Is it ever ok to prostelyize to other peoples children.

[P!nkPepper]

Originally Posted by z2akids I am sure their intention was not to turn you off to the church. But, to be upset that they passed out literature when you came to them is a bit hypocritical. Definitely skip them next year if you are upset about the literature. But, don't get upset about them putting their ideas out there when your kids came to them. I understand that your friend took them and not you. But, they don't know that. Get upset with your friend if you want.

You are entitled to your opinion & I am entitled to mine. As I said, I am not upset at the passing out of religious materials. My kids go to our neighborhood church on the corner (6 houses away) & participate in VBS. They have never once came home with some of this trash. I just think it is wrong to pass out information to children with hellfire & brimstone in it, basically telling them they are going to hell for enjoying Halloween. They do make child-friendly tracts.

The main reason I bumped this thread is because there was a mama that was very interested in what type of church would pass out such information. I was very frightened as a young child due to reading the Jack Chick tracts. They are just plain scary.

Jodie ~ Wife & Mama

[P!nkPepper]

Originally Posted by vatblack Here is one http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1071/1071_01.asp

That is pretty tame compared to the ones I was exposed to as a young child ~ early elementary school age.

Jodie ~ Wife & Mama

[P!nkPepper]

Originally Posted by iceeholic This!

So basically because they stopped at a church, I should be ok with them passing out that crap?

None of the women here that feel I am being hypocritical have answered if they have actually SEEN one of these horrors. This is not a nice sweet Jesus is your savior type tract. This is a believe what believe or you will go to Hell type thing. Would you really be ok with your child getting one with their peanut butter cups & Smarties?

Jodie ~ Wife & Mama

[megenic]

Originally Posted by vatblack Here is one http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1071/1071_01.asp

Oh my, I have never heard of this before. Now I am morbidly sucked in and can't stop reading. I just read one about how people get AIDS because they are gay, but if they accept Jesus the gayness and AIDS will be sucked out of them and they will be saved.

I personally find some of these to be hilarious ( http://www.toplessrobot.com/2008/09/the_10_greatest_chick_tract_minicomics_of_hellfire .php.)

The author of the article says "The Chick company encourages parents to give out tracts for Halloween in an effort to spread their message. This is actually an excellent idea given the unintentional hilarity of tracts such as this, though I wonder how the company feels about these things becoming party favors at hipster Halloween shindigs"

Well, on second thought, kind of horrifyingly hilarious. Is this something that religious people commonly hand out to adults and children? Like is there a possibility that someday my kids will be at a friend's house and they will be given one of these?

[Bellaroo]

Originally Posted by P!nkPepper So basically because they stopped at a church, I should be ok with them passing out that crap? None of the women here that feel I am being hypocritical have answered if they have actually SEEN one of these horrors. This is not a nice sweet Jesus is your savior type tract. This is a believe what believe or you will go to Hell type thing. Would you really be ok with your child getting one with their peanut butter cups & Smarties? Jodie ~ Wife & Mama

I am a Christian who grew up in a Baptist church. I have seen plenty of aggressively worded Chick tracts and I don't care for them at all. Some are just silly but others are yow right terrifying. Truthfully, I actually don't really care for any tracts because I think they are pretty much irrelevant in our culture and they take away from the personal interaction that should come with sharing your faith.

That said, if I went to a church for trick or treating and got a tract, Chick or otherwise, I really would have no right to complain. Free candy isn't always free.

As a parallel, if I don't want a copy of the Watchtower, I am not going to go to something sponsored by the Kingdom Hall.

[Hillargh]

This just makes me think about the Tribulation Trails here every year Scared into God is hardly a way to go, so I get your point. One cannot be rightfully offended at receiving religious material from a church, but CAN feel that the material could have been more appropriate to the targeted audience. I don't find that hypocritical or off base at all. If it's a kids holiday and they choose to participate, they should have things that are child-appropriate. You can't rightly say a parent should be expected to get religion at a religious place and yet excuse the religious place from giving kid-friendly tracts on a kid's holiday. IMO it's the same expectation.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DS Forum

[Bellaroo]

Originally Posted by Hillargh This just makes me think about the Tribulation Trails here every year Scared into God is hardly a way to go, so I get your point. One cannot be rightfully offended at receiving religious material from a church, but CAN feel that the material could have been more appropriate to the targeted audience. I don't find that hypocritical or off base at all. If it's a kids holiday and they choose to participate, they should have things that are child-appropriate. You can't rightly say a parent should be expected to get religion at a religious place and yet excuse the religious place from giving kid-friendly tracts on a kid's holiday. IMO it's the same expectation. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DS Forum

The problem is that determining what is 'kid-friendly' is subjective. I happen to think Chick tracts are inappropriate for kids but their target customer does not. I would bet that anyone involved at the church thinks the tracts are the strong medicine that kids need/deserve.

[P!nkPepper]

Originally Posted by Hillargh This just makes me think about the Tribulation Trails here every year Scared into God is hardly a way to go, so I get your point. One cannot be rightfully offended at receiving religious material from a church, but CAN feel that the material could have been more appropriate to the targeted audience. I don't find that hypocritical or off base at all. If it's a kids holiday and they choose to participate, they should have things that are child-appropriate. You can't rightly say a parent should be expected to get religion at a religious place and yet excuse the religious place from giving kid-friendly tracts on a kid's holiday. IMO it's the same expectation. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DS Forum

I am glad at least a few here understand why I was upset. I didn't make a huge deal to my child, just calmly took it out of his bag and put it aside, didn't tell him what it was. The only reason I bumped this is because so many here couldn't believe these are handed out & were curious what type of church would hand out such a thing. We lived in the Bible Belt for 8 years and we never saw these there. Yet right at home in NE Ohio is the only place I have ever had the privlege of being given one. Interesting.

I am certainly glad my son didn't read it. I wouldn't want to explain why Papa (my dad) would be going to hell, since he is Pagan and all... <rolls eyes>

Jodie ~ Wife & Mama

[Belle]

I understand not liking the content, I just didn't understand being offended, per se, and I really didn't understand the comment to call and complain to the church about it. Because the whole point is to be shocking and get people irate.

Also, I'm one of those paranoid mamas that goes through everyone's bag before they get their mitts on any of it, so I guess the concern of my kids really being exposed to anything awful hasn't come up yet.

[P!nkPepper]

Originally Posted by Belle I understand not liking the content, I just didn't understand being offended, per se, and I really didn't understand the comment to call and complain to the church about it. Because the whole point is to be shocking and get people irate. Also, I'm one of those paranoid mamas that goes through everyone's bag before they get their mitts on any of it, so I guess the concern of my kids really being exposed to anything awful hasn't come up yet.

I wouldn't call them. Never. It isn't worth it to me. I just wouldn't pick that church to attend.

My being upset/offended had more to do with my past experience with the Chick tracts. People may think I am being overly dramatic but I was extremely scared by them. As in, had nightmares, worried about going to hell and worried for the souls of my loved ones. We didn't just get those tracts on Halloween, we got them year-round. I spend Christmas Eve one year crying on the couch surrounded by the presents Santa left us, bawling for my grandfather (who wasn't even dead, he died when I was 18), worried he would go to hell. I was probably 8. I never want my boys to feel like that.

That said, everybody is entitled to their opinions. I really just wanted people to know these things ARE still being handed out. They aren't from the past.

Jodie ~ Wife & Mama