Check out this email I got from a coworker today:

It was cc'ed to almost half the people I work with (including my boss), too:

"-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Fwd: A Good Marine!

Marines are always taught

1) Keep your priorities in order and
2) Know when to act without hesitation.

A Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU. One day he shocked the class when he came in, looked to the ceiling, and flatly stated, 'God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes.' The lecture room fell silent.

You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, 'Here I am God. I'm still waiting.'

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor and cold-cocked him, knocking him off the platform.

The professor was out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence.

The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, 'What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?'

The Marine calmly replied, 'God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid shit and act like an asshole. So He sent me.'

IF YOU BELEIVE IN GOD, FORWARD THIS EMAIL ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND CO-WORKERS!"


I replied (to all): "What if I believe in God but was taught by God's son (aka Jesus) not to believe in senseless violence?"

Strangely, no one replied back. Do you think I was being too snarky? Was my question too pointed? Or, maybe, too rhetorical? And what do you think about the above email?

I probably would have replied with something like. If you believe in God send me another piece of shit like this and you'll see if he/she exists. Christ I hate fundy assholes.

:evilgrin:

Welcome to DU. You'll find very different kinds of friends here. :hi:

Actually have been lurking for years, but rarely post.

And you're right - I consider a large part of the DU community to be some of the best friends to have these days. Now if only I could get some new coworkers...

The first email is inappropriate for work. It is ok to get inappropriate email, responding to or forwarding it can cause you a headache.

Depends on your company.

Reacting that way is normal, and what I'd want to do first. However, these things are looked on as if they're playground behavior in elementary school. They get whom they catch. You've already replied, but I suggest simply forwarding this item to HR or the supervisor and suggesting that misuse of company equipment to distribute possibly inflammatory opinion not related to work issues is a violation. That'll get it taken care of.

I usually ignore crap like that at work (I have enough to deal with as it is), but this time I just couldn't hold my tongue. (Or keyboard. Or whatever)

So I guess tomorrow I shouldn't send the link that NYCGirl posted above as a second reply, then? :evilgrin:

I work for a big company. Stuff like this can be filed away and used to build a case to fire someone. Depends on the company though. At best it just looks bad, but everyone gets pissed every now and again.

Best to go to hr or do nothing IMHO.

Wouldn't sweat it, you response was not over the top.

nearly the bottom):

http://www.snopes.com/religion/einstein.asp

this email (or one like it). I had no idea that it not only wasn't true, but had been widely circulated enough to be disproven! Thanks for the link, NYCGirl!

only one real wingnut, and she is completely computer illiterate and unable to email.
:evilgrin:

Edited to add: Even though I never get these kinds of emails, I always check Snopes whenever I see them here!

one of those crappy e-mails. It was the only time I ever got such an e-mail and I've never gotten another one. It was a non-confrontational and intelligent way to prevent future e-mails. The co-worker never said anything to me so I think she got the point that she was spreading pure crap.

Not snarky. You got to the essence of Christianity, something that apparently escapes that emailer.

I get so frustrated with the oxymoron that is the "warmongering Christian"! It's like, what part of "Thou shalt not kill" DON'T you understand, people?!

It is simply wrong to do so in the workplace.

I know two wrongs don't make you right(eous), but it was too tempting! I just now am starting to contemplate the possible repercussions...

I would simply ignore the e-mails in the future if I were you. You can't use logic with these people.

Good luck and welcome to DU! :hi:

I agree - logic doesn't seem to have much of a place in the mind of a Fundie Believer. (Then again, it doesn't seem to have much of a role in my workplace in general!)

I'm starting to feel better that my response wasn't TOO workplace inappropriate. And at least I resisted the urge to correct the spelling of "BELEIVE" at the end of it - as I recall, I initially thought to add: and I also "beleive" in spell check!

So at least I showed SOME restraint, ha ha...

...why did he wait more than 10 minutes?

And what a crappy job God is doing protecting soldiers...

Maybe the Marine was reading "My Pet Goat"?

The email wasn't funny the first time it was sent around and now it's even more pathetic than the Brazilian joke.

I like your answer, though.

the first time around. So when did you first receive this little bit o' e-nonsense? Any idea how long it's been circulating?

but also a member of the ACLU.
:crazy:

If anyone at MY job used the email system to spread this kind of bandwidth-wasting garbage around, they'd be given a stern talking to.

I'm surprised they didn't mention that he was a liberal. Of course, being that he is a member of the ACLU, that was already implied. But still...

a "Chomsky for President" button, and an aborted fetus in his briefcase.

him know in no uncertain terms that it was a shitty thing to do. He stumbled back with apologies, but I've still taken a page from the Dixie Chicks... Will forgive, but won't forget.

If my brother ever apologized for insulting me, I'd think he no longer loved me.

And thank you for doing it. perhaps they will be more careful who they send there garbage too.
I replied to all once on a letter like that but the subject was racism.
I got only one reply and it was a positive one. But I may have not been as nice as you were about it though.

fighting with the other soldiers, protecting the professor's freedom to do and say stupid shit?