Saint Matthew's Church Prayer Rug Scam

Has anyone else gotten this? It is a dispicable scheme. I find it particularly offensive, because of the faux religious overtones. I am sending their little return postage envelope back, taped to a nice big box of bricks!!! I urge everyone to do the same!

Ther Jesus on the prayer rug actually "does" "open his eyes" - though since I'm not an easily duped person who tries top help those who are easily manipulated (by the way, you can send money to my anti-manipulation non-profit organzation, and God will bless you ten-fold whatever you give me - promise!), I see that the iris of his eyes is actaully painted on the eyelid. It's very subtle, but it's there. So yeah, if you stare at it long enough it WILL look like Jesus has opened his eyes. Pure optical illusion, though.

Lotta emphasis in this scam thing (though not entirely a scam) about how prayer will bring financial blessing. Ever so slightly it mentions also that it might bring healing, or relationship mending, or something. But wow, is it ever focused on bringing financial gain to the praying person.

I wrote some nasty notes on it, and drew an arrow pointing out the "magic" eyes, and asked them to pray for whoever is in charge of their "church" that they admit to their evil and give people their money back.

:-)

Dont forget the box of bricks pleez!

Christ always did like you best!

Because God hates sex, and those who engage in any kind of it, especially the nasty kind that one can do with oneself.

and filled in my Siamese cat's name.

Since sending back the prayer rug, the cat has been sent the paper prayer sandal, some bible tracts, and most recently two blessed coins (pennies) to put in his shoes.

The mailman is really confused, as he doesn't know what to make of "Benny Katt" receiving mail at our address. The mailman keeps drawing a "?" on the envelope.

my cat signs up for lots of freebies. He's gotten tampon samples, shampoo, makeup, post its, you name it.

was targeted a few months back. Did a little research. St. Matthew's is a PO Box. The *Rev* lives in a mansion in Beverly Hills. His "bookeeper" forwards the dough to him. The government has been unsuccessful in putting him outta business...(one really has to wonder about the efficiency of our public servants, eh?)

bureaus I can contact?

Since they pay for return postage, and you don't have to give money to get anything.

I think they've covered themselves pretty well. And they never in the letter say "If you give us money, you will get money back". They say only "If you pray on this rug, you will have your prayer answered." he never even says anything like "Your donation wil help us defray costs of this mailing" or "your donation allows us continue to our ministry - please give." For the latter, I'm going from memory, since I've already sealed the envelope back up so can't read the letter, but my impression that he never asked for money in any potentially illegitimate, illegal, conniving, or misleading way.


I think they've covered themselves pretty well from a legal standpoint. Abhorent as this is, and as much as I disagree with it and think the owner is a lying scumbucket jackass, if I were a judge I wouldn't find him guilty of anything, except being a jackass. But I'd also have to find the people who give him money to be either genuinely happy with the results and/or jackasses themselves.

I see it as they offer you something, and if you want to send him money you can, but to benefit from the thing being sent you DON'T have to send money. And they pay the postage.

It's unethical, IMO, but legally, I think he's within bounds. Or should I say, he's right ON the bounds, barely in, but in law, like in baseball, barely in is the same as all the way in.

creepy as hell.

n/t