Comments on: Trick or Tract

By: Fry

Fry — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:38:24 +0000

And I’m apparently e-tarded: I just realized my first line said Christmas instead of Halloween. Must’ve been recalling my annoyance with the Christianist there. My bad.

By: Fry

Fry — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:37:11 +0000

Amazingly enough, this happened to us our first Christmas in our neighborhood three years ago. Our son was 3 at the time, and I’d heard nice things about the man living around the corner. When the lad got to his house to trick or treat, he was given a bag with a bar of candy, some stickers, some other little booklet thing, and that very same million dollar bill.

We thought: how cool to give away a goodie bag! The rest of the neighborhood was just as generous; lots of people giving out full-sized candy bars and whatnot. When we got home and rummaged through the night’s haul, we got through the goodie bag. The booklet had some little Bible story in it, I think.

And then we saw the text on that play bill. I brushed it off, having been a life-long atheist I had gotten quite used to the more offensive sections of Christianity coming after me. But my wife, ever more aware having been raised Catholic, was furious. And she said the same thing, “How dare he give me 3 year old some propaganda about lust!? I don’t care about the message, he’s 3!”

I wound up doing the same as you, tearing it up and pitching it, as well as that stupid booklet (which on second recollection may have had something about masturbation and deities killing kittens). But we wish we had held on to it so we could share what this “good Christian” had given our 3 year old boy.

Sorry for the lengthy response. I just thought I’d share.

By: aag

aag — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:16:41 +0000

Thanks, SaraBee. I was trying to write one that *might* appeal to Christians. :)

By: SaraBee

SaraBee — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:52:52 +0000

Sorry to hear that someone felt that it was his duty to intervene with the upbringing of the neighborhood children.

I like your version. I think that it contains important values that all children could use a little extra exposure to (though, as an atheist, my version would lack any reference to Jesus or the bible). But there’s a reason why tracts and other evangelical methods use language like that found in the ones your family got. It works when the goal is to bring in recruits.

By: The Friend Around the Corner

The Friend Around the Corner — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:30:20 +0000

Good move. I like the rewrite. It’s actually more in keeping with what the New Testament is about, which, in all reality is what Christians should be following and staying the heck outta the Torah.
Jesus changed quite a few things when he showed up so you kinda gotta go with what he said, which is LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

I don’t understand why this is so hard for Christians to grok. Dude, I’m not one anymore and I know this…*sigh*

By: Finn

Finn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:09:52 +0000

Well that was special!

By: aag

aag — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:49:21 +0000

Of course. :)

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:52:59 +0000

Wonderfully said miss – may I copy it to save for my kids when appropriate?

By: Hannah

Hannah — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:40:15 +0000

For shame!!!

By: ken

ken — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:31:04 +0000

On a lighter note, speaking of “odd things received while trick-er-treating”. Our neighbors were trick-er-treating for the food bank and asking for canned goods. At one house, a fellow came to the door and seemed a bit confused at the request for cans vs. candy. Then he brightened up, told them to wait, and went back into the house. When he reappeared, he proudly placed two used, and then crushed aluminum soda cans into their bag. I don’t think he liked their confused, as opposed to grateful faces as he then straightened up, replied, “every little bit helps”, and shut the door.