More Christian Cluelessness

I continue to be amazed at how many self-proclaimed Christians don't seem to understand that minding one's own business is a civic virtue. It's disappointing to say the least, because the fact is that the vast majority of Christians in the world do get it and the ones that don't give the others a bad name. It also doesn't help that it's the bad apples who yell the loudest, so they tend to get the most press. There's the guy who decided that stealing a sign from an occult shop and leading police on a dangerous car chase through town was somehow God's will. There's the store manager who was apparently incapable of explaining that his store didn't carry Harry Potter toys without accusing anybody who wanted to buy them of "teaching children evil." And then there are these folks who are apparently bent on harrassing a woman who runs a witchcraft shop in Devon, England.

Nikki Kitchen, who practises witchcraft and runs White Trinity Witch in Plymouth, said Pro-Christian leaflets were pushed through the door.

Anonymous handwritten notes have also been delivered to the shop.

Ms Kitchen previously had to stop running a stall in Plymouth's indoor market because of abusive comments.

Ms Kitchen said: "Churchgoers think we're the spawn of Satan.

"It's been quite harsh and heavy but you've got to laugh it off."

While Kitchen has a point that a few leaflets and letters aren't the end of the world, it does make me wonder how severe the harrassment was that forced her to stop running her stall. Beyond that it's really the cluelessness that gets me about these pampleteers. I genuinely think this guy has no comprehension that there's anything wrong or offensive or incoherent about his comments.

Dr Theodore Danson-Smith who runs a company which distributes leaflets like Ms Kitchen received, told BBC Radio Devon: "We don't sell any hate mail whatsoever.

"It's not hate mail, it's telling the way of salvation.

"Any witchcraft shop is working for Satan not for God."

He said he did not know which Christian group had posted the leaflets, which are entitled "The Beast" and written in comic book form, through Mrs Kitchen's door.

Hey, I recognize that! It's a Jack Chick tract, and you can see it for yourself here. And as far as Danson-Smith comments go, what more can I add? "Oh, it's not hate mail. All we're saying is that these people are evil and need to be stopped." Nice. As a matter of fact, that's pretty much the definition of hate mail, moron. While I know that neither this guy nor the tract pushers are about to take a clue from me, I'll offer one anyway. When Jesus instructed his followers to spread the "Good News" he was not telling them to initiate campaigns of harrassment against anyone who didn't share their beliefs.