Cut and paste, send to 10 people in 10 minutes.

[glorywatch]

I see this thread is a touch old, but...

A few months ago, I got a similar email. I'm trying to think back, I think it may have been a sort of "Praying for you" email. I don't remember exactly but I think that may have been the gist. Anyway, forward it to as many people as possible (don't remember if there was a number) as well as the person who sent it to you.

If you are a Christian, you will stand up for Christ and if you send this on, that is evidence that you do not fear standing up for Christ. It lets the implication hang that if you don't forward it on, you must be afraid of what others will think of you if they know about your faith. And if that's the case, you *must* not *really* be a Christian.

I will admit, before I deleted the email, I had pause. What will the person who forwarded it to me think about whether or not I'm a Christian if they do not receive a forward back from me? Does my failure to send it on indicate lack of faith? After a couple minutes, I hit delete.

Here are some thoughts:

1. I can pray for someone without sending them a forward.

2. If I want to indicate to someone that they are in my prayers, I can send them a nice personalized note, rather than a forward.

3. Cute (or not-so-cute) emails do not indicate the level of one's faith. Hey, an unbeliever can send the forward along. And, in my case, a believer can hit delete. Whether or not one forwards an email does not indicate their level of faith (though perhaps an unbeliever won't be so likely to pass along a Christian forward, it could happen, if for no other reason than perhaps to make themselves look good).

4. There are annoying forwards on varying topics -- I submit that we might even be...I'm not sure what the right term is... I guess what I'm trying to say is we don't want God to be just another subject of "another one of those annoying email forwards". I have more respect for God than to throw Him out there as an annoying forward. Similar to what I said in point #2, if I want to talk about my faith/talk about God to someone, I can do so in my own words in a personalized email. Which I think would be better received by most than a forward.

Well said. I know that some of these people are well meaning, but it tends to trivialize God and that is my real objection.

[glorywatch]

I get those alot also, & sometimes get the same email more than 3 times a day. I try to ignore them & just delete them. God knows my heart & i dont need to prove it to the folks sending emails.

Amen!

[Toscalisa]

My email account is set so that anything coming in that doesn't have an entry in the address book automagically gets consigned to the "spam" folder.

Works, unless the person sending the forward is in your address book.

Or will it circular file an email from someone in your address book, if they're also sending to/originally received it from someone not listed?

[Toscalisa]

God knows my heart & i dont need to prove it to the folks sending emails.

Exactly.

[Toscalisa]

I see this thread is a touch old, but...

A few months ago, I got a similar email. I'm trying to think back, I think it may have been a sort of "Praying for you" email. I don't remember exactly but I think that may have been the gist. Anyway, forward it to as many people as possible (don't remember if there was a number) as well as the person who sent it to you.

If you are a Christian, you will stand up for Christ and if you send this on, that is evidence that you do not fear standing up for Christ. It lets the implication hang that if you don't forward it on, you must be afraid of what others will think of you if they know about your faith. And if that's the case, you *must* not *really* be a Christian.

I will admit, before I deleted the email, I had pause. What will the person who forwarded it to me think about whether or not I'm a Christian if they do not receive a forward back from me? Does my failure to send it on indicate lack of faith? After a couple minutes, I hit delete.

Here are some thoughts:

1. I can pray for someone without sending them a forward.

2. If I want to indicate to someone that they are in my prayers, I can send them a nice personalized note, rather than a forward.

3. Cute (or not-so-cute) emails do not indicate the level of one's faith. Hey, an unbeliever can send the forward along. And, in my case, a believer can hit delete. Whether or not one forwards an email does not indicate their level of faith (though perhaps an unbeliever won't be so likely to pass along a Christian forward, it could happen, if for no other reason than perhaps to make themselves look good).

4. There are annoying forwards on varying topics -- I submit that we might even be...I'm not sure what the right term is... I guess what I'm trying to say is we don't want God to be just another subject of "another one of those annoying email forwards". I have more respect for God than to throw Him out there as an annoying forward. Similar to what I said in point #2, if I want to talk about my faith/talk about God to someone, I can do so in my own words in a personalized email. Which I think would be better received by most than a forward.

Well said. I know that some of these people are well meaning, but it tends to trivialize God and that is my real objection.

Trivialize...thank you. I think that's the word I was looking for earlier. I completely agree.

[Toscalisa]

I have a hard and fast rule about this kind of stuff: I don't do forwards. Period. Not from my parents, not from my kids, not from anyone, I simply delete it. If it looks, tastes or smells like a forward, it goes in the can.

Good rule.

I will admit, some forwards are kinda cute and/or interesting. Though it's rare I'll send even those. It's the ones that try to guilt someone into action that I find particularly irksome.

[Aleksander]

Interesting that those 'Christian' chain mails exist even though I think they shouldnt. A pagan tradition that is being masked as 'Christian' by probably well meaning people. I dont know, I guess I just hate any and all chain letters, especially once that play the guilt card.