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Religious crap in a cache


fly46

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:D Okay, so I just did cache maintenance on one of my caches. Opened the container to find the usual degredation of stuff - you know, the assortment of plastic crap that only a kid could love. :laughing: Whatever, I expect that. So I pulled everything out, and I was checking all the paper stuff to see what needed trashed out, since there was a little dampness in the container (it sat under 3 feet of snow for 3 months).

 

And, then I found it. Slightly larger than my signature business card was this paper religious tract type of a thing.

 

SERIOUSLY????????????????????????????????????????

 

You know, caching is a family sport and it's played all over the world by all different types of people. I want this to be a fun hobby. But stuff like that really bothers me. Like, really, really, really.

 

I'm cool with people who want to put symbols on their signature items or geo coins. I'm even cool with people who want to use a religious item as swag - and by that I'm talking, mini buddha, a rosary, whatever.

 

But when you're leaving cutesy paper goods to convert people to your beliefs, I think that crosses a line. I don't want the business card for your pastor, mapquest directions to your sinagogue, coordinants to your high holy tree. We get enough religion salesmen door to door, we don't need them in our caches, too.

 

The same goes for politics. I once found a paper that said "following [politician] is like being in the special olympics" aside from that being extremely degrading and rude on all sides, it's another thing that doesn't have a place in a geocache.

 

:) Can we please remember that this is an open, family sport?

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:D Okay, so I just did cache maintenance on one of my caches. Opened the container to find the usual degredation of stuff - you know, the assortment of plastic crap that only a kid could love. :laughing: Whatever, I expect that. So I pulled everything out, and I was checking all the paper stuff to see what needed trashed out, since there was a little dampness in the container (it sat under 3 feet of snow for 3 months).

 

And, then I found it. Slightly larger than my signature business card was this paper religious tract type of a thing.

 

SERIOUSLY????????????????????????????????????????

 

You know, caching is a family sport and it's played all over the world by all different types of people. I want this to be a fun hobby. But stuff like that really bothers me. Like, really, really, really.

 

I'm cool with people who want to put symbols on their signature items or geo coins. I'm even cool with people who want to use a religious item as swag - and by that I'm talking, mini buddha, a rosary, whatever.

 

But when you're leaving cutesy paper goods to convert people to your beliefs, I think that crosses a line. I don't want the business card for your pastor, mapquest directions to your sinagogue, coordinants to your high holy tree. We get enough religion salesmen door to door, we don't need them in our caches, too.

 

The same goes for politics. I once found a paper that said "following [politician] is like being in the special olympics" aside from that being extremely degrading and rude on all sides, it's another thing that doesn't have a place in a geocache.

 

:) Can we please remember that this is an open, family sport?

 

Its your cache - do with it as you please.

 

If you ever find such a thing in a cache that isn't yours - feel free to trade it out for something of your own and dispose of it.

 

It is your choice to be offended by it.

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While I wouldn't want to find those in a cache either, I would just take them out and trash them, to be honest. You say its a family sport as if you think children are vulnerable to such tripe, I really don't think they are. I do have my beliefs, but I don't push it on people and I choose to be respectful of others and not to leave/dump that kind of thing anywhere. Actually, if it had contact details on it, I might be inclined to follow it up and ask them not to leave that kind of thing in my caches, explaining that some people do find it offensive and it's not helpful to their organisation to do that kind of thing.

 

I'd be more concerned about invitations to organisations known for their hatred of others, or phone numbers to people who could get kids addicted or put in harms way (and yes, some religious cults are guilty of this). What harm can it really do, though, as all it needs is for children to identify it as either irrelevant to them or rubbish. Even a child can see that leaving that kind of a card out in the wild is a sign of desperation and lack of anything substantial to offer.

 

Don't let it get to you.

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Wow, we aren't even done beating the crap out of each other over this issue over on the Naughty Swag thread, and someone starts ANOTHER topic about religious tracts as swag. Good grief, there is a lot of angst over this! Maybe the mods can move all the religious angst from the Naughty Swag thread over here, and we can leave the Bacon Mints and underwear in peace.

Edited by nericksx
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It's a family game.

 

Some families practice and preach.

 

Some don't.

 

Six of one, half dozen of another.

 

Don't go hanging people over what they view as worthwhile to leave in a cache, unless you want to place a note in there stating what is and isn't acceptable.

 

Honestly, I've found more objectionable items in caches than a Chick booklet, a prayer or a tract.

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According to Groundspeak guidelines....

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

 

Why are we allowed to promote our religions?

 

AD5 - my issue isn't that it's religious material, but the kind of religious material. Like I said before, I wouldn't be offended to find a rosary or a magic wand, but its the stuff that tells you you're going to wherever or you need to find god/allah/buddha/bob the talking frog.

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According to Groundspeak guidelines....

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

 

Why are we allowed to promote our religions?

Those guidelines do not now nor have they ever applied to swag.

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According to Groundspeak guidelines....

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

 

Why are we allowed to promote our religions?

Those guidelines do not now nor have they ever applied to swag.

 

Untrue. See Keystone's comments in the "Naughty Swag" thread for clarification.

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According to Groundspeak guidelines....

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

 

Why are we allowed to promote our religions?

You're just having a bunch of fun here, right?? I love how you twist that question up so that you can make it say what you want. You know better.

 

when is comes to a Cache listing...

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote our religions.

 

But when it comes to what people choose to put into a Cache...

We are allowed to have commercial support a specific business.

We are allowed to promote a special charity.

We are allowed to promote our religions.

 

If you're that offended by it, just hide in your shack in the woods and pull the plug off the grid.

 

Edit for punctuation.

Edited by WRITE SHOP ROBERT
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mmmm, bacon mints.

 

I tasted bacon-flavored beer at a homebrew club meeting once.

 

Oh wait, that's off-topic. Let me bring this back on topic: I don't much care for religious tracts either, in a cache or elsewhere. But I fail to see why finding one (in a cache, or elsewhere) sends some people into such a tizzy. Read it if you want to. Or don't. If it's your cache, trash the thing. But there's really no need for all the angst.

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While I agree that these items aren't appropriate for a geocache, I think the tone of this rant is inflammatory. Some people are a bit misguided about what they put in caches, but ranting and using offensive language just gets people upset.

 

What do you regulars say??? ding ding?

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What about Bob?

 

According to Groundspeak guidelines....

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

 

Why are we allowed to promote our religions?

 

If the cache was full on tracts, I'd understand your beef. But one tract is inconsequential. Just remove it.

 

BTW, do you realize by continuing to rant that you are further promoting that which you do not like?

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According to Groundspeak guidelines....

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

 

Why are we allowed to promote our religions?

Those guidelines do not now nor have they ever applied to swag.

 

Untrue. See Keystone's comments in the "Naughty Swag" thread for clarification.

 

No - I think you misunderstood. The above quoted guidelines for promotion of commercial and charity caches - DOES NOT apply to swag --- or I'm going to have to start pulling everything with a logo on it out of caches. Keystone's post had nothing to do with those guidelines - just the prohibited items guidelines. Religous tracts are not on the list - although I suppose somebody might report the existence of those items to a reviewer and claim they were "questionable" .

 

Cache Contents

Use your common sense in most cases. Explosives, fireworks, ammo, lighters, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. As always respect the local laws. Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages.

 

Food items are always a bad idea. Animals have better noses than humans, and in some cases caches have been chewed through and destroyed because food items (or items that smell like food) are in the cache. Even the presence of mint flavored dental floss has led to destruction of one cache.

 

If the original cache contents list any of the above items or other questionable items, or if a cache is reported to have the questionable items, the cache may be disabled, and the owner of the cache will be contacted and asked to remove the questionable items before the cache is enabled.

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According to Groundspeak guidelines....

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

 

Why are we allowed to promote our religions?

Those guidelines do not now nor have they ever applied to swag.

 

Untrue. See Keystone's comments in the "Naughty Swag" thread for clarification.

 

No - I think you misunderstood. The above quoted guidelines for promotion of commercial and charity caches - DOES NOT apply to swag --- or I'm going to have to start pulling everything with a logo on it out of caches. Keystone's post had nothing to do with those guidelines - just the prohibited items guidelines. Religous tracts are not on the list - although I suppose somebody might report the existence of those items to a reviewer and claim they were "questionable" .

 

Cache Contents

Use your common sense in most cases. Explosives, fireworks, ammo, lighters, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. As always respect the local laws. Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages.

 

Food items are always a bad idea. Animals have better noses than humans, and in some cases caches have been chewed through and destroyed because food items (or items that smell like food) are in the cache. Even the presence of mint flavored dental floss has led to destruction of one cache.

 

If the original cache contents list any of the above items or other questionable items, or if a cache is reported to have the questionable items, the cache may be disabled, and the owner of the cache will be contacted and asked to remove the questionable items before the cache is enabled.

 

It's the "or other questionable items" that is key. Using a cache to promote a religious agenda is expressly prohibited by the guidelines. Putting religious items in a cache *is* using a cache to promote a religious agenda.

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While I agree that these items aren't appropriate for a geocache, I think the tone of this rant is inflammatory. Some people are a bit misguided about what they put in caches, but ranting and using offensive language just gets people upset.

 

What do you regulars say??? ding ding?

I say the boy needs to get over himself, and that a Moderator should close this trolling-for-trouble thread.

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While I agree that these items aren't appropriate for a geocache, I think the tone of this rant is inflammatory. Some people are a bit misguided about what they put in caches, but ranting and using offensive language just gets people upset.

 

What do you regulars say??? ding ding?

I say the boy needs to get over himself, and that a Moderator should close this trolling-for-trouble thread.

 

I'm not a regular, but I wholeheartedly agree. To help this process along, this will be my second to last post on this topic.

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While I agree that these items aren't appropriate for a geocache, I think the tone of this rant is inflammatory. Some people are a bit misguided about what they put in caches, but ranting and using offensive language just gets people upset.

 

What do you regulars say??? ding ding?

I say the boy needs to get over himself, and that a Moderator should close this trolling-for-trouble thread.

 

If this thread is closed before 4PM CST, I'll eat my shoe. I predict days if not weeks of divisive bickering and name-calling still to come.

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mmmm, bacon mints.

 

I tasted bacon-flavored beer at a homebrew club meeting once.

 

Oh wait, that's off-topic. Let me bring this back on topic: I don't much care for religious tracts either, in a cache or elsewhere. But I fail to see why finding one (in a cache, or elsewhere) sends some people into such a tizzy. Read it if you want to. Or don't. If it's your cache, trash the thing. But there's really no need for all the angst.

 

Bacon Flavored Beer? Oh man....

Can I.....

Was it....

Oh man....

 

This is my last post on this topic.

 

Bacon flavored beer....

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SERIOUSLY????????????????????????????????????????

Need more question marks?????????????????????????

SERIOUSLY????????????????????????????????????????

We've got plenty....................................................

Periods, too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

But stuff like that really bothers me. Like, really, really, really.

That's OK. People who get worked up over one person's opinion, on a scrap of paper, really bother me. Like, really, really, really. :)

Dude. Toss it and move on. There's no need for this drama queen act. :D

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"my issue isn't that it's religious material, but the kind of religious material. Like I said before, I wouldn't be offended to find a rosary or a magic wand, but its the stuff that tells you you're going to wherever or you need to find god/allah/buddha/bob the talking frog."

ok point taken, but one question where does the line get drawn, some ppl will take offence to a rosary, where they deem a tract ok. Isn't saying that some religious material is ok and some isn't, doesn't that create a double standard. if you don't want them in your cache fine i won't leave any more in your :)

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If this thread is closed before 4PM CST, I'll eat my shoe. I predict days if not weeks of divisive bickering and name-calling still to come.

Please.. a mod.. any mod.. and I want videos.

Rather than that video, I'd like to watch all the creative non-insulting and non-name-calling that really is insulting and name calling. Creative writing at it's best.

 

I didn't call you that...if you saw that in my post, it's only because you think that about yourself!

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We get enough religion salesmen door to door, we don't need them in our caches, too.

Jesus and his disciple went door to door and house to house too. They probably would've ticked you off too. Don't fault people for trying to do the last thing that Jesus commanded his disciples to do.

 

If you don't like it in your cache toss it. Don't lose sleep over it.

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From what I was able to discern from the Naughty Swag discussion, religious stuff is not prohibited swag because it isn't:

  • Illegal
  • Physically dangerous
  • Obscene as defined by local laws

It may be annoying to some, however. I personally find McToys, little erasers & pine cones equally as annoying, like really, really, really. ANGST ANGST ANGST! :) I also find the lack of keys to a late model BMW in a cache really, really, really irritating! Where's that "General Angst" thread anyway? I know I saw one once.

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According to Groundspeak guidelines....

We're not allowed to have commercial caches that tell you to support a specific business.

We're not allowed to have caches that promote a special charity.

 

Why are we allowed to promote our religions?

Those guidelines do not now nor have they ever applied to swag.

 

Untrue. See Keystone's comments in the "Naughty Swag" thread for clarification.

 

Perhaps you need to read his comments on the "Naughty Swag" thread. Better cover up, your agenda is showing again.

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Don't fault people for trying to do the last thing that Jesus commanded his disciples to do.

 

 

They can be faulted for doing it where they are expressly told not to. Like geocaches.

 

:) Groundspeak doesn't prohibit religious swag. I think that point has been made thousands of times. You just don't seem to get it.

 

Now, about that donut...

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Don't fault people for trying to do the last thing that Jesus commanded his disciples to do.

 

 

They can be faulted for doing it where they are expressly told not to. Like geocaches.

 

:) Groundspeak doesn't prohibit religious swag. I think that point has been made thousands of times. You just don't seem to get it.

 

Now, about that donut...

I want a pony.

 

If I had a pony people would give me donuts to let them pet him.

 

And a blue bow.

 

I want a pony with a blue bow so people will give me donuts.

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Don't fault people for trying to do the last thing that Jesus commanded his disciples to do.

 

 

They can be faulted for doing it where they are expressly told not to. Like geocaches.

 

:) Groundspeak doesn't prohibit religious swag. I think that point has been made thousands of times. You just don't seem to get it.

 

Now, about that donut...

I want a pony.

 

If I had a pony people would give me donuts to let them pet him.

 

And a blue bow.

 

I want a pony with a blue bow so people will give me donuts.

 

I'll see what I can do... but you have to promise to share the donuts.

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Being a God fearing Baptist. I think that tracts are a waste of time. People never recieve them well. I only hand them out when asked. Some of us think that if we can hand out or place enough of these we may win another soul. Not true, one must enter the marketplace of ideas in conversation not with tracts. Caches are not a place to leave this type of material. You only succeed in making more stuff to throw out.

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....

 

It's the "or other questionable items" that is key. Using a cache to promote a religious agenda is expressly prohibited by the guidelines. Putting religious items in a cache *is* using a cache to promote a religious agenda.

 

Again - you read too much into it. The reference is to a cache's listing page and/or location - not some random content that is traded into it.

 

You may find such an item as "questionable". I do not. At least no more so than somebody leaving a stanley screwdriver in a cache when it is well known that I am partial to Sear's Craftsman tools.

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