I got that asinine 'Boycott this Stamp' e-mail today

[ChoralScholar]

I hate that nonsense. People don't even think anymore, they just write stuff.
Here is the e-mail:
--------------------
CHRISTMAS STAMP

How ironic is this??!! They don't even believe in Christ and
they're getting their own Christmas stamp, but don't dream of
posting the ten commandments on federal property?

USPS New Stamp

This one is impossible to believe. Scroll down for the text.

If there is only one thing you forward today.....let it be this!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of PanAm Flight 103!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks in Lebanon!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military Barracks in Saudi Arabia!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on 9/11/2001!
REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious
MUSLIM attacks!

Now the United States Postal Service REMEMBERS and HONORS the EID
MUSLIM holiday season with a commemorative first class Holiday
postage stamp.

REMEMBER to adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stamp when
purchasing your stamps at the post office.
To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those
AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors.

REMEMBER to pass this along to every patriotic AMERICAN you know
-------------------------------------------------------
I sent this e-mail back. Remember, I still have to work with this person, so I used kid gloves:
--------------------------------------------------------
I appreciate the thought, but we must remember: There have been many many acts of violence perpetrated in the name of Christianity over the last 5 centuries. I would not want my faith in Christ to be associated with those hainess acts of violence, just as the millions of peaceful Muslims would not want their faith maligned because of the deplorable acts of extremists.

Also, check the facts, don't believe everything someone sends you in an e-mail.

It's not a NEW stamp. It's been around for over five years.

It also is not a Christmas stamp. The two holidays represented by the stamp, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha have no relation to Christmas whatsoever. The first commemorates the end of the Ramadan fast, and the second commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's command.

My point is: There were Muslims behind the attacks mentioned in the e-mail, but it is not representative of the entire faith. How would you feel if you read an email saying:

remember the CHRISTIAN reformation in Europe that killed two thirds of the population in the name of conversion
remember the CHRISTIAN bombing of hundreds of abortion clinics
remember the CHRISTIAN lynching of thousands of African-Americans from 1865-1965 (The KKK creed claims Gods will in these kilings)
remember the CHRISTIAN genocide of 300,000 Muslims in Rwanda (perpetrated by Christian serbs)
---------
I could go on and on, but you see my point, I hope. I don't want someone to judge MY faith based on the above acts, so it would not be right to do so to another religion, whether we agree with it or not.

[XemaSab]

1. heinous

[MrCoffee]

2. Christian Serbs didn't kill anybody in Rwanda.

[ChoralScholar]

6. Wow I'm an idiot.

I meant Bosnia, not Rwanda.

I was hurriedly throwing some things together and just was a bit sloppy - thankfully anyone who would send the stamp e-mail would not know the difference. :)

And it is heinous. I don't think I have ever typed that word before.

[Phillycat]

3. Nice response, but it's "heinous". nt

[cwydro]

4. funny

I got that email today too....:shrug:

[CBHagman]

5. You don't want to do what the author of the e-mail did.

I am with you wholeheartedly on pointing out that literally centuries of "Christian" perpetrated violence (or Christian-on-Christian violence) have taken place, but I am concerned about inaccuracies in referring to said violence. For example, I know about the Salvi abortion clinic shootings and Eric Rudolph, but I can't honestly say I have seen statistics for hundreds of bombings.

Another poster noted the inaccuracy regarding the Serbs. What you must be thinking about is the 1990s war in the Balkans, in which Christians and Muslims were slaughtered. Google "Srebrenica" and the figure 8,000 and see what comes up.

Your claim on the Reformation is a little extreme. I think we can safely say Europe saw centuries of executions of so-called heretics by both Catholics and Protestants, as well as pogroms against the Jews.

And The U.S., despite its emphasis on freedom of religion, has had many shameful episodes, beginning in Colonial times. Dissidents were driven out of colonies (Roger Williams, anyone?) and Quakers treated cruelly. Catholic churches were burned to the ground. And just the other week I heard an account of the KKK's efforts to harass Catholic priests and African-American civil rights workers.

But I'm with you on responding to the e-mail with history. I get the impression that many people are woefully ignorant of both current and past events, and your e-mail does something to rectify that.

Questioning urban legend e-emails, however, can land you a nasty reply. I once pointed out to the sender the invalid claims in an e-mail and got an angry, defensive reply.

Snopes is great for debunking these things, by the way.

[Mad_Dem_X]

7. Great response!

People really need to check the facts before they forward stuff like that.

[RebelOne]

8. I received it from my Republican sister and

also from a fundie friend.