Warning: obnoxious RW forwarded email posting

[Francesca]

I apologize for posting this garbage but am wondering if other
people have seen this?... I received this from a close family member
who I have been fighting with for years.. she sent it to me and included
the note "honey, what do you think?"... I had a very busy day yesterday and initially
told myself I was going to ignore it and move on.. but I ended up wasting over an hour
responding in the most controlled and reasonable way possible.. I would like to add
that this crap is being forwarded by people who consider themselves christians..
The conclusion for those who agree with the writer's assessment is very disturbing (kill them before they kill us?)
I think I am wasting too much of my personal time responding to this sort of nonsense..
I know that lots of people here have made similar posts.. we all are related to right wing nut jobs etc..
I really want to let go of all this anger.. I feel like its affecting my health, my ability to sleep and
taking away from my valuable time. My husband thinks I secretly like "the fight" but I really don't
believe thats my problem.. Any one have some good suggestions about how not to let anger take over?
Can anyone actually read something like whats posted below, and not feel overwhelmed with frustration, rage etc?


Email below
--------------------------------------------------------------

This is a must read -- it's short but very informative...

The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the
United States, especially in the minority races!!!

Allah or Jesus? By Rick Mathes

Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for
Maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training
Session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the
Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of
Their beliefs.

I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The
Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a
Video.

After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers.

When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked:
"Please, correct me if I'm wrong but I understand that most Imams and
Clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad against the
Infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a
Command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's
The case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?"

There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, "Non-believers!"

I responded, "So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers
Of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith
So they can have a place in Heaven. Is that correct?"

The _______expression on his face changed from one of authority and
Command to that of "a little boy who had just been caught with his hand
In the cookie jar." He sheepishly replied, "Yes"

I then stated, "Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope
John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr.
Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee
Them a place in Heaven!"

The Imam was speechless.

I continued, "I also have a problem with being your 'friend' when you
And your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me
Ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to
Kill me in order for you to go to Heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to
Love you because I am going to Heaven and He wants you to be there with Me?"

You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame.

Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the
'Diversification' training seminar were not happy with Rick's way of
Dealing with the Islamic Imam and expo sing the truth about the Muslims' beliefs.

I think everyone in the US should be required to read this but with the
Liberal justice system, liberal media, and the ACLU, there is no way
This will be widely publicized. Please pass this on to all your e-mail
Contacts.

This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well known leader
In prison ministry.

[Wilber_Stool]

1. Snopes is your friend

Oops, better link:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/allah.asp

[tenshi816]

2. As ever, Snopes is your reliable friend.

Send your relative this link: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/allah.asp

It debunks the crap she sent you.

I've got an entire family like that. Good luck.

[Francesca]

4. I actually did see that on Snopes before I responded to her

but the point I found distressing, and that I wanted to respond to, was the willingness of people to
accept the intent of the emails message... even if this conversation was real it is meaningless and worthless
as a tool to judge 1.5billion people and I find it convenient and telling that it would appeal to certain people enough to
pass along... encouraging what? Additionally when my family member asked me what I think?, there was some implication that
this email might somehow be influential in my thinking.. I found that insulting to say the least.. what you don't know is that I studied Islam
intensively for over a year and a half and this relative knows that... I also love her dearly and am frustrated that she has not only given most of her time and money to
the christian church but also apparently her brain..well I am doing precisely what I don't want to here: getting upset.

[ingac70]

3. I told my fundie relatives....

That I have no use for Middle Eastern cults, Jesus nor Muhammed, Yaweh nor Allah.

It shut them up as far as the religious aspects of today's geopolitical climate go.

[Francesca]

6. Unfortunately my mother loves me and truly

believes I am going to hell, therefore she will never give up trying to save me... the more I resist the harder
she tries. I can say with certainty that saving me is her number one goal in life... I am not the kind of person
who would ever ask her to stay out of my life no matter how harrassed I feel as I know that she is doing this
because she loves me.. I am starting to feel like my number one goal in life should be to save her but I am busy enough working on more receptive people so am trying not to waste my time...

[SemperEadem]

11. send them the snopes link

and tell them they need to pray to God and ask them to take that lying demon out of their hearts. That'll set her wig on fire.

[spag68]

5. things we believe

can and will be manipulated by these thugs, and lying about it is sop for them. I'm no holy man, but I seem to remember the bible stating "love your enemy". How did these people get from there to this obsene opinion?

[NanceGreggs]

7. LOL!!!

"He sheepishly replied, 'Yes.'"

"The Imam was speechless."

"You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame."

This 'story' has all the earmarks of a ninety-pound nerd, complete with horn-rimmed glasses and a plastic pocket-protector, recounting a tale about how he took on twenty bikers in the bar last night.

"By the time I was finished with them, they were speechless. One of them got on his knees and begged me to stop poundin' him. I taught those guys a lesson about messin' with me ..."

:rofl:

[Francesca]

8. actually it is funny

and maybe I should focus more on that..

[NMMNG]

9. Typical fundie/right-wing garbage

There's just as much hateful stuff in the Bible as anybody could discern by a targeted perusal (and as Snopes unearthed).

[mikdalesh]

10. Reminds me of an arguement...

I got into with my professor for Post Com Russia. I had read an article that in Russia Imams were being terrorised by muslim extremists. The article said that Chechan loyalists were going into mosques and battering the Imams and forcing them to preach a doctrine of entifada to their members, even beating them up and threatening to kill them if they didn't. I presented it to the professor after class one day and he said that it was so unlikely that he couldn't even believe it was possible. Russia after all shares a border with Chechnya and they had a massive terrorist attack on 9-9-99 when Chechnyan muslim terrorists blew up a Moscow apartment complex. The Chechnyan war was Russia's equivalent to America's war in Iraq. Russia also endured the same sort of political fallout pointing fingers towards FSB responsible for the attacks in Moscow. It may be possible that some Imams are influenced politically by direct threats from jihadis but primarily they pretty much stick to the Quran, and present religion to the people. At least in Russia and in the United States. I do not think it is likely that Imams would ever experience a death threat in the US without getting the FBI involved. When I finally understood that the FSB had cracked down on Islamic radicalism and created an anti-terror police state in Russia such as post 9-11 USA, I was disillusioned of what I had read online. There is a lot of BS white supremist crap out there online. You have my sympathies.