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I do occasionally put out the really nice, silver coins with the "John 3:16" verse stamped on them. I realize that it's not swag that everyone wants so I usually leave non-Churchy swag also. I've never seen a tract or other such propaganda in a cache, but I'm sure others have.

 

A friend of mine had some cool golf pencils personalized with the "Matthew 13:44" verse - ""The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again..." (no kidding!!)

Edited by meralgia
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I have no problem with religious material in caches.

 

I once found a whole stack of the exact same tract in a cache. That was overkill so I left 3 in the cache and took the rest home. I didn't feel right about trashin' 'em so the next time the local church people came to my door, instead of answering the door naked as I usually do for unscheduled/unannounced visitors, (TMI?)I kindly took their tract and listened to them for exactly 2 minutes in exchange for them taking mine.

 

The look on their faces was pretty priceless. :anibad: Okay, not as priceless as when I answer the door naked, but still....

 

I was cornered by Whimseyguy at GW3 and given several Sweet Potato Tracts. :anicute: I still have those. :)

 

3b38ade5-9599-43e9-9742-b78854f0c861.jpg

Edited by Snoogans
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I think it's a total waste of time. I doubt one person in the history of mankind has been converted by a

pamphlet.

 

If I see them, I will leave them. It's not my cache to decide what belongs and what doesn't. I do trade for the Chick Tracts to read because they are absolutely hilarious.

 

A while ago I found a cache that was an obvious violation of the agenda rule, as it was next to a church and filled with nothing but various pamphlets and swag espousing a fundamentalist view of Christianity. I came back with some brochures espousing Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, Islam and Catholicism and added them.

Edited by briansnat
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I think it's a total waste of time. I doubt one person in the history of mankind has been converted by a

pamphlet.

 

If I see them, I will leave them. It's not my cache to decide what belongs and what doesn't. I do trade for the Chick Tracts to read because they are absolutely hilarious.

 

A while ago I found a cache that was an obvious violation of the agenda rule, as it was next to a church and filled with nothing but various pamphlets and swag espousing a fundamentalist view of Christianity. I came back with some brochures espousing Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, Islam and Catholicism and added them.

 

Thus explaining my beoming a Flying Spaghetti Monster :anicute:

 

Our religion requires that we avoid swag, we TNLNSL--thus maintaining whirled peas.

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I think it's a total waste of time. I doubt one person in the history of mankind has been converted by a

pamphlet.

 

If I see them, I will leave them. It's not my cache to decide what belongs and what doesn't. I do trade for the Chick Tracts to read because they are absolutely hilarious.

 

A while ago I found a cache that was an obvious violation of the agenda rule, as it was next to a church and filled with nothing but various pamphlets and swag espousing a fundamentalist view of Christianity. I came back with some brochures espousing Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, Islam and Catholicism and added them.

Pamphlets are a total waste of time...but what about bisuness cards???

 

~.~Scare Force One

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I have no problem with religious material in caches.

 

I once found a whole stack of the exact same tract in a cache. That was overkill so I left 3 in the cache and took the rest home. I didn't feel right about trashin' 'em so the next time the local church people came to my door, instead of answering the door naked as I usually do for unscheduled/unannounced visitors, (TMI?)I kindly took their tract and listened to them for exactly 2 minutes in exchange for them taking mine.

 

The look on their faces was pretty priceless. :anibad: Okay, not as priceless as when I answer the door naked, but still....

 

I was cornered by Whimseyguy at GW3 and given several Sweet Potato Tracts. :anicute: I still have those. :)

 

3b38ade5-9599-43e9-9742-b78854f0c861.jpg

 

I was just wondering, because I see them every know and then, and I have a blue million of church sermons on c.d.s and once your listened to them a couple of times still don't want to throw them away. So im debating leaving some for other people.

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I've seen a lot of church swag. I disregard it. It's ridiculous. I'm not sure what the intentions are of people who put it in caches is. I just get tempted to take it out and trash it. If it's not my cache, I leave it. If it's one of mine then I take it out and trash it.

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I leave the Church coin swag because it's important to me, and I'm guessing someone else may also find it of value.

 

It's like leaving the McToys--even though you as an adult don't want them, a cacher who brings their kids might.

Edited by meralgia
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I think it's a total waste of time. I doubt one person in the history of mankind has been converted by a

pamphlet.

 

I believe that Lep claimed to have renewed his faith after reading tracts from a cache or some such. :anibad::anicute:

 

I'm sure he'll chime in. :)

No, not from reading tracts. Not even from reading. But yes, from visiting a cache.

 

Nowadays a religious item is one of the very, very few things that would make me pause and trade. After 3,000-something cache hunts, the happy meal toys, keychains and golf balls kinda lose their excitement. So do me a favor, and if you see a cross or a piece of religious jewelry, leave it there for us. Respect our desire to trade for an item that interests us, just as we respect the rights of people who trade signature items, or plush toys, or keychains, etc.

 

As for tract pamphlets, I haven't seen one that's done much for me. There was this guy, the Apostle Paul, who wrote these amazing letters nearly 2,000 years ago. They're more my speed. But who am I to say what would work for someone else? If I see a tract, I read it and then put it back in the cache. If it's wet and falling apart, I trash it out, just as I would do for other wet paper. Paper doesn't generally do well in this neck of the woods, unless the cache is an ammo box.

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I've seen a lot of church swag. I disregard it. It's ridiculous. I'm not sure what the intentions are of people who put it in caches is. I just get tempted to take it out and trash it. If it's not my cache, I leave it. If it's one of mine then I take it out and trash it.

 

I have serious doubt that even the person(s) who leave the stuff are quite sure either. I view it as a harmless robotic action..........and ignore it.

 

And because I ignore it, no, I haven't noticed a change one way or the other.

Edited by Team Cotati
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I've traded religious items before. I take what I like, and I leave what I like. Can't say I've ever removed anything that didn't agree with my religious beliefs.

 

 

Here I was just thinking we haven't had this debate for a month or two. I needed a reason to emerge from the LPS thread.

 

Month or two? That must be a record of some sort.

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I've seen a lot of church swag. I disregard it. It's ridiculous. I'm not sure what the intentions are of people who put it in caches is. I just get tempted to take it out and trash it. If it's not my cache, I leave it. If it's one of mine then I take it out and trash it.

 

I have serious doubt that even the person(s) who leave the stuff are quite sure either. I view it as a harmless robotic action..........and ignore it.

 

And because I ignore it, no, I haven't noticed a change one way or the other.

What are the intentions of anyone who trades anything at a geocache? You leave something of value, by your definition, in the hope that someone else may also see it to be valuable enough to trade for. You take something because it interests you, and you leave something in the cache that is of equal or better value.

 

Why would religious items, or the people who trade them, be any different? It really ought not be hard to understand. After 3000 caches I've seen and traded for enough compasses, keychains, beanie babies and glowsticks that I simply don't need anymore. My "collected swag" fills several shopping bags. What I don't have a lot of are crosses, religious medals, religious books and religious jewelry for my daughter. So I would trade for those.

 

If I ever developed a signature item other than hamsters, I'd likely try to incorporate my faith into that item. I've had a geocoin design in mind for quite some time now, and this thread has got me thinking about moving that concept along.

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I'll trash the tracts and pamphlets out of my cache, but if someone wants to leave a cross, or a St. Christopher medal, or a star of David, or a fat little buddha statue, that's okay by me. Actually, I'd probably trade out for the buddha, cus it would be neat to have a little fat grinning buddha on top of my computer staring out at me.

Edited by Walt Jabsco
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I don't mind the coins and the optical illusion stuff.(Agree that no one is going to be changed by reading a pamphlet in a cache!) The coins are actually kind of cool. We have a cacher around here that likes to leave fake million dollar bills with religous stuff on them. For the most part I'm ok with those. Just sometimes he will fold them up and STUFF them in a micro, so it makes getting the log out a task, forcing the cacher to use the Lord's name in vain. Kind of defeats the purpose, eh? :anicute: I'll usually CITO the ones I find stuffed in micros.

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The only items that I trash are ones that are destroyed and have become trash (not just religious).

 

Some people say that they don't like religious material and for some reason it bothers them. I can't personally see why. I very rarely find something in a cache that I would trade (unless it's something for one of my kids or people's sig items), but I have no problem simply ignoring the items that I don't want. Religious material is no different for me. I have no problem with people having beliefs different than mine and sharing those beliefs with others.

 

Paper items are a poor choice in caches because of moisture, but would be fine if bagged or laminated. I know it seems like a broken record, but the value if swag can change just by how it is presented. What is viewed by many as religious paper trash might turn into a lovely keepsake if someone had the talent for scrapbooking and made a nice prayer card or booklet and packaged it nicely. Many people view items that are hand designed as collectibles irregardless of the nature of the item.

 

My husband and I have wanted to make a cache filled with various mini religious texts and place it somewhere to promote religious tolerance, but know it wouldn't be approved.

 

I think the best thing you can do is to place swag that you would like to find and hopefully give others new ideas of swag to place themselves. The religious stuff doesn't hurt you, and if it means something to someone, I don't see why it would hurt anyone.

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I think that it is wonderful that most of us live in a county were all but a very vocal few are tolerant of views about religion that aren't the same as their own. I am very thankful that I don't live in a country were the citizens would take to the streets burning images of me and calling for me to be stoned to death because I allowed my elementary school class to name a teddy bear Mohammad.

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I think it's a total waste of time. I doubt one person in the history of mankind has been converted by a

pamphlet.

 

If I see them, I will leave them. It's not my cache to decide what belongs and what doesn't. I do trade for the Chick Tracts to read because they are absolutely hilarious.

 

A while ago I found a cache that was an obvious violation of the agenda rule, as it was next to a church and filled with nothing but various pamphlets and swag espousing a fundamentalist view of Christianity. I came back with some brochures espousing Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, Islam and Catholicism and added them.

 

Don't forget that some people revisit caches. I have revisited caches that are close to my home. When I do I look to see if the swag I left has been taken or not. If the swag is still there I assume no one found it interesting and I make a mental note that once I run out of that item to not buy any more for cache swag. If the swag is gone I assume that someone found it interesting and I make a mental note to get more next time I go shopping. I can't tell the difference between someone taking my swag because they liked it or because they thought it was inappropriate so I assume that they liked it and I am sure most other people assume the same thing. So unless an item in a cache is in obvious violation of one of the guidelines I'd leave it there or I might make the person placing it think that there is a demand for that item.

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I have recently been leaving coins (up to 3 per cache) that have the Ten Commandments on one side and John 3:16 on the other. I leave them for whomever is interested in them, whether fellow Christians, seekers, coin/token collectors, or just someone looking for something different. So far, I am only aware of one cacher who seemed to have a strong reaction against them. We went out of his way to say he'd removed and trashed them from one cache.

 

I attended a local event a few days later and there was much interest in them and I gave out about a dozen even though I'd posted that folks would have to ask me about them if they wanted one. Didn't want to be accused of evangelizing at an event. The offended one was even at this same event and asked to see one. Guess he didn't look past the cross before disposing of them the first time.

 

They're inexpensive, but do have a perceived value that makes them attractive.

 

I agree that tracts and other paper items are poor choices for most caches, though.

 

Dave

 

silver_coin_enlargement_front.jpgsilver_coin_enlargement_back.jpg

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I have recently been leaving coins (up to 3 per cache) that have the Ten Commandments on one side and John 3:16 on the other. I leave them for whomever is interested in them, whether fellow Christians, seekers, coin/token collectors, or just someone looking for something different. So far, I am only aware of one cacher who seemed to have a strong reaction against them. We went out of his way to say he'd removed and trashed them from one cache.

 

I attended a local event a few days later and there was much interest in them and I gave out about a dozen even though I'd posted that folks would have to ask me about them if they wanted one. Didn't want to be accused of evangelizing at an event. The offended one was even at this same event and asked to see one. Guess he didn't look past the cross before disposing of them the first time.

 

They're inexpensive, but do have a perceived value that makes them attractive.

 

I agree that tracts and other paper items are poor choices for most caches, though.

 

Dave

 

silver_coin_enlargement_front.jpgsilver_coin_enlargement_back.jpg

 

I think that a geocache is an excellent place to leave copies of the 10 commandments.

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I don't mind finding religious items ie: coins, crosses, etc. Paper goods that are promoting or advertising a religion or belief seem to me to be as innapropriate as leaving an ad for your business or your business card. To me both of those examples, each in their own way, "commercialize" the geocaching experience. When I go caching, I would like to think that it will be a break from all the "in your face" propaganda (now don't get your panties in a bunch over that word :anicute:) that we all deal with on a daily basis.

Edited by private bones
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My husband and I have wanted to make a cache filled with various mini religious texts and place it somewhere to promote religious tolerance, but know it wouldn't be approved.
I've seen caches that ask you leave only a certain type of swag. Make it a "tract cache." Get some of the FSM tracts, the potato tracts. the Christian tracts... whatever you can find. If it isn't promoting a cause, but focusing on a type of swag, maybe it'll get approved.

 

Maybe... :anibad:

silver_coin_enlargement_front.jpgsilver_coin_enlargement_back.jpg
Cool coin!

 

Every time I see the 10 Commandments, I have to look & see which version it is. Different churches number them differently. There's actually only 9 sentences listing the commandments, 2 of them are made up of 2 phrases. Depending on which sentence you split, the numbers in the middle are offset by one. At the camp I work at someone decided it would be good to put "Thou Shall Not Steal" on the dining room coffee mugs, as they have a way of wandering away. Our church is one of those that numbers it the other way. They put "Remember the 7th Commandment" on the mugs, referring to stealing. People who learned the numbers on the coin here have a very concerned look on their face when they see the mugs for the first time... :anicute:

Edited by Too Tall John
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I leave the Church coin swag because it's important to me, and I'm guessing someone else may also find it of value.

 

It's like leaving the McToys--even though you as an adult don't want them, a cacher who brings their kids might.

I we, as parents of junior, junior cachers, thank you for that.

I think in the end swag is swag, if you do not like it there is nothing saying you have to take it.

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My husband and I have wanted to make a cache filled with various mini religious texts and place it somewhere to promote religious tolerance, but know it wouldn't be approved.
I've seen caches that ask you leave only a certain type of swag. Make it a "tract cache." Get some of the FSM tracts, the potato tracts. the Christian tracts... whatever you can find. If it isn't promoting a cause, but focusing on a type of swag, maybe it'll get approved.

 

We've thought of doing one with various religious symbols on keychains, necklaces, etc. Kind of like a peace cache where everyone could come and take something that suits them and leave another behind. No advertisements or anything like that, just trinkets that have to do with some religion.

 

I'm not into the advertisey type pamphlets either (although they don't bug me). I wouldn't pick them up, but I wouldn't throw them away incase someone else would like them. I would suggest instead to those who place them in caches, find something that is central to your religion and make a keepsake with that idea in mind. I think they would be accepted more openly and since they would be a less "preachy" way to minister your religion, they might also be more effective.

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[snip]...........and if you see a cross or a piece of religious jewelry, leave it there for us. Respect our desire to trade for an item that interests us, just as we respect the rights of people who trade signature items, or plush toys, or keychains, etc.

 

[snip] There was this guy, the Apostle Paul, who wrote these amazing letters nearly 2,000 years ago. They're more my speed. But who am I to say what would work for someone else?

 

Amen! Most of the swag I have found hasn't been worth leaving, much less trading for. Thus, I end up TNLN a good bit of the time. I certainly would not object to seeing something of spiritual value when I open a cache, instead of the "Burgermeister action figure" so common. I myself was leaving some rolled up trash bags for CITO minded cachers to take or use there until I ran out. Time to reload, I guess.

 

Those letters are the best reading available [iMHO].

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For those interested, the coins can be purchased at Living Waters. 50 for $8.00.

 

Thanks for the wonderful swag idea. I just purchased a bag of 50 plus one gold coin. Having just started geocaching I didn't really have anything to leave or trade. I introduced my sister and her family to geocaching and we were planning on going to a dollar store to purchase some swag. I'll probably still do that but I really like the idea of leaving these coins which I will obviously do now that I placed an order for them.

 

Thanks again...Blessings.....

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What about these items for religious materials? Sacred Mists

Alright--I see where this is going ; ) "Religious" can include pagan too; if you feel strongly about the pagan stuff, go ahead leave it in a cache. Just please don't remove the Christian stuff in favor of the pagan stuff (and vice versa).

Edited by meralgia
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My husband and I have wanted to make a cache filled with various mini religious texts and place it somewhere to promote religious tolerance, but know it wouldn't be approved.
I've seen caches that ask you leave only a certain type of swag. Make it a "tract cache." Get some of the FSM tracts, the potato tracts. the Christian tracts... whatever you can find. If it isn't promoting a cause, but focusing on a type of swag, maybe it'll get approved.

 

Maybe... :mad:

silver_coin_enlargement_front.jpgsilver_coin_enlargement_back.jpg
Cool coin!

 

Every time I see the 10 Commandments, I have to look & see which version it is. Different churches number them differently. There's actually only 9 sentences listing the commandments, 2 of them are made up of 2 phrases. Depending on which sentence you split, the numbers in the middle are offset by one. At the camp I work at someone decided it would be good to put "Thou Shall Not Steal" on the dining room coffee mugs, as they have a way of wandering away. Our church is one of those that numbers it the other way. They put "Remember the 7th Commandment" on the mugs, referring to stealing. People who learned the numbers on the coin here have a very concerned look on their face when they see the mugs for the first time... :laughing:

 

I like George Carlin's version best. I'm Agnostic and his boiled down (to 2) and revised (added 1 for a total of 3) version appeals to me logically. I'll probably go to someone else's version of hell for sayin' that though huh? :mad:

 

(I see snoogans found another spot to post pictures of his smashed coins.......) :D

 

This one isn't mine Starbrand. But there's a smashed penny for almost every topic of discussion. I guess that's why millions of people collect 'em. :huh::D Only a few tens of thousands collect geocoins. :D:D

penny10C_110.jpg

Ummm, that's supposed to be the Ten Commandments on a smashed penny.

Edited by Snoogans
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What about these items for religious materials? Sacred Mists

Alright--I see where this is going ; ) "Religious" can include pagan too; if you feel strongly about the pagan stuff, go ahead leave it in a cache. Just please don't remove the Christian stuff in favor of the pagan stuff (and vice versa).

I'm not a pagan. I'm just curious if those expressing such a hot belief in religious items actually believe it's OK for all religious items or just items supporting their particular religion.

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What about these items for religious materials? Sacred Mists

Alright--I see where this is going ; ) "Religious" can include pagan too; if you feel strongly about the pagan stuff, go ahead leave it in a cache. Just please don't remove the Christian stuff in favor of the pagan stuff (and vice versa).

I'm not a pagan. I'm just curious if those expressing such a hot belief in religious items actually believe it's OK for all religious items or just items supporting their particular religion.

This comes up every time this argument does. It's like trying to convince someone that freedom of speech is a bad thing by calling them a name.

 

I'm Christian, and I have actively sought dreamcatchers and Tibetan prayer flags because they were cool, unique sig items.

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I'm Christian, and I have actively sought dreamcatchers and Tibetan prayer flags because they were cool, unique sig items.

I'm a Christian too and just made a dream catcher for my new cache, "Dream Cacher". It just needs a few final touches before I place it for next Saturday's event.

Edited by meralgia
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IMHO, these items are trash and I treat them as such.

 

Wait! before you flame me for this, please just take a look at the news.

 

Mrs Gibbons, 54, was jailed by a Sudanese court on Thursday after allowing her class of seven-year-olds to name a teddy bear Mohammed.

 

People have been rioting in the streets demanding her execution!

 

This is only a brief example of what unrestrained religion is capable of.

 

Why would church swag be appropriate in any geocache?

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IMHO, these items are trash and I treat them as such.

 

{Off topic stuff snipped}

 

Why would church swag be appropriate in any geocache?

You are welcome to clean out anything from your own caches that you don't want in them. For someone else's cache, please trade fairly for anything you take out of the cache. Exception: wet, moldy stuff (whether it's a park map, a religious tract or a 2-for-1 coupon for ice cream) or broken stuff (whether it's a headless McToy or a Star of David that's all rusted).

 

"Church swag" is appropriate in geocaches because some people like to leave it, and some people like to trade for it.

 

I trust I'll see you posting in the next thread about dirty golf balls?

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I've seen a lot of church swag. I disregard it. It's ridiculous. I'm not sure what the intentions are of people who put it in caches is. I just get tempted to take it out and trash it. If it's not my cache, I leave it. If it's one of mine then I take it out and trash it.

 

I have serious doubt that even the person(s) who leave the stuff are quite sure either. I view it as a harmless robotic action..........and ignore it.

 

And because I ignore it, no, I haven't noticed a change one way or the other.

What are the intentions of anyone who trades anything at a geocache? You leave something of value, by your definition, in the hope that someone else may also see it to be valuable enough to trade for. You take something because it interests you, and you leave something in the cache that is of equal or better value.

 

Why would religious items, or the people who trade them, be any different? It really ought not be hard to understand. After 3000 caches I've seen and traded for enough compasses, keychains, beanie babies and glowsticks that I simply don't need anymore. My "collected swag" fills several shopping bags. What I don't have a lot of are crosses, religious medals, religious books and religious jewelry for my daughter. So I would trade for those.

 

If I ever developed a signature item other than hamsters, I'd likely try to incorporate my faith into that item. I've had a geocoin design in mind for quite some time now, and this thread has got me thinking about moving that concept along.

 

Wow, I didnt expect this thread to take off as good as it did, but im glad!!! Now for my personal take.

I would never give a track to anyone even if I was witnessing to them, because they lost thiere flavor a long time ago. Kinda like door to door salesmen and soon to follow telemarketers. But keeping God in Caches for me is cool. Its just what you said. Something of Value for someone else. We hike miles through nature to find little piecies of swag and get excited about it. To me after spending that much time with our Creator, in his elemant, finding a book, or cd, or whatever, that could connect me to him is just icing on the cake. Im not talking about tracks though. Thanks for all the great reviews!!! -mrbeachroach

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IMHO, these items are trash and I treat them as such.

 

Wait! before you flame me for this, please just take a look at the news.

 

Mrs Gibbons, 54, was jailed by a Sudanese court on Thursday after allowing her class of seven-year-olds to name a teddy bear Mohammed.

 

People have been rioting in the streets demanding her execution!

 

This is only a brief example of what unrestrained religion is capable of.

 

Why would church swag be appropriate in any geocache?

 

Hello and welcome to the thread. You might want to review a few of the earlier post before jumping right in. I mentioned Mrs Gibbons, although not by name in post #22. What has and is happening to Mrs Gibbons is case of religious intolerance. When I see religious material in a cache it reassures me that there is still religious tolerances in this country.

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Mrs Gibbons, 54, was jailed by a Sudanese court on Thursday after allowing her class of seven-year-olds to name a teddy bear Mohammed.

 

People have been rioting in the streets demanding her execution!

 

This is only a brief example of what unrestrained religion is capable of.

 

 

This is not the action of religion, that is zealotry!!

 

I feel for the lady, but she lives there and teaches there, she should know how overboard the zealots in her area are. Wasn't wise to allow this to happen.

 

As for me, if they execute or even continue to keep her jailed, I may decide to protest by getting a pet pig, and naming it after the teddy bear. It's only a name, for crying out loud!!

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