…and this is a 
Hank Fox WANTS!
Category: Religion
Posted on: August 27, 2007 8:05 AM, by PZ Myers
Coral Ridge Ministries is pushing hard to promote their pet causes, and Hank Fox suggests that they give him a few goodies from their list of crazy literature and DVDs. They say they'll send it out in return for a voluntary donation, but so far, it looks like the "donation" is less than voluntary.
I recall taking a stab at this a year or so ago with another Christian organization that was trying to sell creationist books while calling it a giveaway, with a completely independent and entirely optional opportunity to donate a few dollars to a worthy religious cause. I never got my books.
Comments
Between Coral Ridge "Ministries" and the rabidly anti-gay mayor of Fort Lauderdale, not to mention the constant threat of hurricanes, daily T-storms, nasty traffic, high crime, and general mayhem, I'm beyond grateful that I no longer "live" in Fort Lauderdale. I wonder how much time James Randi actually spends there. At least the sight of dolphins frolicking offshore was a treat.
Posted by: kemibe | August 27, 2007 8:30 AM
I ought to try this. If they don't send me my lame book, can I sue for false advertising?
Posted by: Brian Thompson | August 27, 2007 8:35 AM
I never got mine, either. I'm sure most of us didn't. So much for their "thou shalt not bear false witness" commandment.
I just tried to see if Coral Ridge would accept a smaller "donation" than the suggested "donation" for their materials, and there is no way to do so. Their "price" is really a "price" and can't be changed on the order form.
Posted by: speedwell | August 27, 2007 8:42 AM
Hank Fox is awesome.
If they don't send it, can he sic the IRS on them?
Posted by: Carlie | August 27, 2007 9:44 AM
Speedwell @ # 3: Don'cha'know? The Ten Commandments only apply to interactions among the true believing evangelicals.
Posted by: Minnesotachuck | August 27, 2007 10:06 AM
I'm not selling Buddhism here (they've got their own issues and inanities) but I remember being very impressed with some Sri Lankan temples and their willingness to distribute materials for free. I had been interested in a beautiful copy of an illustrated Dhammapada, and asked the cost - and was told it was free.
I donated some money anyway, and chatted with the monk for a bit. I did not make the mistake of trying to shake this one's hand. Upon hearing that I was not a Buddhist, he rummaged around for a rosary, which I declined. I was vaguely surprised and disappointed to see that Buddhism in practice wasn't even the tiniest bit atheistic, and that followers really don't have any concept of someone who 'doesn't believe in anything.'
Posted by: Karen | August 27, 2007 10:17 AM
Hmm. I really want to know if they can legally deny sending Hank the materials as well.
Posted by: H. Humbert | August 27, 2007 11:09 AM
Zounds! That IRS site is a bear to navigate.
Posted by: Dan | August 27, 2007 11:35 AM
There are all manners of legal actions you can take. And except for turning them into the IRS for conducting a for-profit business through a (probable) charitable organization, it's not worth it though because your damages would be slight and your costs high. The only reason turning them into the IRS is worth it is because they'll do all the work and you could get a 10% reward of the taxes collected. The reward is taxable.
Posted by: Moses | August 27, 2007 2:14 PM
Minnchuck, yeah, I should have remembered that, actually. My Christian upbringing is showing signs of fading due to exposure to reality.
Karen, I got given a beautifully illustrated copy of a somewhat condensed Bhagavad-Gita by an airport Hindu when I was a teenager. I had actually been wishing for some airplane reading, had no intention whatsoever of spending my life chanting Hare Krishna, and didn't think the couple dollars donation was wasted. I wound up using it to bolster the verisimilitude of a Dungeons and Dragons scenario.
Posted by: speedwell | August 27, 2007 4:14 PM
In my experience a 'suggested donation' instead of a listed price is par for the course. Focus on the Family does it. I think the idea is to guilt-trip you into paying more than the suggestion.
Posted by: Susan R | August 27, 2007 9:10 PM
The "suggested donation" is necessary to maintain the polite fiction that they're not running a commercial enterprise. I would suspect the Coral Ridge Ministries treats the revenue from their distribution of literature, CD's, and DVD's as donations and therefore not taxable. Religious orgainzations on the right are full of this sort of odious chicanery.
Posted by: Keanus | August 27, 2007 10:13 PM
It's strange how Christians don't understand the concept of "gift". They insist that their Jesus-character is offering the free gift of salvation, you just have to believe in him, worship him, and do whatever he says.
Boggle! That's a FREE GIFT?! I'm sorry, but there seems to be a few strings attached.
Don't get me started...
Posted by: Denis Loubet | August 28, 2007 12:55 AM
I remember those "free" gifts last year. What bastards.
Posted by: Jen | August 28, 2007 8:23 AM