CONSERVATIVES TERRORIZING OUR CHILDREN. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

[JEFF9K]

Evangelicals, also known as the Republican base, have been terrorizing trick-or-treaters for years by giving them booklets telling them they will go to hell unless they join the Evangelical movement.

These booklets, sold in 25-count boxes for $4.00 by a company called Chick Publications, are dropped in the Halloween bags of young children, often taped to candy.

They appear to be harmless little comic books. A smiling witch is on the cover along with the words “Happy Halloween.” But impressionable youngsters may be disturbed by what's inside.

The story is about two boys whose friend Timmy was hit by a car and killed. Bobby and his mother take solace in the notion that Timmy went to heaven because he was a good person.

Mrs. Baxter, the Sunday school teacher tells them they are wrong: “Don't make the mistake of believing that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. That's a lie straight from the devil.”

She tells them that Timmy, who dropped out of Sunday school, will spend eternity in hell.

Should young children be subjected to this? Should this kind of thing even be legal? People have gone to jail for putting less harmful things into trick-or-treat bags!

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0032/0032_01.asp

Check out the ethnically diverse group of smiling people at the top of the web page and the line “Everyone loves Chick tracts!”

[Aristus]

1. I got those in my candy bag a few times, growing up in Texas.

I didn't actually think much of it at the time. I was actually more upset at the time when, collecting money for UNICEF for our church youth group in little cardboard donation boxes on Halloween, one woman retorted, "You just want money for those video games at the arcade, don't you?"

One of my first lessons in the hard reality of the disparity between those who live Christian lives, and those who merely pay lip-service to Christian values.

[FSogol]

2. I got a few of those too. I wish I had saved them. They are insanely hilarious.

Here's a good overview:
http://www.toplessrobot.com/2008/09/the_10_greatest_chick_tract_minicomics_of_hellfire.php

[sharp_stick]

3. Those Chick tracts

are just out of this world in insanity and unintentional hilarity.

[madrchsod]

4. love chick tracts!

[Arneoker]

5. In fairness to conservative evangelicals not all of them are on board with this crap

One that I used to know who had a local DC radio talk show once had a guest talk about Chick and Tony Alamo and the two skewered them.

[JEFF9K]

6. FREE SPEECH?

Some people seem to think that using stealth tactics to proselytize their neighbors' children is okay.

And that there is nothing wrong with using dishonest tactics to scare the heck out of other people's kids.

I'm assuming that those who think it's okay haven't studied psychology and don't know the traumatic effects that can result from telling impressionable minds that they and their friends and relatives will burn in hell for eternity if they don't belong to a certain religious group.

Freedom of speech doesn't extend to tricking children into reading pornography and it shouldn't extend to disseminating these filthy, hateful booklets into the hands of unsuspecting minors.

[whistler162]

7. Oh boy... another sucker takes the bait!

have you gotten your millions from the Nigerian prince yet?

[JEFF9K]

9. how

How does that even begin to make a shred of sense?

[Tom Ripley]

8. I love Chick tracts. I ordered "This Was Your Life" in 6 different languages

they are supreme kitsch