That's some concession

As happened in so many places in this last election, a local Democrat won a solid victory over a Republican in the District 50 election. His opponent sent a "concession" letter—see if you can spot what's peculiar and a bit offensive about it.

Congratulations on winning the District 50 senate race. Your phone is "busy"...no doubt with good wishes!

I've enjoyed much of this race, especially the people I've met...even you! I see your deficits--not all of them, and your potential--but not all of it. Only your Creator knows the real potential He's put in you. Get to know Him and know yourself...you'll be more interesting even to you!

The race of your life is more important than this one--and it is my sincere wish that you'll get to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He died for the sins of the world, yours and mine--and especially for those who accept His forgiveness. His kingdom will come and His will be done--on earth as it is in heaven. There's more....I love belonging to the family of God. Jesus is the way, the truth and offers His life to you and each human being. Pay attention...this is very important, Satveer. Have you noticed Jesus for yourself...at some moment in time, yet???

God commends His love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

Death came upon all and was defeated by the superiority of Jesus' life and His tomb is empty. God in Christ is reconciling the world back to Himself, with offered forgiveness--this is one choice we get to make nose to nose with the living God--fear Him and you need fear no other. Become His family and know the love of God that passes knowledge. See Isaiah and the Gospel of John...good reading while waiting for fishes to bite.

God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:17

Jesus Christ lives in His earth family by His Spirit. He said He'd be back, and He said it first. You could invite Him to make the race of your life 'eternal'. God waits to be gracious to each person that knows they need to be forgiven. Do you? I think you do. Just ask. Christ won eternal life for you and said so. Take Him at His Word. Take some time to get acquainted with this power-filled Jesus...God with us. You could be a temple of the living God, by invitation---yours, TO GOD. :) There's nothing like belonging to Christ...not winning, not money, not degrees...it's the best.

Good wishes and better wishes...until you wish for the best!

Rae Hart Anderson

To make it particularly piquant, the Democratic victor is named Satveer Chaudary, and he is a practicing Hindu. I suspect that he is more aware that his religious beliefs are not necessarily shared with his fellow members of the Minnesota congress, and might be a little less oblivious…so I'm glad he was elected.

(via I'll explain it when you are older)

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Well, that's gloatalicious. "I lost... but YOU'RE going to hell!"

Kind of defeats the point of a concession letter.

"There's nothing like belonging to Christ...not winning, not money, not degrees..."

He's got that right. There's nothing like it, and especially nothing worth having.

What an offensive little twit, and genuinely stupid. Now if only the reason he lost (as so many others of his ilk) had to do with his religion instead of Bush's screw-ups -- then we'd have something, yeah?

I like the subtext to this bit:

"Get to know Him and know yourself...you'll be more interesting even to you!"

Sounds an awful lot like Rae didn't like (her?)self much before she found Jesus. If I had a dollar for every such Christian...I'd spend it trying to explain to them their self-esteem issues have nothing to do with a Sky Daddy.

Nah. Who'm I kidding? I'd be in Hawaii.

Jeebus! PZ, this one is ripe for mouseover tagging.

Can Rae Hart Anderson get closer to Jesus? YES Thanks to the Exciting New Improved Crucifixion Kit!

Yes, Rae Har Anderson can now experience the same thrills and chills as their beloved Savior, as this easy-to-use kit demonstrates!

Get one - and use it - on Your Christian! Do it today!

Seriously, what is with people that are so sure they are correct about things you can't be sure about pressing the view on others?

How does this happen? It seems so obvious to me that it is impossible to know which if any religion has the most merit and yet this continues.

To tie this to a post from yesterday in relation to Mr.Carroll. Yes wars start outside religios reasons but how can you deny the impact of us vs. them thinking it imparts on mnay of it's members?

I think he should write a thank you letter to this guy. In it he should explain that Vishnu and Shiva are more powerful than Jesus Christ, and that is why he won the election! If that doesn't make this guys head explode, I don't know what would.

And there you have it - concern troll sauteed with arrogance sauce in a nutshell. Should we suggest an apple in Anderson's mouth, or would that be going too far?

One of those dishes you serve to those you don't like very much.

DouglasG,

Please refrain in future from saying things so funny that I both snort and violently spew coffee.

Thank you.

PS: I did not know that Rae was a female of the species. I apologize on her behalf to females in general.

What a sad little man this guy must be.

Here's the correct reply, from a polytheist such as a Hindu:

Jesus, huh? Okay, I'll add him to the list. Thanks for the tip! Namaste!

Warren,

Extra irony - some Hindus have already added Jesus to the list, and consider him an incarnation of Vishnu. So technically this guy may have already beaten him to the punch.

I really, really do try to be tolerant of people. But the in-your-face religionists try my patience something mighty.

By DragonScholar (not verified) on 17 Nov 2006 #permalink

Two words for the reply. "Neti neti". Sure, Jesus "might" be an incarnation of Vishnu, but Vishnu isn't *actually* God. No god is god, and no god is not god, and all that stuff. Basically, the difference between a Hindu and an atheist, as near as I can tell, is that Hindus thinks its possible for some people to have super powers and that those people can wander around dispensing wisdom, while tripping over their own feet.

For example, one story recently described to me involve Krishna showing the relatives a great palace, then walking face first into the wall, to which he supposedly said something like, "Right.. The doors actually over there. What I just did is something you shouldn't do." Somehow I don't think Christians are ready for gods that can conjure stuff from thin air, but forget where they put the door and walk face first into the walls... Hindu have X-Men for gods, flawed, human, impefect and "never" supreme. Christians have, well.. Omniscient, omnipresent, infallible, etc. Saying that Jesus is just some incarnation of Vishnu is reducing him to a street magician with some interesting ideas. That ought to give the Jesus followers hives in and of itself. lol

Kagehi, I've always found the pantheistic religions rather interesting for that sort of attitude. The perception of gods as being just as changing and fallible as men is something extremely valuable and humbling that is lost on most monotheistic religions.

Wow. In the other news article that "I'll explain it when you are older" links to, there's this gem of a quote:

Later in the afternoon, Anderson's former campaign manager, Barbara Black, told us Anderson wrote the e-mail because "Chaudhary is not Christian, and he needs to find his soul."

Apparently, the soul is not imbued at conception, but at conversion.

So someone tried to share her religious beliefs with a political adversary, and who also believes in a different religion? What's wrong with that? That he might consider what she wrote is right?

Get to know Him

Get to know Jon Lovitz? Okay. You have his number, Rae?

("Does this joke make me look old?")

By Tukla in Iowa (not verified) on 17 Nov 2006 #permalink

I would say the overwhelming majority of people's religion comes to them by virtue of the country/ family they were born into. That, to me, is a curious enigma.
Once a child is culturally conditioned by their parents, they are basically f***ed. One thing I can say for religion is if they get you early, it is perniciously pervasive; Or, as Dawkins states, a very successful virus of the mind.

Kagehi,

It wasn't Krishna who walked into a wall painted up like a door, it was the Kaurava princes who got fooled. Read about it here http://www.uiowa.edu/~incinema/Mahabharat.html.

Not to offend anyone. Miracles in the Hindu epics are no big deal. Almost everyone acquires the power sooner or later! And as a rule the gods are subject to human norms and caprice isn't taken to kindly by humans.

it's not the "while waiting for fishes to bite" ??!!
sooooo rude and insane, assuming the river runs right by the juke joint that way.
(i make up jokes just like senator kerry.)

By greenbird (not verified) on 17 Nov 2006 #permalink

"see if you can spot what's peculiar and a bit offensive about it."
You have to be joking! that is a dreadful totally offensive tract, whoever and whatevfer religion the recipient.

By oldhippie (not verified) on 17 Nov 2006 #permalink

ITS TRUE

HE'S GOING TO HELL!!

D:

Does the loser know the president prays to a large stone carved owl in Sonoma, CA for guidance?

I think the offensiveness starts with "Your phone is 'busy' . . . "

Not really busy, but "busy"? Like a pat on the head. Aaaargghh.

Apparently, this woman's head is so far up her ass she didn't realize the "wonderful" god she worships fully admits to genocide, rape, bigotry, and jealousy and selfishness. He even puts up with incestual rape out of his followers (see Noah).

If her "bright-boy" Bush wasn't so damn busy worshipping Moloch, maybe he'd have time to have his staff come up with a genocidal plan to kill all "non-believers in Jehovah".

Rae Hart Anderson = another exaple of how strict religious education fails human beings

By BlueIndependent (not verified) on 18 Nov 2006 #permalink