Porn in local geocaches

[luckykoi]

 

I've found the same thing in the following three caches

 

GCQYHR

GCY9VF

GCQF4J

 

It is a flier that is supposed to be "Christian" but contains horrible stories about rape, mutilation and murder.

 

Has anyone else seen these? I'm sure glad that I found them before my young children did. These fliers make geocaching unsafe for children.

 

(edited for spelling and punctuation.

Edited June 7, 2007 by luckykoi

[+EraSeek]

I can't imagine what its text might have been, but I do recall a "fun" house just outside the fair grounds one year with simular imagery that had an anti-abortion agenda. Bizzare way to convince people.

Whatever the purpose, agenda focused items (sales jobs) either comercial, political, or religious, or otherwise do not belong in caches.

This is not the same as unoffensive items of personal identity, such as leaving a cross would be ok, but a religious tract wouldn't be.

[+Lightning Jeff]

Hmmm...

 

Mission Creek Christian School

 

I had to look up the meaning of "colporteur": "a peddler of religious books".

 

I agree with EraSeek - religious tokens and other expressions of personal identity don't bother me, but proselytizing doesn't belong in this game.

[+Knight2000]

It is a flier that is supposed to be "Christian" but contains horrible stories about rape, mutilation and murder.

Inappropriate? Possibly. Porn? It doesn't sound like it.

 

The Bible contains info like that too. But it is under a different context.

[+BlueDeuce]

 

I've found the same thing in the following three caches

 

GCQYHR

GCY9VF

GCQF4J

 

It is a flier that is supposed to be "Christian" but contains horrible stories about rape, mutilation and murder.

 

Has anyone else seen these? I'm sure glad that I found them before my young children did. These fliers make geocaching unsafe for children.

 

(edited for spelling and punctuation.

 

This person is likely not doing any logging online or in the cache so you won't track them down. They are however looking for a reaction, primarily in forums.

 

Best thing to do is give them no attention whatsoever and you and other locals check nearby caches much more often until they get bored and move on to other outlets.

[+Ambrosia]

Hmmm...

 

Mission Creek Christian School

 

I had to look up the meaning of "colporteur": "a peddler of religious books".

 

I agree with EraSeek - religious tokens and other expressions of personal identity don't bother me, but proselytizing doesn't belong in this game.

I'm a bit confused. What does that link have to do with the OP?

[+ReadyOrNot]

I'm a bit confused. What does that link have to do with the OP?

 

Somebody decided to make a connection between murder and rape stories disguised as "Christian" material into "Christian" material should be banned from caches. Doesn't surprise me anymore. All I can do is shake my head.

[luckykoi]

These were horrible stories made to look like a page from a newspaper. Not the kind of stories you want children to see. It really and I mean REALLY upsets my husband to see this stuff because his ex was murdered mutilated and raped and her unborn baby.. uh well lets not go there..

 

Anyway it's horrible stuff to find in a cache even for adults and I don't want my children to see it.

 

I find religious stuff in caches to be irritating but this stuff just goes beyond the pale and I think most people

Christian or not would find it very offensive.

 

The party who I suspect is doing this put Christian stuff in all of my caches that they found a while back but now they seemed to have moved to a new level none of it was about rape, murder and mutilation.

 

Yes parts of the bible are rather graphic but it was written a very long time ago and those pages are not being put in geocaches.

Edited June 8, 2007 by luckykoi

[+Lightning Jeff]

I'm a bit confused. What does that link have to do with the OP?

 

Somebody decided to make a connection between murder and rape stories disguised as "Christian" material into "Christian" material should be banned from caches. Doesn't surprise me anymore. All I can do is shake my head.

One of the three caches listed is owned by the linked school or one of its employees. Another was logged by that group/person. That school has as one of its employees a person whose job it is to peddle religious materials. I see a trend but it could all be a coincidence.

 

It had nothing to do with equating what the OP found with all religious material. However, I think most people in civil society understand that it's in pretty bad form to foist one's politics or religion on others in a public setting where it is not invited. Bad manners. The cache listing guidelines clearly adopt that spirit:

 

Solicitations are off-limits. For example, caches perceived to be posted for religious, political, charitable or social agendas are not permitted. Geocaching is supposed to be a light, fun activity, not a platform for an agenda.

 

I think we should honor that not just in placing caches but in what we put in them.

[+ReadyOrNot]

I think we should honor that not just in placing caches but in what we put in them.

 

It's been said many times before. If you don't like what's in a cache, take it and leave something better. I think the community does a fine job of policing the contents of caches. I would assume that the vast majority of cachers would remove items that don't belong, such as dangerous items, inappropriate items, trash, etc.

 

I'm still not clear how stories of rape and murder have anything to do with pushing christianity?? I guess I missed that chapter.

[+Ambrosia]

I'm a bit confused. What does that link have to do with the OP?

 

Somebody decided to make a connection between murder and rape stories disguised as "Christian" material into "Christian" material should be banned from caches. Doesn't surprise me anymore. All I can do is shake my head.

One of the three caches listed is owned by the linked school or one of its employees. Another was logged by that group/person. That school has as one of its employees a person whose job it is to peddle religious materials. I see a trend but it could all be a coincidence.

 

It had nothing to do with equating what the OP found with all religious material. However, I think most people in civil society understand that it's in pretty bad form to foist one's politics or religion on others in a public setting where it is not invited. Bad manners. The cache listing guidelines clearly adopt that spirit:

 

Solicitations are off-limits. For example, caches perceived to be posted for religious, political, charitable or social agendas are not permitted. Geocaching is supposed to be a light, fun activity, not a platform for an agenda.

 

I think we should honor that not just in placing caches but in what we put in them.

I'm sorry that this has bothered you so much that you had to look through the owner and finder's info and find out where they work and what they do for a living and then come to conclusions that you feel are negative. I'm personally offended that you say things like "peddle religious material", like they're doing something bad like trolling for children to snatch. I have friends who have that job, and I've done similar things in the past.

 

I live perfectly fine in the geocaching world, and I don't have any qualms about putting religious material in a cache. At the same time, I don't get worked up by people putting things in caches that offend me personally, whether that be religious or otherwise. If it's actually going to be dangerous to children or some such, I may trade it out with something else. It's life, we all are different people with different viewpoints and perspectives on life and we share that with what we put in caches. If you can't handle that, then perhaps you should start Waymarking. But make sure you set all the churches and religious sites to "ignore".

[+Trucker Lee]

I have no objection to finding tasteful objects or literature in a cache, but the type that the OP describes may be a bit overboard, hard to be sure without seeing it.

 

Much of what is printed and circulated in our world really has no value, it is the product of someone's personal experiences birthing a bad idea. Murder, rape, and the like, are not Christian teachings, and should never have been put to print as such, if this is the case.

 

It is the responsibility of each of us to keep caches "family friendly". Just pull the stuff out and trash it, maybe letting the printer/owner know what is being done to their investment and why. (Supposed to be on it somewhere) If they truly have Chistian interests, they should rethink thier content.

 

Let's keep caching fun.

[luckykoi]

I have no objection to finding tasteful objects or literature in a cache, but the type that the OP describes may be a bit overboard, hard to be sure without seeing it.

 

Much of what is printed and circulated in our world really has no value, it is the product of someone's personal experiences birthing a bad idea. Murder, rape, and the like, are not Christian teachings, and should never have been put to print as such, if this is the case.

 

It is the responsibility of each of us to keep caches "family friendly". Just pull the stuff out and trash it, maybe letting the printer/owner know what is being done to their investment and why. (Supposed to be on it somewhere) If they truly have Chistian interests, they should rethink thier content.

 

Let's keep caching fun.

 

We pulled the rape, murder and mutilation stories out of the caches and burned them.

[+mudsneaker]

I too trash out all material with an agenda, every cache, every time. I don't want to be preached at by anyone. Imagine how outraged these folks who put that junk in caches would be if someone started putting nazi, or satanic literature in caches.

Leave it all out is the best policy that geocaching.com has, to bad some folks won't listen.

[+WRASTRO]

Warning - long winded post to follow.

 

I hesitate to jump in on this topic but I feel compelled to do so as I see fine members of the caching community taking pot shots at each other. I have not seen the material and am not familiar with the school. The OP stated the material is offensive. Has anyone contacted the publisher, the school or the cacher most likely to have placed the material? They don't seem to be hiding.

 

I don't understand how anyone can take offense to the definition of a word used by one of the subjects of this thread on their own website.

 

From Merriam-Webster:

colporteur

One entry found for colporteur.

 

Main Entry: col·por·teur

Pronunciation: 'käl-"por-t&r, "käl-por-'t&r

Function: noun

Etymology: French, alteration of Middle French comporteur, from comporter to bear, peddle

: a peddler of religious books

 

However, there are other definitions. From Wordsmith:

 

A.Word.A.Day--colporteur

 

colporteur (KAWL-por-tuhr) noun

 

A peddler of religious books.

 

[From French colporteur (peddler), from col (neck) + porter (to carry), from Latin portare, from the idea of a peddler carrying his wares in a bag hung around his neck. Ultimately from Indo-European root per- (to lead, pass over) that gave us other words such as support, comport, petroleum, sport, passport, Swedish fartlek (a training technique), Norwegian fjord (bay), and Sanskrit parvat (mountain).]

 

"By then, because a Seventh-day Adventist colporteur had come into Croscombe selling religious tracts, his parents had joined that Church, and Hardy became a keen member of it." The Rev Bertram Hardy; The Times (London, UK); Mar 27, 2003.

 

From what I can see the school MAY be improperly attempting to advance its programs and agenda. Nothing in the cache description suggests this is the case. Nor does anything in any of the other logs for the listed caches. It would seem the job description of the particular employee is to be an evangelist for the school and the mission of the school.

 

It seems to me that the real point of this thread should be that we are in a non-commercial, non-political, non-religious game and if someone is placing material in caches that is inappropriately attempting to broach these topics and promote a specific agenda then that should be stopped.

 

I don't think that anyone would disagree that it would be inappropriate for an employee of the local McBurger to place a McBurger cache and load it with coupons. Nor should that employee or business be placing coupons promoting the business in other caches. This shouldn't be different in any way.

 

Personally, I don't want to see any messages relating to the above topics when I find a cache. I don't care if you are a believer, an atheist, a republican, a democrat, a communist, socialist, liberal, conservative, black, white, yellow, green, legal, illegal, native, immigrant, male, female, other. I am interested in your hide and enjoying the game. Heck, I don't even care if you are Half-Canadian!

 

I would suggest that instead of bashing each other we should contact the "suspect" cache owner and cacher and express some concern about the material it appears he/she/they may be distributing in caches.

 

Your opinion and mileage may vary.

 

Edited for spelling, eh?

Edited June 10, 2007 by WRASTRO

[+Knight2000]

We pulled the rape, murder and mutilation stories out of the caches and burned them.

Wow. Sounds a bit extreme if you are telling the truth. I'll shut up now...

[+Half-Canadian]

...Heck, I don't even care if you are Half-Canadian!

[+EraSeek]

I wonder which half is Canadian

[+Half-Canadian]

I wonder which half is Canadian

 

The better half, of course!

 

(You asked for it, EraSeek)...

[+WRASTRO]

There you go again. It shouldn't be about which half is better. All halves should be able to play the game and not need to worry about which border crossing may or may not be open or closed at any given time.

[luckykoi]

We pulled the rape, murder and mutilation stories out of the caches and burned them.

Wow. Sounds a bit extreme if you are telling the truth. I'll shut up now...

 

Are you calling me a liar?

[+Ambrosia]

I too trash out all material with an agenda, every cache, every time. I don't want to be preached at by anyone. Imagine how outraged these folks who put that junk in caches would be if someone started putting nazi, or satanic literature in caches.

Leave it all out is the best policy that geocaching.com has, to bad some folks won't listen.

I'm not sure if you read my post, so I'll repeat some of it here. I of course cannot speak for anyone but myself. But I am "one of these folks" (I guess that you are referring to Christians, or "proselytizing" Christians), and as I already said before, I wouldn't and don't get outraged if I see things like nazi or satanic literature in caches. I don't personally believe in that stuff, but we live in a free country and in order to enjoy my life here I have to go along with my life next to everyone else. Please don't categorize or assume.

[+ReadyOrNot]

It is a flier that is supposed to be "Christian" but contains horrible stories about rape, mutilation and murder.

 

I'm still confused as to what you are talking about. Could you clarify please. Was it some satanic literature disguised as "Christian" material? If it was put out by a Christian organization, i'm not understanding the references to rape, mutilation and murder??? Or was it referring to the 40 million children that have been aborted since 1973?

 

Just wanting a little clarification so we can know what it is you are so distressed about.

 

Thanks!

[+Ambrosia]

Two things:

 

1. From posts, it sounds like up to this point, the people from this school have put out religious material that was mainstream. Then I guess this pamphlet shows up. Do you actually know that the "rape and murder, etc." pamphlet is from them? Does their name or website show on the pamphlet? Because if it does not, you really don't know who placed that pamphlet, it could be anyone. So far, this thread has not cleared up this confusing issue for me.

 

2. Groundspeak does have a guideline about commercialism. But that applies to the cache placement. People are free to put religious and business/commercial stuff in caches for trade items as they wish. It sounds like some of the posters to this thread are confused about this.

[+Knight2000]

We pulled the rape, murder and mutilation stories out of the caches and burned them.

Wow. Sounds a bit extreme if you are telling the truth. I'll shut up now...

 

Are you calling me a liar?

Not at all. I thought there was a chance you were using a hyperbole.

 

If you did use a hyperbole then i understand.

 

If you did not use a hyperbole then i do not understand. I understand what you did, i just am clueless as to why. It just seems extreme.

[Elaur]

I see no reason to assume that the person who left the cache put the items into the cache. The caches are open to anyone.

 

ONE of the three caches was placed by "Mission Creek & Not Your Stepping Stones" It seems a leap to reference a webpage and school not mentioned in the cache information or the profile page.

Edited June 10, 2007 by Elaur

[Team Misguided]

It seems to me that the real point of this thread should be that we are in a non-commercial, non-political, non-religious game and if someone is placing material in caches that is inappropriately attempting to broach these topics and promote a specific agenda then that should be stopped.

 

I'm not picking on you WRASTRO but your quote was the most quotable.

 

It seems to ME that luckykoi was simply trying to warn cachers and parents. She found some material in a few local caches that she found offensive, material that described violent crimes, and she wanted people to be aware of it. That was the point of this thread.

 

Luckykoi did mention that the material was 'disguised' as Christian but it was other people who made the connection between the local church and the material.

 

Let's keep this on topic, which is warning people to watch what their children pick up from caches in the area for a while.

[luckykoi]

I see no reason to assume that the person who left the cache put the items into the cache. The caches are open to anyone.

 

ONE of the three caches was placed by "Mission Creek & Not Your Stepping Stones" It seems a leap to reference a webpage and school not mentioned in the cache information or the profile page.

 

All three caches had different owners, I don't for one minute think it was the cache owners who put the stuff in there. I'm trying to find a copy of it on the internet but I've not had any luck. There was a URL on the stuff you could use to buy more of it but I did not see it.

 

All three times my husband took it away before I could read much of it because he was afraid it would upset me. But honestly I think they upset him more then the upset me.

 

Hopefully we will not see anymore of that in caches but if we do you can bet I'll mention it.

 

They are single sheets of paper that are supposed to look like the national inquierer and have many "news" stories on them. One of the "headlines" says something about a man chopping his adulterous wife into many pieces and then mailing the body parts or something like that.

 

Most Christians would be offended by this stuff.

Edited June 10, 2007 by luckykoi

[+ReadyOrNot]

Most Christians would be offended by this stuff.

 

Absolutely.. Sounds like a bunch of garbage. My outrage is directly related to the posts that try to link that garbage to a perfectly innocent organization. If anyone actually knows who placed the information, get the information to Groundspeak, because they would swiftly take action against anyone placing that kind of material in a cache.

[+ReadyOrNot]

One of the three caches listed is owned by the linked school or one of its employees. Another was logged by that group/person. That school has as one of its employees a person whose job it is to peddle religious materials. I see a trend but it could all be a coincidence.

 

Be careful. You have no basis to make that kind of accusation. If it was an accusation leveled against me based only on the fact that I was a Christian, you would have a case of libel on your hands. I think you owe that entire organization an apology for dragging their name through the mud in a public forum. I for one am going to contact them to let them know the alegations that have been made against them in these forums.

[+ReadyOrNot]

... double post ...

Edited June 10, 2007 by ReadyOrNot

[+mudsneaker]

I find the described literature in many caches all over the area. Not sure where the original source is, but I have a good idea which of the local Olympia cachers puts it out. (when your 2nd to find right after its published, its either the FTF or the cache owner)

I find it as offensive as when those jerks come to my door preaching. If I want to hear it, I'll come looking for it. Until then keep it to yourself.

 

So I junk the stuff out like all material that shouldn't be there such as food, moldy and broken items, bottlecaps, etc. Guess those who spew it just can't help but think we want that junk even when its been made clear its not appreciated.

[luckykoi]

I see no reason to assume that the person who left the cache put the items into the cache. The caches are open to anyone.

 

ONE of the three caches was placed by "Mission Creek & Not Your Stepping Stones" It seems a leap to reference a webpage and school not mentioned in the cache information or the profile page.

 

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the school. By the way it was a nice new cache in a nice location.

[+WRASTRO]

I see no reason to assume that the person who left the cache put the items into the cache. The caches are open to anyone.

 

ONE of the three caches was placed by "Mission Creek & Not Your Stepping Stones" It seems a leap to reference a webpage and school not mentioned in the cache information or the profile page.

 

The Mission Creek user does identify his or herself in the found it log for the nearby Labor Day Cache GCQF4J as the Mission Creek School of South Bend, WA so I don't think there was any stretch made to connect them. The Not Your Stepping Stones user identifies his or herself as a Teacher's Assistant in South Bend, WA and uses the same email address as the Mission Creek user.

 

I also agree that there is nothing to indicate they placed the material in question. I hope the school is contacted and alerted to this issue as I assume they wouldn't want to be connected to the type of literature described in this thread.

[+Ambrosia]

I find the described literature in many caches all over the area. Not sure where the original source is, but I have a good idea which of the local Olympia cachers puts it out. (when your 2nd to find right after its published, its either the FTF or the cache owner)

I find it as offensive as when those jerks come to my door preaching. If I want to hear it, I'll come looking for it. Until then keep it to yourself.

 

So I junk the stuff out like all material that shouldn't be there such as food, moldy and broken items, bottlecaps, etc. Guess those who spew it just can't help but think we want that junk even when its been made clear its not appreciated.

This is very hurtfull to me personally. You have ignored that I said that I'm one of "those jerks" as you so eloquently put it. Please stop posting things like this. I'm very suprised that you're acting this way towards me. I guess when you come over here to do some caching this summer, you wouldn't want to look me up for caching, since I seem to have a problem with spewing stuff that you don't like.

[+Ambrosia]

Most Christians would be offended by this stuff.

 

Absolutely.. Sounds like a bunch of garbage. My outrage is directly related to the posts that try to link that garbage to a perfectly innocent organization. If anyone actually knows who placed the information, get the information to Groundspeak, because they would swiftly take action against anyone placing that kind of material in a cache.

 

One of the three caches listed is owned by the linked school or one of its employees. Another was logged by that group/person. That school has as one of its employees a person whose job it is to peddle religious materials. I see a trend but it could all be a coincidence.

 

Be careful. You have no basis to make that kind of accusation. If it was an accusation leveled against me based only on the fact that I was a Christian, you would have a case of libel on your hands. I think you owe that entire organization an apology for dragging their name through the mud in a public forum. I for one am going to contact them to let them know the alegations that have been made against them in these forums.

 

I see no reason to assume that the person who left the cache put the items into the cache. The caches are open to anyone.

 

ONE of the three caches was placed by "Mission Creek & Not Your Stepping Stones" It seems a leap to reference a webpage and school not mentioned in the cache information or the profile page.

 

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the school. By the way it was a nice new cache in a nice location.

 

I see no reason to assume that the person who left the cache put the items into the cache. The caches are open to anyone.

 

ONE of the three caches was placed by "Mission Creek & Not Your Stepping Stones" It seems a leap to reference a webpage and school not mentioned in the cache information or the profile page.

 

The Mission Creek user does identify his or herself in the found it log for the nearby Labor Day Cache GCQF4J as the Mission Creek School of South Bend, WA so I don't think there was any stretch made to connect them. The Not Your Stepping Stones user identifies his or herself as a Teacher's Assistant in South Bend, WA and uses the same email address as the Mission Creek user.

 

I also agree that there is nothing to indicate they placed the material in question. I hope the school is contacted and alerted to this issue as I assume they wouldn't want to be connected to the type of literature described in this thread.

Thank you!

 

That said, thank you for posting the warning, like Team Misguided said. I believe that it's part of life finding things like that, and if my children saw it I would make it disapear quickly, but then discuss it with them calmly. But it's nice to know it's out there.

[+Knight2000]

Hopefully we will not see anymore of that in caches but if we do you can bet I'll mention it.

They are single sheets of paper that are supposed to look like the national inquierer and have many "news" stories on them. One of the "headlines" says something about a man chopping his adulterous wife into many pieces and then mailing the body parts or something like that.

 

The Bible speaks of pre-christian servants persecuted by being "sawn asunder". Although i don't think that their body parts were mailed places.

 

I find it as offensive as when those jerks come to my door preaching. If I want to hear it, I'll come looking for it. Until then keep it to yourself.

Unless you are not Christian I find that very interesting for two reasons. Whoever you are referring to coming to your door is doing what Jesus and his apostles did with their lives. They are also doing the last thing that Jesus commissioned his followers to do before his ascension to heaven.

[+ReadyOrNot]

I find it as offensive as when those jerks come to my door preaching.

 

Not all that different than subjecting me to your spew in these forums is it? So the free speach should be stopped if you don't agree with it but allowed if you do agree? Does that sound about right? Not quite sure if that was the intent of the founding fathers

[+BlueDeuce]

It is a flier that is supposed to be "Christian" but contains horrible stories about rape, mutilation and murder.

 

There is no moral geo-guardian checking your trade practices. If you don't like the item, trade it out.

 

But I don't think that was the point of your posting.

 

My advice; Talk to your locals and band together. Don't feed the trolls, clean out the trash.

[Team Misguided]

I asked that the thread be taken back on topic and that doesn't seem to have happened.

 

The warning has been made and the rest of the discussions are off topic. I'm going to close this one.