For Your Hate Mail

Hey Bobby,

First of all, the idea behind your site is amusing, lighthearted, and it makes its point. I get that. I spent a good couple minutes chuckling about it when I first heard about the FSM and its “Church”. So when I got the link to your site, I was interested enough to go and peruse it, expecting a more elaborate version of the organization ultimately aimed at pointing out how silly the idea of teaching ID in schools is.(That’s what I’ve gotten from it so far – forgive me if I have the wrong idea)

I was a little put-off to see how elaborate it had in fact become – in my humble opinion, the “gospel”‘s kinda pushing it – but I was more concerned at your Hate Mail section. I understand that you didn’t write those letters, and you’re well within your rights, through your disclaimer, to post them for the entertainment of the rest of us.

But I have to protest the mass grouping of all the e-mails you get. Putting those with relatively reasonable voices (for example, Pach) right along with those who basically posted rants of really un-Christian (in the literal sense of the word, not just those who claim the name) hate discredits their intelligent opinion and makes it seem like you don’t listen to anyone who disagrees with you, even if they’re reasonable and level-headed. And in my humble opinion, putting a small heading of “concerned criticism” doesn’t cut it if you’re still putting all the letters together.

Look, I know it’s slightly nitpicky, and I fully expect to find this grouped right in there with all the other “hate” letters, but I hope you might prove to really be listening after all, and in your renovation of the “Hate Mail” page, might consider actually putting a seperate section for “Concerned Criticism” for those who don’t actually hate you, just want their voice to be heard too. I don’t hate you, and I enjoyed your website. I’d be sad to find that this was considered hate mail, too.

All the best, Anna

-note from bobby – for the record, I don’t consider this hate-mail. This falls into the “concerned criticism” category, I think.