunistic, cold, and heartless. Perhaps remind him of the less-than-subtle line between condolences and proselytizing. Then, should you feel it should be sent to him, send it after you and your family have had time to deal with the loss. Should he choose to be an even bigger prick, you'll be in a position to deal with it better.

A loved one's death is a time folks are leaning hard on their beliefs and philosophies so the grief doesn't tip them over. It's supportive to say things like "he's in a better place" if the family believes such things. But here there are lines one just should not cross. He's scum for crossing that line.

"Anyone can repress a woman, but you need 'dictated' scriptures to feel you're really right in repressing her. In the same way, homophobes thrive everywhere. But you must feel you've got scripture on your side to come up with the tedious 'Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve' style arguments instead of just recognising that some people are different." - Douglas Murray


MattShizzle
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It was definitely more than

It was definitely more than that - it was fundie shit including anti-evolution, fire and brimstone, etc. My mom is a "cafeteria christian" - ie no church or anything - definitely not a fundie.

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aiia
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Run the shit through a paper

Run the shit through a paper shreder, put it in a box, and send it back with a note to go fuck himself.

People who think there is something they refer to as god don't ask enough questions.


MattShizzle
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We never heard of this guy

We never heard of this guy so either someone told him, or he goes through the paper picks people from the obituaries and finds the family members - which is extremely creepy if he does that.

 

***Edit - looked on the back of a pamphlet - the guy's a Jehovah's witness - we don't know any, so he must go through the obituaries and contact family members - woonder how often he does this? Is this something new they do? Bad enough they go door to door but this is really fucked up.

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MattShizzle wrote:We never

MattShizzle wrote:

We never heard of this guy so either someone told him, or he goes through the paper picks people from the obituaries and finds the family members - which is extremely creepy if he does that.

 

***Edit - looked on the back of a pamphlet - the guy's a Jehovah's witness - we don't know any, so he must go through the obituaries and contact family members - woonder how often he does this? Is this something new they do? Bad enough they go door to door but this is really fucked up.

What a total shitard. that's WAY fucked up. Anyone needed any more proof the JWs are cultists? Well, there ya go.


 

"Anyone can repress a woman, but you need 'dictated' scriptures to feel you're really right in repressing her. In the same way, homophobes thrive everywhere. But you must feel you've got scripture on your side to come up with the tedious 'Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve' style arguments instead of just recognising that some people are different." - Douglas Murray


curlytoes79
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Yeah that sounds creepy and

Yeah that sounds creepy and vulture-like...like he's preying on your mother when she's going thru a difficult time. Just curious...did you ask her how she felt about this guy's presumptuousness?


MattShizzle
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I didn't have to ask. She

I didn't have to ask. She said it was extremely rude. When she realized he did it that way she was pretty shocked. The guy claims to be in his 80s. Obviously he has too much time on his hands and needs a hobby. To me this is worse than the Mormons going around baptising dead people (how they do it I wonder?)

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thingy
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MattShizzle wrote:***Edit -

MattShizzle wrote:

***Edit - looked on the back of a pamphlet - the guy's a Jehovah's witness - we don't know any, so he must go through the obituaries and contact family members - woonder how often he does this? Is this something new they do? Bad enough they go door to door but this is really fucked up.

Is it the JW's or the Mormons that are known for going through obituaries and any other lists of dead people they can find and baptising those people to save their souls?

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Had a similar experience at

Had a similar experience at my mother's funeral. The whole thing - after her wishes and those of her immediate family - was entirely without religion at all, something that didn't suit one branch of the clan who turned up (uninvited) outside the crematorium chapel in which we held our little humanist ceremony. They had roped in a priest and, when the coffin was arriving, he stepped up to it and sprinkled "holy water" on it, then made a few "magic gestures" with his hands while his cronies broke into a loud "decade of the rosary".

 

All too much for my brother. With a loud shout he jumped between the priest and the casket and ordered him to "clean that mess of my mother's coffin - NOW!". The "decade" from the nutters behind came to a sudden and premature halt. The priest, whose faith in god at that moment was something he held with less certainty than he did his faith in the fact that my rather large and muscular brother was about to pulverise him, pulled out a handkerchief and got to work.

 

They had the nerve to come into the chapel anyway and we didn't stop them, but we each in our turn at giving an oration made reference to the cynical opportunistic and arrogant behaviour that we had all just witnessed and how the woman being buried had spent the best part of her life despising both the behaviour and those who practised it. It was too much for the priest (who was a total stranger to us). He upped and left when my brother observed that the Catholic Church had now seemingly stooped so low as to emulate dogs pissing in an effort to stake territorial claim on the "souls" of the departed.

 

He took his magic bottle with him.

I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy


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thingy wrote:MattShizzle

thingy wrote:

MattShizzle wrote:

***Edit - looked on the back of a pamphlet - the guy's a Jehovah's witness - we don't know any, so he must go through the obituaries and contact family members - woonder how often he does this? Is this something new they do? Bad enough they go door to door but this is really fucked up.

Is it the JW's or the Mormons that are known for going through obituaries and any other lists of dead people they can find and baptising those people to save their souls?

The Mormons are the only group I know of that claims to be able to do vicarious baptisms so it must be them.

I'm sorry for yours and your mum's loss, Matt, and long may you receive no fucktard propaganda delivered to your home.

 

**oops I didn't notice what forum I was in... sorry. **

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MattShizzle
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Yeah, that's the Mormons.

Yeah, that's the Mormons. They managed to royally piss Jews off I remember by going through lists of holocaust victims to do this to them. Up until now I never heard of JW's doing anything like this but it wouldn't surprise me if they do - they are very intrusive. Thoug I don't know if this is a JW thing or just this particular asshat.

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MattShizzle
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As annoyed as I was by this

As annoyed as I was by this asshat I can't imagine what it would be like to be at a funeral for someone I cared about and have people like that show up to try to convert you (I've heard of this happening) or even worse, those fucktards from Westboro Baptist church showing up. I imagine it would be very difficult not punching someone in the face.

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