Real Life Fundie Encounters - Part 3

[I love Pringles]

I am apparently locked in a passive aggressive form of some battle with my fundie neighbor.  We moved here in march and ended up with church pamphlets on my door like two days later. Then about a week later the neighbor woman came to the door with cookies to invite me to their church and welcome me to the neighborhood. I thanked her and told her I appreciated the cookies but that we were Jewish.

I can't even describe what her face did. It like turned into a disapproving grandmother look but she didn't say anything and left. A few days later a huge cross appeared in their yard decked out with Christmas lights and a small sign that read 'Jesus is the only salvation.'

I grew up in this area so I know people get overly Jesus in their decorations so I ignore it. At this point I'm not thinking about the neighbors just doing stuff like normal. We painted our deck a nice blue and set up our green house and all that. 

Then I get a letter in the mailbox because they had seen me declare my love to Israel by painting my deck blue. That I need to save my soul from eternal damnation.  Anyway this is getting very long but they have apparently decided everything we do is a declaration of war with them. They've painted crosses on the front of their trailer and their kids are not allowed to even talk to my kids.

I'm kind of dreading their 'retaliation' when Sukkot gets here and we build our sukkah. But its endlessly entertaining and I keep getting religious tracks in my mailbox

[ladyamylynn]

2 hours ago, I love Pringles said:

I am apparently locked in a passive aggressive form of some battle with my fundie neighbor.  We moved here in march and ended up with church pamphlets on my door like two days later. Then about a week later the neighbor woman came to the door with cookies to invite me to their church and welcome me to the neighborhood. I thanked her and told her I appreciated the cookies but that we were Jewish.

I can't even describe what her face did. It like turned into a disapproving grandmother look but she didn't say anything and left. A few days later a huge cross appeared in their yard decked out with Christmas lights and a small sign that read 'Jesus is the only salvation.'

I grew up in this area so I know people get overly Jesus in their decorations so I ignore it. At this point I'm not thinking about the neighbors just doing stuff like normal. We painted our deck a nice blue and set up our green house and all that. 

Then I get a letter in the mailbox because they had seen me declare my love to Israel by painting my deck blue. That I need to save my soul from eternal damnation.  Anyway this is getting very long but they have apparently decided everything we do is a declaration of war with them. They've painted crosses on the front of their trailer and their kids are not allowed to even talk to my kids.

I'm kind of dreading their 'retaliation' when Sukkot gets here and we build our sukkah. But its endlessly entertaining and I keep getting religious tracks in my mailbox

Wow, they sound nuts. 

[I love Pringles]

50 minutes ago, ladyamylynn said:

Wow, they sound nuts. 

They are. I've had to call cops because of screaming from that house. I'm not entirely sure how many people live there either. I've seen 7 children and about 5 different adults coming and going at all hours.

[Granwych]

9 hours ago, I love Pringles said:

I am apparently locked in a passive aggressive form of some battle with my fundie neighbor.  We moved here in march and ended up with church pamphlets on my door like two days later. Then about a week later the neighbor woman came to the door with cookies to invite me to their church and welcome me to the neighborhood. I thanked her and told her I appreciated the cookies but that we were Jewish.

I can't even describe what her face did. It like turned into a disapproving grandmother look but she didn't say anything and left. A few days later a huge cross appeared in their yard decked out with Christmas lights and a small sign that read 'Jesus is the only salvation.'

I grew up in this area so I know people get overly Jesus in their decorations so I ignore it. At this point I'm not thinking about the neighbors just doing stuff like normal. We painted our deck a nice blue and set up our green house and all that. 

Then I get a letter in the mailbox because they had seen me declare my love to Israel by painting my deck blue. That I need to save my soul from eternal damnation.  Anyway this is getting very long but they have apparently decided everything we do is a declaration of war with them. They've painted crosses on the front of their trailer and their kids are not allowed to even talk to my kids.

I'm kind of dreading their 'retaliation' when Sukkot gets here and we build our sukkah. But its endlessly entertaining and I keep getting religious tracks in my mailbox

Oy vey.    While I don't live in the Bible Belt, I have a witch weathervane and a pentagram wreath on my front door.   Some passersby actually cross the street and walk on the other side when strolling by my house.

One more thought--did you ask if the cookies were kosher??

[anniebgood]

10 hours ago, I love Pringles said:

I am apparently locked in a passive aggressive form of some battle with my fundie neighbor.  We moved here in march and ended up with church pamphlets on my door like two days later. Then about a week later the neighbor woman came to the door with cookies to invite me to their church and welcome me to the neighborhood. I thanked her and told her I appreciated the cookies but that we were Jewish.

I can't even describe what her face did. It like turned into a disapproving grandmother look but she didn't say anything and left. A few days later a huge cross appeared in their yard decked out with Christmas lights and a small sign that read 'Jesus is the only salvation.'

I grew up in this area so I know people get overly Jesus in their decorations so I ignore it. At this point I'm not thinking about the neighbors just doing stuff like normal. We painted our deck a nice blue and set up our green house and all that. 

Then I get a letter in the mailbox because they had seen me declare my love to Israel by painting my deck blue. That I need to save my soul from eternal damnation.  Anyway this is getting very long but they have apparently decided everything we do is a declaration of war with them. They've painted crosses on the front of their trailer and their kids are not allowed to even talk to my kids.

I'm kind of dreading their 'retaliation' when Sukkot gets here and we build our sukkah. But its endlessly entertaining and I keep getting religious tracks in my mailbox

If the tracts are not mailed they are violating postal regulations. You can complain to the post office and tell them you suspect your neighbors are the culprits. Too bad you can't get a camera on the mailbox and see who's doing it. It's a prosecutable offense. 

[ALM7]

12 hours ago, I love Pringles said:

Then I get a letter in the mailbox because they had seen me declare my love to Israel by painting my deck blue. That I need to save my soul from eternal damnation.  Anyway this is getting very long but they have apparently decided everything we do is a declaration of war with them. They've painted crosses on the front of their trailer and their kids are not allowed to even talk to my kids.

I'm kind of dreading their 'retaliation' when Sukkot gets here and we build our sukkah. But its endlessly entertaining and I keep getting religious tracks in my mailbox

[snipped/my bold above]

Print this and put it on your mail-box, lol.

Section 1725 of Title 18 of the United States Code states that ....

Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mail-able matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title.

2 hours ago, anniebgood said:

If the tracts are not mailed they are violating postal regulations. You can complain to the post office and tell them you suspect your neighbors are the culprits. Too bad you can't get a camera on the mailbox and see who's doing it. It's a prosecutable offense.

Opps... posted my response before I read yours.

[I love Pringles]

I'm having trouble quoting on my phone but I had no idea! I know for sure its from the neighbors as the woman signs her name. I will contact the post office with this info today. I will keep you all updated on this too.

 

[Karma]

Hang on, do you mean that you don't get "junk mail" in the US? If I didn't have a "no junk mail" sticker on my letterbox, I would get a big pile of advertising material in my letterbox several times a week.  Before Christmas in particular every shop is advertising this way. 

[Maggie Mae]

5 minutes ago, Karma said:

Hang on, do you mean that you don't get "junk mail" in the US? If I didn't have a "no junk mail" sticker on my letterbox, I would get a big pile of advertising material in my letterbox several times a week.  Before Christmas in particular every shop is advertising this way. 

No. We get junk mail. It just has to be postmarked and delivered by the USPS. 

Weirdly enough, tampering with mail is a federal offence and it is actually something that will be investigated if reported to the right person. (Not local police, they don't actually help people in u.s.)

[Karma]

Here it's just hand delivered...every day.  Postage is expensive - $1 (about 75 US cents) for an ordinary letter, so I think businesses must be very relieved they don't pay postage.

[clueliss]

Fundie Drive by this morning on the interstate.  SUV blew past me (just to note, I was going the speed limit while Fundie SUV was speeding) and I know it's a fundie because the bumper sticker said "The King James Bible is the only Perfect Word of God" or something like that.  Yes  perfect was underlined.  I had a good laugh. 

[Swamptribe]

On 9/23/2016 at 1:01 PM, I love Pringles said:

I am apparently locked in a passive aggressive form of some battle with my fundie neighbor.  We moved here in march and ended up with church pamphlets on my door like two days later. Then about a week later the neighbor woman came to the door with cookies to invite me to their church and welcome me to the neighborhood. I thanked her and told her I appreciated the cookies but that we were Jewish.

I can't even describe what her face did. It like turned into a disapproving grandmother look but she didn't say anything and left. A few days later a huge cross appeared in their yard decked out with Christmas lights and a small sign that read 'Jesus is the only salvation.'

I grew up in this area so I know people get overly Jesus in their decorations so I ignore it. At this point I'm not thinking about the neighbors just doing stuff like normal. We painted our deck a nice blue and set up our green house and all that. 

Then I get a letter in the mailbox because they had seen me declare my love to Israel by painting my deck blue. That I need to save my soul from eternal damnation.  Anyway this is getting very long but they have apparently decided everything we do is a declaration of war with them. They've painted crosses on the front of their trailer and their kids are not allowed to even talk to my kids.

I'm kind of dreading their 'retaliation' when Sukkot gets here and we build our sukkah. But its endlessly entertaining and I keep getting religious tracks in my mailbox

Actually, if it doesn't have a stamp on it. You can  report them to the post office for putting things in your mailbox.   This might also be a first step in establishing a chain of harassment, gods forbid it gets that bad.

[Lurky]

So if I was in the USA and wanted to, I dunno, pass out Xmas cards, or party invitations to people in my neighbourhood, it would be illegal to put them in their mailbox?  How does that work?  Do you guys ignore it, or knock on the door and hand them out in person?  Or just pay postage every time?

[MarblesMom]

@Lurky, we always mail our Christmas cards out.  We always pay postage.

Knocking on doors and handing them out personally would be fine, too.

Nothing can go in a mailbox that has not been put there with postage on it, to my knowledge.

[Alisamer]

11 hours ago, Karma said:

Here it's just hand delivered...every day.  Postage is expensive - $1 (about 75 US cents) for an ordinary letter, so I think businesses must be very relieved they don't pay postage.

Postage here in the US keeps going up, but it's less than that - I think 49 cents? Direct mail and "junk mail", however, doesn't cost anywhere near that much - bulk mail prices are discounted, and the "stick it in every mailbox in this zip code" type of junk mail is pretty cheap... there's no processing and very little handling, and my mail delivery people seem to like it as they take the sale papers and wrap all the real mail inside it making an easy bundle to deliver.

6 hours ago, Lurky said:

So if I was in the USA and wanted to, I dunno, pass out Xmas cards, or party invitations to people in my neighbourhood, it would be illegal to put them in their mailbox?  How does that work?  Do you guys ignore it, or knock on the door and hand them out in person?  Or just pay postage every time?

Technically it's illegal. Most people don't know that or don't care, however, and are unlikely to say anything. Most people in my neighborhood either stick the card/letter in the front door (most people here have a glass or screen door in front of the solid door), or wedge it between the flag on the mailbox and the box itself. The regulation does say "IN", not "stuck to the outside of" you know. And of course if you have a mail slot on the door people could stick a card through that.

I don't mind hand deliveries, but they're rare here in my neighborhood. About the only people I get knocking on the door are deliveries, or more often the local fundie church or Jehovah's Witnesses. And for that reason I'm probably buying that creepy halloween doorbell I saw at Target today with the light-up moving eyeball, and putting that up as my doorbell since I don't have a real one. I'll hear it if I'm awake, most likely, and hopefully it'll amuse the delivery people, at least.

[Swamptribe]

In the US, the mailbox is considered Federal territory.  The law on not putting things in mailboxes helps not only keep people from peeking at what's inside; going through your mail, but it helps avoid people not paying postage.  It is a serious a federal violation to screw with someones mail.

My main worry would be that these people will escalate the harassment.  Reporting them to the post office, especially considering they signed the damn things, would make a paper trail.  Contact your local post master.  They will take this seriously.

[nastyhobbitses]

On 9/23/2016 at 1:01 PM, I love Pringles said:

I am apparently locked in a passive aggressive form of some battle with my fundie neighbor.  We moved here in march and ended up with church pamphlets on my door like two days later. Then about a week later the neighbor woman came to the door with cookies to invite me to their church and welcome me to the neighborhood. I thanked her and told her I appreciated the cookies but that we were Jewish.

I can't even describe what her face did. It like turned into a disapproving grandmother look but she didn't say anything and left. A few days later a huge cross appeared in their yard decked out with Christmas lights and a small sign that read 'Jesus is the only salvation.'

I grew up in this area so I know people get overly Jesus in their decorations so I ignore it. At this point I'm not thinking about the neighbors just doing stuff like normal. We painted our deck a nice blue and set up our green house and all that. 

Then I get a letter in the mailbox because they had seen me declare my love to Israel by painting my deck blue. That I need to save my soul from eternal damnation.  Anyway this is getting very long but they have apparently decided everything we do is a declaration of war with them. They've painted crosses on the front of their trailer and their kids are not allowed to even talk to my kids.

I'm kind of dreading their 'retaliation' when Sukkot gets here and we build our sukkah. But its endlessly entertaining and I keep getting religious tracks in my mailbox

Build the biggest damn Sukkah you possibly can, and say prayers in it juuuuuust loud enough for them to hear. And invite her over for dinner in it.

[I love Pringles]

@Swamptribe I did give the tracts to the lady at the post office. And she had me fire an 'official' written report. She seemed concerned for the same reasons you are (besides the illegal mail issue). She wanted me to have a paper trail in case these people decided to up the harassment. Thank you all for this information as I had no idea this was illegal. She told me the fine in our area is $250.

@nastyhobbitses I got the biggest kick out of your name! We are building a massive sukkah this year and lining it with twinkle lights! lol Hubby said we need to play Benny Friedman songs loudly lol

[nastyhobbitses]

40 minutes ago, I love Pringles said:

@Swamptribe I did give the tracts to the lady at the post office. And she had me fire an 'official' written report. She seemed concerned for the same reasons you are (besides the illegal mail issue). She wanted me to have a paper trail in case these people decided to up the harassment. Thank you all for this information as I had no idea this was illegal. She told me the fine in our area is $250.

@nastyhobbitses I got the biggest kick out of your name! We are building a massive sukkah this year and lining it with twinkle lights! lol Hubby said we need to play Benny Friedman songs loudly lol

Haha, glad you like my name! I'll see your hubby's Benny Friedman idea and raise you the idea of hiring a klezmer band.

[I love Pringles]

34 minutes ago, nastyhobbitses said:

Haha, glad you like my name! I'll see your hubby's Benny Friedman idea and raise you the idea of hiring a klezmer band.

HAHA if I had the money I'd totally do that!  

[MarblesMom]

Best movie on this subject: "When Do We Eat?"   Loved it!

[Swamptribe]

16 hours ago, I love Pringles said:

@Swamptribe I did give the tracts to the lady at the post office. And she had me fire an 'official' written report. She seemed concerned for the same reasons you are (besides the illegal mail issue). She wanted me to have a paper trail in case these people decided to up the harassment. Thank you all for this information as I had no idea this was illegal. She told me the fine in our area is $250.

@nastyhobbitses

Glad to hear it  Hate to say it, but the postal worker has probably seen this kind of crap before.

[19TrollsandCounting]

I Found this craigslist ad for a Beater Van with Fundie esque seventh day adventist stickers on it..

 

Edited September 29, 2016 by 19TrollsandCounting
i

[clueliss]

Speaking of the SDA's - I reveived a flyer for Bible Study!  I have not forgotten that is how they sucked my sister in.

Edited September 29, 2016 by clueliss
riffles

[Gobbles]

While walking out of the store day I saw a car with a sticker on it. I could read "religion" and the typical fish symbol. You don't see this often so I was like "yay, I can post that on FJ". Well, as I walked closer I managed to read the whole thing. It said: "Religion is cureable." Guess that was the opposite of a fundie encounter.

Are there stickers like that in the US? Or are you in danger of having something on your car broken if you put such a sticker on it? 

(Only negative thing is that the driver was parking on the disability spot and I couldn't see the required blue parking license.)