I hate it when my daughter gets religious stuff in her trick or treat bag

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

not one, not two, not three but FOUR religious tracts in her pumpkin when we got home. I stay back on the sidewalk while she goes up (she is almost 10) so I have no idea who put them in there, but for some reason it just BURNS me up.

It's HALLOWEEN, it's about trick or treating, dressing up, running around and screaming, candy.

But she's got these "JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS" and "ARE YOU SAVED?" pamphlets.

She finds them amusing. "Children! TRUST in JESUS CHRIST!"

One of them even urges kids to ask their parents if they are saved and if they aren't, tells them that God would be happy if they would "lead Mom and Dad to the salvation of Jesus Christ."

My goodness. They went in the recycling bin. Why do people feel compelled to do that? She told me that for three of them, that's all the person gave out, no candy. She didn't say anything when we were out but that explains her disappointed look at a few houses.

Oh religious literature? THANKS, you shouldn't have!

[flamingyouth]

1. Geez, way to totally ruin the fun for the kids

Why don't they just not turn their lights on, and be grumps by not giving out anything, instead of forcing their crap onto other people's kids? :grr:

[Fenris]

2. Were they Chick Tracts?

I always found Jack T. Chick's attempts at converting my heathen self mildly amusing.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

3. Not sure, how do I find out?

I pulled one out of the recycling bin and it says ATS Tracts.

Based in Garland, TX.

Of freaking course.

"Does it matter if we sin? YES! If we ever want to get to heaven we must have our SINS taken AWAY!"

They suck the kid in with some two-line jokes, then start with the religious stuff.

[Fenris]

7. I usually says it on the back...

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1053/1053_01.asp

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

14. OMG

did you read the one on that page? No, she didn't get any Chick Tracts. Geez, I didn't know whether to laugh at the ludicrousness of it or get angry at the inaccuracy of that thing. Pumpkins weren't carved and left at the door to signify that no other children would be taken for sacrifice from the home! The Irish used to carve faces in turnips for fun and then in America they found that pumpkins were easier!

What a KOOK that guy Chick must be. Kids have to be careful not to be abducted right before Halloween? That's a new one on me.

[Behind the Aegis]

34. VILE!

What vile trash that site is! I went there because I thought it might be a parody site. The absolute lies and misconceptions were foul!! Amazing! Christians stole our holiday and they STILL aren't satisfied! VILE! But, as the saying goes...know thine enemy!

If it weren't so disgusting, I might have found it funny. Thanks for the link though. I have seen many a reference to this "Chick" person and did not get it. Now I know...shudder!

Brightest Blessings!

[flamingyouth]

4. I missed out growing up in heathen Seattle

I love Chick tracts! No one ever gave me any! :cry:

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

5. I'll mail you the ones my daughter got tonight!

She gets them every freaking year.

[flamingyouth]

8. I just think that's awful

Hopefully other people gave her some decent candy! :hi:

[tavalon]

37. This is why I want to stay up here in Seattle

I don't ever want to go back to Texas. Please don't make me go back to Texas. PLLLEEEAAAASSSSEEE..........

Yep, Chick tracts were standard fare in my neck of the woods.

[yardwork]

24. Thanks for that link - I'm really offended by the lies in those tracts!

I am Pagan, and Pagans don't believe in Satan or any devils. Nor do we sacrifice children. I could go on and on about how those tracts are full of lies about Pagans.

If they're lying about Pagans, maybe they're lying about Jesus too.

[President Jesus]

6. fucking whack jobs!

this is ridiculous.

teach her to egg those houses.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

11. No thanks.

But I do agree on the ridiculous part. I'm sure her friends will teach her how to toilet paper a house when she is older.

A teenager walking down a dark street at night with a roll of Charmin in their hands is a hilarious sight and a dead giveaway! LOL!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

9. In addition

it is just plain surreal living in the Bible Belt sometimes, ya know?

I came out of a pizza place a few weeks ago and saw this flyer taped to a post. It had some cheesy, bad clip art of balloons and Jesus and it read: "KIDS! COME PARTY WITH JESUS!"

Then there's my favorite bumper sticker: "Jesus es el Senor."

Jesus is the man. ROFL! I don't know what I'd do if I lived in a place without 15 churches on every street!

[dolo amber]

10. Next year go with her

to the door, keep tabs on who's giving them out, return later with tract firmly wrapped around a wad of dog poo, light, knock, run, laugh. :D

[realisticphish]

12. god this stuff disgusts me

IMHO, if your faith can be changed by a goddamn pamphlet, then you should not be allowed to associate with the outside world

:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[kokomo]

13. The fundies hate Halloween.

This weekend over 3000 churches held "hell houses" to scare children to hide behind the robe of Jesus. One Southern Baptist church in Georgia even had a scary picture of Britney Spears kissing Madonna popping up in a screen.

Two folks kissing and that sends 'em to hell? Why not show pictures of Iraqi children with body parts blown away thanks to "Brother" George W. Bush.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/living/religion/10050771.htm

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

15. I've even heard of fundies

writing pro-Jesus messages on the insides of the paper outer wrappers of Kit Kats and such to get to the kids.

They tape them back together.

[Ellen Forradalom]

16. The nerve! Particularly since you already belong to the Church of Satan.

Just stick with the candy, folks.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

20. Hee hee.

Actually I am Christian. Just not the fundie, judgemental, weirdo hateful type. In real life, I'm quite private about it.

That drives fundies crazy.

[ismnotwasm]

17. When my kids were younger

I would go all out on Halloween decorations. Witches, goblins, haunted house decor, skulls--I'd stuff scary masks with newspaper, put fake eyeballs in them and hang 'em on the house. I would loudly play scary Halloween music and had a strobe light going in the house. The kids of course loved it. My, ahem, fundie neighbors hated it. I didn't do it for that reason, of course, but annoying them was a side benefit. :evilgrin:

[Penndems]

18. For crying out loud, they dress up as princesses and Spiderman

and then go door-to-door getting candy.

What do those people think is Satanic about THAT?

[ironflange]

19. Here's what happened in Soup to Nutz today

[Dukakis88]

21. My cousin got some relics in his bag -- a fingerbone of St. Augustine.

[Zero Division]

28. Thanks, that was truly clever and hilarious.

I nearly choked on my dinner.

Augustine was my confirmation name, BTW. Ironically I was a devout Catholic as a child and became a heathen later, the reverse of Augustine.

[Dukakis88]

32. Yay!

Thanks for the feedback! Guess I'm reliving my class clown childhood...

[MatrixEscape]

22. Well there has been progress at least ....

The no fun Fundies would be burning you and your children at the stake or hanging you after the witch trials a couple hundred years ago, or so.

Good thing that their lack of tolerance for others combined with prohibitions on enjoying life are supplanted by giving out pamphlets at this stage.

Four more years of Bush and that might not be the case.

[JVS]

23. Beggers can't be choosers.

If you go around with an empty bag asking for it to be filled, you have to take what you get. Even if it is something you don't like, such as mallo cups, tootsie rolls, or religious tracts.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

25. We're hardly beggars

and I didn't exactly go yell at the people, LOL!

[barb162]

31. hey I never liked getting licorice for Halloween but I just traded

it with my brother who did like it. How do you trade some dumbass zealot brochure? Why can't adults just let the kids run around that one night a year and GET THE CANDY.

[tavalon]

38. More like gangsters actually

After all, the gig is that you give me a treat or I will play a trick on you (which can translate to vandalism). Typical protection scam.

Oh, and BTW, despite what the idiots in Puyallup said, I've never met a Wiccan who was the least bit offended by Halloween, myself included. Cheap, made up excuse, I do believe.

[greblc]

26. It's a small anoyance to pay....

for a sack full of free "CANDY" from Strangers.

[barb162]

27. have you noticed a pickup in this BS over the last few years?

This is something I didn't know they did as I have no children and almost couldn't believe my eyes reading this that they are trying to convert this much. I think only candy or money is acceptable. (Too bad you don't know the houses and you could stick Kerry literature on their doorsteps.)

This is deeply upsetting in many ways to me as I think the fundies are getting close topossibly taking over this country...they sure are trying hard in every way they can, aren't they? This is so shameful.

[barb162]

29. the other thing I wanted to mention was when people used to

worry about razors in apples. Urban legend? NOw you have to worry about religious zealots finding imaginative ways to propagandize your own kids as they obviously figure the parents aren't smart enough to raise them properly.

[TheMightyFavog]

30. Which houses handed these tracts out?

Break out the eggs, pumpkins, and toilet paper, boys, it's trickin' time! :evilgrin:

I feel like a teenager again!

[Tabasco_Dave]

35. yahooooo!!!!

That's the halloween spirit i miss.

[Behind the Aegis]

33. another thread

There is another pissed off mom in the "General Room." That thread is very interesting! It is TACKY to pass out literature like that, but it doesn't surprise me at all. It used to be fear of razor blades, now kids have to be afraid they are "going to Hell" for trick-or-treating! What a crock!

Hope your daughter scored some good grub! :)

Brightest Blessings!

[donheld]

36. Maybe next year

We should all give out Atheist or Pagan Tracts.

[Bridget Burke]

40. Pagan tracts could be a good idea, if done well.

However--& this is important--they must be given out along with candy! None of this substitution stuff.

[TheMightyFavog]

41. Yeah, hand out copies of Kissing Hank's Ass!

http://www.jhuger.com/kisshank.mv

They do have a clean version for the kiddies.

[onebigbadwulf]

39. You have to admit - that IS pretty scary!

10pts to the fundies for irony.