Letters -- the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
ArizonaCOR often receives emails. Some emails offer support, thanks, and congratulations while others offer criticism, complaints, and derogatory comments. These emails are reprinted here for your contemplation and entertainment.
Caution: Some reprinted emails may contain offensive language and/or content.
Note: To protect sender confidentiality, sender information has been edited to first initial only if given or anonymous if not given. All email content is reproduced exactly as received from sender.
Many of the below email's reference the ArizonaCOR "Don't Believe in God? You are not alone" billboard which was erected in Phoenix June 2009. ArizonaCOR media coverage can be found here.
just thought I would send all of you an email to encourage you. I am a Born Again Spirit-Filled Christian in Phoenix, Arizona and I am praying for you. I love you and I know Jesus loves you very much. I used to be a bartender, drunk, drug addict, molested when I was young, schizophrenic, in jails, in mental hospitals and Jesus Christ healed me of it all and gave me a hope for the future. What you people do is give no hope to anyone, you destroy hope. I am not talking a religion here, I am talking about a friendship with God, I know God, and love God and He loves me and He really does care and love you. Even if you don't love Him or care for Him, He still loves you. And no, I am not a religious nut, but a person who wanted to encourage you with love. Take care and have a good week.
--N
It amuses me that some people call the billboard "in your face", yet we have churches scattered all over the place professing a god. Oh, what an ironic world we live in...
--M
I was going through your letters and thought to reply to some of them, one especially. One writer was accusing you of shoving our beliefs down there throats because you put up a billboard? I wonder if they think of how we feel when we drive down a street and see all these places of worship with the signs out front saying bible verses and others, especially the one I-17. I for one could care less about them. I have been approached in my home, people walking into my garage when I am working on something to try and discuss religion with me, what about these people they offend me more than the signs do because I don't have to waste my time and tell them to leave me alone I am not interested. It is not just the Mormons that do this there are several groups. My family has deep Mormon roots in the settling of Arizona, fine they can live how they wish but they know not to bug me about it so we get along. The doors to Free Speech swings both ways but when we swing it they accuse us of being immoral and evil? People need to learn if others want to hear about there religion they will come to them quit bugging those of us who do not and the excuse of "Oh we do this because you or they are uniformed is a load" We are not uninformed or ignorant we are the ones who think for ourselves about what we want and not what our religion dictates to us to think abort. We are not immoral or evil we are people just like you who choose to believe this way.
I love Arizona and I love an Arizona driven by reason even more. I just wanted to show my support for the sign campaign.
--M
we need your billboards in tucson!!!
--J
Hello, I am relieved to see your sign. I was and am still feeling oppressed and honestly a bit frightened because of the stances I take in contrast to the majority around me. I struggled to find existing groups in my small town but could not so I gave up on it. Recently a new group found me! And now, shortly after, I've learned of the sign. So within two months I have come to feel much more hopeful and somewhat more validated. There were times where I felt very alone and isolated, unsure of which faces around me would hate me if they discovered my opinions. Though I can never be sure of those faces, at least it is substantially easier to meet faces which I know will not hate me but instead embrace and support me, and I them. I agree that this sign is a sort of beacon and hopefully it will be viewed by those that are feeling as I did- Alone and afraid and unsure if there can be a future after determining disbelief- by showing them that yes, there is a future and others are living in this future and they are refusing to allow themselves to be terrorized into silence. I feel compelled to go into the arguments for the sign and the rebuttal of protests but these are well known I'm sure, so I will restrain myself to a very heart-felt 'thank you'. Thank You.
--P
"I personally love the signs and especially the feedback that the signs are generating. In my opinion they promote a deeper thought into humanity. I don't see them as trying to convert me to not believe in "God" but instead question myself to why I believe what I believe. The signs are no worse than seeing a "Jesus Loves You" bumper sticker. Both are someone trying to make you think and question your beliefs. Of course Fanatics are going to get upset and say we are going to Hell. Kind of reminds me of a story when a man named Winfrid said something like "If Thor is real then he will surely strike me down for destroying his tree." Chop Chop Chop..... I wonder if his murder many years later was an act of Thor? I personally don't care what other people believe in. If you ask me my opinion I will tell you, what you do with my opinion is up to you. I am not Gods judge and jury and don't believe any man is or should be. When you listen and read the fanatics letters or look back at all the pain, horrible acts, and suffering that fanatics have brought humanity with religion its hard to question if the world would not be better off with out it. If any one is swaying me away from religion it is not this billboard but the religious fanatics fighting it. With religion or with out it, I will continue to value life and humanity. I will live what I believe to be a good life. I will not steal others belongings, sleep with others wives, I will give to people in need, and every thing else I feel is morally right. But this I would do with or with out a God telling me to do so; because its just right and goes back to what we learned in elementary school. "Treat every one how you wish to be treated". This is the only rule that ever needed to be written. Who needs ten commandments when it all can be summed up by a rule I learned when I was four.
--SSgt G
"The moral law is meant to show us that we are sinners and that we need a savior." JESUS: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" -John 11:25-26. Call on Him today. You have everything to gain.
--M
Just wanted to say "thumbs up" on the billboard. I read about it from Phoenix NewTimes blog. I'm a member of Atheist | Nexus and just posted info. about ArizonaCoR on the Phoenix group.
Peace,
--D
We were thinking of creating a group of people that have no beliefs at all. Like, for example, they don’t believe in air or anything. That would be cool if you guys could help fund that? Maybe you already have one we could join???
Thanks?
--anonymous
What is this?
--B
I live in xxxxxxx and just saw a report on your billboard on 40th St in Phoenix, on Channel 5 news. I just want to say thank you, thank you! I think it's great - yes - we do feel alone - and ostracized, lectured at and treated like pariahs - even by so called "friends." A - now very former, school friend ignored the words of my dying husband in his last email to her and her husband to stop the unwelcome proselytizing (He did this to save the 50 year friendship) He made it extremely clear to them how we felt about religion. And yet when he died she donated to a fundamentalist religious cause using HIS name. When this was repeated, along with constant begging mail from the group, I told her it had to stop. Her response was self righteous, arrogant, lecturing justifications that ignored his direct wishes, my feelings and my grief. Not only did the friendship end at that point, but I decided I would no longer keep quiet. In fact I went from being tolerant of religion to becoming an anti-theist. Just as an abuser will escalate abuse if not confronted and stopped, the assumptions that we are all religious, or can be intimidated into shamed silence will allow this kind of abuse to escalate. We must speak up. Thank you for doing so with your billboard.
--T
I just wanted to write in and say "Way to go". I think it is excellent that you stand up for what you believe (or don’t believe) in and stop letting a certain religious group push people around. You guys don’t ever let them get you down!Freedom of Speech, all the way!
--W
Those Billboards are great!! Dont Let them stop you!
--anonymous
Thanks for shoving your views down everyone’s throat. I wish you luck. You are going to need it! Please do not respond. It will do you no good. Just giving you my opinion as you have given yours so publicly. At least I’m addressing your organization directly and not twittering my opinion or posting a huge sign, offending most people’s sensibilities. No one has the answers till they die. Me included. The minute you think you know everything is the min. you stop learning. I’m not a Jesus crispy or a bible thumper…just spiritual and centered. You’re lack of respect for other people by having such an insulting sign up is obvious. I feel sorry for you because you have an utter lack of social grace.
--anonymous
GREAT JOB! I love the billboard! I saw the media coverage on AZFamily.com and checked out your website. I plan on putting the article link on my Facebook and Twitter.
--S
You're billboard made me think and guess what? My answer is NO by the way. Your billboard only reinforced a greater desire for me to emphasize my family's basic core values which include a love for GOD. thanks again and have a nice day :)
--anonymous
put me on any email lists you have
Neil degrasse tyson was here....that would have been interesting as all the others would I am sure
Catholics and Mormons and Evangelecals must be really cussing now
Thanks for getting the PR
saw you on KPHO 5 ( I think)
--anonymous
I will be praying for all of you! My first thought was to get angry, but then I realized that my God is a forgiving God and that He will guide me thru coming in contact with organizations such as yours. It is a shame though that you dont know the wonderful life you could live in the name of Jesus Christ!
--P
Awesome!
--anonymous
You people must be the people that believe that:
There was nothing and then nothing happened to nothing and then nothing magically exploded for no reason, creating everything and then a bunch of everything magically rearranged itself for no reason what so ever into self-replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs.
--T
To whom it may concern:
Well It concerns you (whoever is reading this email). Your billboard sign needs to come down. I don’t know, who you think you are but it is not morally right to tell people not to believe in god. I think you are a group of yuppies who have nothing better to do than create garbage like that billboard. What would you do if a little kid saw that billboard and chose not to believe in god because you told them not to, it wouldn’t be very fare. I think your organization should think before they consider doing another one of these boards again and the affect it might have on kids and young adults, who can be very impressionable. Please consider another option to get your message across to your groups. Thank you for your time and I hope you have a wonderful week.
Respectfully,
--K
All your "reasoning" cannot dispell absolute truths. Your billboard is offensive. Satan is really happy with you clowns.
--anonymous
email subject line: and I am sure your all faggetts as well
take your liberal billboard and shove up you asshole, who knows you might just like it.
--anonymous
God is real and he is seeing everythiing you do, just remember one thing if you continue to go down your blind path. Do Not touch mine annointed or cause my prophets harm, if you do it is better a millstone be cast around your neck and thrown into the deepest sea than what you will face when GOD judges you!
--anonymous
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