A Frank Conversation With Frank

[Jagella]

About two months ago a neighbor of mine, "Vera," paid me a visit. She was upset telling me that she's worried about me. I got what she meant because I know she's a Christian, and Christians are taught that unbelievers are going to hell, and they are in league with the Devil. Vera is a lonely, poorly educated, elderly woman who is emotionally vulnerable and an easy target for scammers.

Despite the odds against my being able to reason with Vera, I tried my best anyway. I asked her if she's giving money to the Christians who have taught her the tripe she believes, and she replied that she is indeed giving them money. I told her that if they were really telling her the truth, then they wouldn't be grabbing her money. She's living off of Social Security, and she has no money to throw away. I explained that the biggest scam is to promise people the world and then tell them it will cost them some cash.

I then made up my mind to let these people know that they're hurting people. I'm fed up with Christians telling me I'm a bad person just because I don't believe what they do. The clergy is largely responsible for this filling people's heads full of lies that divide people and fill them with hate for people for no other reason than that those people don't believe the lies that Christians sell.

I soon got my wish. A man named Frank soon paid me a visit. He calls himself a "Bible instructor," and he represents a Christian group called Amazing Facts Bible Studies. I told him about Vera and how they got her upset. I also told him that they shouldn't be taking money from her. If they really represent an all-powerful God, then they wouldn't need to pan-handle money from elderly women living on a fixed income!

Frank was not happy with what I told him, and I honestly feel bad that I needed to say what I did. But there just comes a time when we need to speak out against those who take advantage of vulnerable people. Telling people nonsense that sets them at odds with other people who are doing no wrong is just plain stupid and divisive.

How can any decent person disagree with me on this issue?

[marco]

How can any decent person disagree with me on this issue?

The problem you highlight is not about wicked Christians but about exploiters. If people go round collecting for cancer research and keep the money the fault is not with cancer research. The actor, Frank, in your story is using the Christian message to fool people.

It is not clear that in telling the vulnerable lady she believes tripe echoes the good Samaritan. Reality tells us that Christians who attempt to live by the cardinal teaching, love your neighbour, are no threat, but a blessing.

Offering our own dark negativity, especially to vulnerable people, is perhaps a bit unkind and presumptuous. I sometimes fear that we might be in danger of doing that here but I like to believe that those who entertain strong Christian views will prevail, if they have truth on their side. They often do. We fool ourselves if we suppose scepticism wins all wars.

[marco]

On a scale of 1-10 (ten being best) what do you think your chances are with succeeding in convincing Vera to do any of these things?


….get out of religion completely and learn to live a good life without it.

I would hope the chances are zero. Why would anyone want to take a vulnerable old lady from her beliefs in hope and heaven and acclimatize her to the hell of doubt and nothingness? One of the most beautiful lies I was told in my infancy was that some wonderful being would visit me and endow me with gifts at the end of dark December. For a few years I lived in the most beautiful world possible. I suspect the old lady might, too, and why not? In any event, she may well possess a truth that confounds the ignorance of our scepticism.

[otseng]

And probably the whole idea of someone grabbing her money is your imagination and a lie.

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[Difflugia]

A man named Frank soon paid me a visit. He calls himself a "Bible instructor," and he represents a Christian group called Amazing Facts Bible Studies.

I'm super curious about this setup.

Amazing Facts is an SDA group out of Roseville, California and I'm pretty sure that anyone that actually "represents" them is there. A lot of SDA churches buy their presentation kits to offer workshops and things, but I'm at least middling sure that they don't have wandering preachers on their payroll. Is the guy a genuine, dyed-in-the-wool scammer, buying (or collecting from a church somewhere) some Amazing Facts literature and soliciting donations "on their behalf?"