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Mail list fucknuttery
9/1/09 10:47 pmOkay, I belong to a mail list for people with vestibulopathy, called wobblers. Because we, well, we wobble when we walk. And we fall down.
Anyway, this list is largely composed of people in their mid to late 50's and older. A lot of them are nominally Christian, and there are a few that are on the fundie end of that spectrum. Mostly conservative politically. Thus the topics of religion and politics are taboo on the list.
However. Religion being taboo doesn't stop the fundie types from constantly sending out those stupid prayer spams -- you know the ones, "pass on this prayer rose to 20 people and God will love you forever" and such like. Even though I'm an atheist, I don't say anything, just delete the email when I see what it is. Thanks but no thanks, you know.
(Sidebar: Why am I on the list at all? Well, it's a support list for people with vestibulopathy, as I said, and it's a good place to go to whine, to share small victories, to get advice, or just talk with people who know what it's like to stagger like a drunk all the damn time. And we also share medical information.)
Along with the religious spam, the typical internet stupid spams are sent around with regularity -- the virus scams, the trojan hoaxes, the political calumnies, all that shit. A few of us have made it our unofficial job to dutifully look these up on Snopes or FactCheck (I do both, since Snopes can be wrong) and report back with whatever the truth is. We look at it as doing a public service, and presenting truth instead of spreading hysterical lies. We do not do it in a way that is intended to make anyone feel stupid. Generally we say something like "This is false" then give the link. No judgement is passed on the original poster.
Yesterday one of the nuttier members of the list passed on this little nugget, attributed it to Billy Graham and said Paul Harvey had presented it on his program. I read the prayer, and was astounded at the level of bigotry in it, and couldn't believe Dr. Graham had said something so heinous. At the end of the email was the line "one nation under GOD!!!" So I checked it out on Snopes, and sure enough, he hadn't.
Tired of the constant haranguing about religion and one nation under GAWD and suchlike, I posted this:
( clicky to continue with the gore )
So that was MY day. How was YOURS?
Anyway, this list is largely composed of people in their mid to late 50's and older. A lot of them are nominally Christian, and there are a few that are on the fundie end of that spectrum. Mostly conservative politically. Thus the topics of religion and politics are taboo on the list.
However. Religion being taboo doesn't stop the fundie types from constantly sending out those stupid prayer spams -- you know the ones, "pass on this prayer rose to 20 people and God will love you forever" and such like. Even though I'm an atheist, I don't say anything, just delete the email when I see what it is. Thanks but no thanks, you know.
(Sidebar: Why am I on the list at all? Well, it's a support list for people with vestibulopathy, as I said, and it's a good place to go to whine, to share small victories, to get advice, or just talk with people who know what it's like to stagger like a drunk all the damn time. And we also share medical information.)
Along with the religious spam, the typical internet stupid spams are sent around with regularity -- the virus scams, the trojan hoaxes, the political calumnies, all that shit. A few of us have made it our unofficial job to dutifully look these up on Snopes or FactCheck (I do both, since Snopes can be wrong) and report back with whatever the truth is. We look at it as doing a public service, and presenting truth instead of spreading hysterical lies. We do not do it in a way that is intended to make anyone feel stupid. Generally we say something like "This is false" then give the link. No judgement is passed on the original poster.
Yesterday one of the nuttier members of the list passed on this little nugget, attributed it to Billy Graham and said Paul Harvey had presented it on his program. I read the prayer, and was astounded at the level of bigotry in it, and couldn't believe Dr. Graham had said something so heinous. At the end of the email was the line "one nation under GOD!!!" So I checked it out on Snopes, and sure enough, he hadn't.
Tired of the constant haranguing about religion and one nation under GAWD and suchlike, I posted this:
( clicky to continue with the gore )
So that was MY day. How was YOURS?
