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Can We All Agree That Religion Does Not Belong In Geocaching?


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Has anyone else run into this? It really steams my clams! Spent a long time searching for a cache and when you open it up, bam!, the violent imagery of a bleeding man. I sometimes cache with my small niece and nephew, I would be horrified if they opened up a cache and saw that, they are being raised sans religion based on my sister and brother-in-laws wishes. Now I understand to some people it means something different, but don't push your opinion on me. That goes for any religion, although I have only seen propaganda from one. What do you think? Is it ok to place this "reading material" in caches?

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This issues is brought up repeatedly. You may wish to try using the search function.

 

I'd also suggest that one man's trash is another man's treasure and it is best not to let yourself be offended so easily. Religious tracts in caches does not violate any guidelines. You can always trade up or trade even and then CITO what you take if that makes you feel better.

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We have discussed this many times. You can read the material or you can choose to ignore the material. It is not food and it is not inherently dangerous so it falls within the guidelines. Regardless of what you think, your not going to be able to stop someone from placing the material in a cache. What is my opinion? I really don't care if someone puts that in the cache. It has no affect on my life.

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I really don't want to talk about it again. The short answer to your question is "no, we can't agree" <_<

these threads always become heated debates on whether or not religious material is offensive.

I trade it out myself. My rabbit it currently chewing on "the watchtower"

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Guilty of not searching the forums, strike one on that count.

 

Also, if everything that has been brought up before was banned from being discussed on these forums there would have stopped being new posts 3 or 4 years ago. I'll also say I was bringing up a specific example of my niece and nephew.

 

For me, I don't understand how a bloody whipped man with nails through his hands on a cross is not considered disallowed under:

 

"Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages."

 

Why the double standard? Because most of the community is okay with it?

 

This was just something that happened to me today and I was just caching with my niece and nephew days ago. Would it have irrevocably harm them? No. May it upset them, perhaps.

 

Anyway, if it's been discussed to death then just let this post float down the page.

Edited by Hypnopaedia
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Guilty of not searching the forums, strike one on that count.

 

Also, if everything that has been brought up before was banned from being discussed on these forums there would have stopped being new posts 3 or 4 years ago. I'll also say I was bringing up a specific example of my niece and nephew.

 

For me, I don't understand how a bloody whipped man with nails through his hands on a cross is not considered disallowed under:

 

"Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages."

 

Why the double standard? Because most of the community is okay with it?

 

This was just something that happened to me today and I was just caching with my niece and nephew days ago. Would it have irrevocably harm them? No. May it upset them, perhaps.

 

Anyway, if it's been discussed to death then just let this post float down the page.

 

Seems like it upsets you more then them, considering they weren't even with you. Ignore it or CITO it, whatever makes you happier, but... sheesh. Sorry, but this is a mountain out of a molehill. Highly doubt your niece and nephew are going to be scarred for life.

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I'll also say I was bringing up a specific example of my niece and nephew.

 

For me, I don't understand how a bloody whipped man with nails through his hands on a cross is not considered disallowed under:

 

"Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages."

 

I'm not sure how long you have been geocaching but there are all sorts of things left in caches that might be inappropriate for children (weapons, porn, underwear, birth control, feminine hygiene products) so it would probably be a good and safe idea for the adult(s) to check the cache contents before letting the kids at it.

 

Again, religious tracts - whether one likes them or not - do not violate any guidelines.

Edited by ThePetersTrio
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I'll also say I was bringing up a specific example of my niece and nephew.

 

For me, I don't understand how a bloody whipped man with nails through his hands on a cross is not considered disallowed under:

 

"Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages."

 

I'm not sure how long you have been geocaching but there are all sorts of things left in caches that might be inappropriate for children (weapons, porn, underwear, birth control, feminine hygiene products) so it would probably be a good and safe idea for the adult(s) to check the cache contents before letting the kids at it.

 

Again, religious tracts - whether one likes them or not - do not violate any guidelines.

I found a sticker with a naked lady on it the other day. Personally, I'd rather explain a gory religious symbol to my non religious children than the naked lady sticker.

Stuff that isn't allowed in geocaches as quoted above, still shows up in them. Banning it won't solve the problem.

Want to make geocaching a better place? Trade up for questionable items, leave the cache better than you found it. Actions are louder than words.

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I'll also say I was bringing up a specific example of my niece and nephew.

 

For me, I don't understand how a bloody whipped man with nails through his hands on a cross is not considered disallowed under:

 

"Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages."

 

I'm not sure how long you have been geocaching but there are all sorts of things left in caches that might be inappropriate for children (weapons, porn, underwear, birth control, feminine hygiene products) so it would probably be a good and safe idea for the adult(s) to check the cache contents before letting the kids at it.

 

Again, religious tracts - whether one likes them or not - do not violate any guidelines.

I found a sticker with a naked lady on it the other day. Personally, I'd rather explain a gory religious symbol to my non religious children than the naked lady sticker.

Stuff that isn't allowed in geocaches as quoted above, still shows up in them. Banning it won't solve the problem.

Want to make geocaching a better place? Trade up for questionable items, leave the cache better than you found it. Actions are louder than words.

 

Didn't you previously say "I really don't want to talk about it again." Then when I respond mainly with an explanation of why I posted it, an acknowledgement of my mistake and an offer to have this post disappear due to my mistake, you respond with the above. Seems like you do want to talk about it.

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Want to make geocaching a better place? Trade up for questionable items, leave the cache better than you found it. Actions are louder than words.
+1

That's what I've done when I've found questionable materials in a cache (e.g., scented items, offensively graphic materials). Trade up or trade even, and then it's yours. Once it's yours, do whatever you want with it.

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I'll also say I was bringing up a specific example of my niece and nephew.

 

For me, I don't understand how a bloody whipped man with nails through his hands on a cross is not considered disallowed under:

 

"Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages."

 

I'm not sure how long you have been geocaching but there are all sorts of things left in caches that might be inappropriate for children (weapons, porn, underwear, birth control, feminine hygiene products) so it would probably be a good and safe idea for the adult(s) to check the cache contents before letting the kids at it.

 

Again, religious tracts - whether one likes them or not - do not violate any guidelines.

I found a sticker with a naked lady on it the other day. Personally, I'd rather explain a gory religious symbol to my non religious children than the naked lady sticker.

Stuff that isn't allowed in geocaches as quoted above, still shows up in them. Banning it won't solve the problem.

Want to make geocaching a better place? Trade up for questionable items, leave the cache better than you found it. Actions are louder than words.

 

Didn't you previously say "I really don't want to talk about it again." Then when I respond mainly with an explanation of why I posted it, an acknowledgement of my mistake and an offer to have this post disappear due to my mistake, you respond with the above. Seems like you do want to talk about it.

This seems overly defensive. I was commenting on a post by ThePetersTrio that I felt relavent. I don't want to debate religion. I do want to talk about geocaching. That's what this post was.

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Guilty of not searching the forums, strike one on that count.

 

Also, if everything that has been brought up before was banned from being discussed on these forums there would have stopped being new posts 3 or 4 years ago. I'll also say I was bringing up a specific example of my niece and nephew.

 

For me, I don't understand how a bloody whipped man with nails through his hands on a cross is not considered disallowed under:

 

"Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages."

 

Why the double standard? Because most of the community is okay with it?

 

This was just something that happened to me today and I was just caching with my niece and nephew days ago. Would it have irrevocably harm them? No. May it upset them, perhaps.

 

Anyway, if it's been discussed to death then just let this post float down the page.

 

Highly doubt your niece and nephew are going to be scarred for life.

 

What part of "Would it have irrevocably harm them? No. May it upset them, perhaps." did I word incorrectly? For me, reading the stuff I respond to is key. But that's just one man's opinion.

 

Again, this is the first time I have been involved in a discussion of this. I have copped to forgetting the search button. I have happily volunteered to let the thread die. Please stop treating me like I was involved in all those discussions, I was not.

 

Now, again, if the supposition is that this has been discussed to death by everyone but me, then let this thread die. I'm not a troll and I don't enjoy what this discussion has speedily become.

Edited by Hypnopaedia
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I feel like someone needs a hug (and I honestly don't mean that in a patronizing way)

Nobody is mad at you op, nobody thinks you are a troll.

You are not the first to not use the search button and you won't be the last.

Honestly, if we didn't create duplicate threads sometimes we'd run out of things to talk about.

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I feel like someone needs a hug (and I honestly don't mean that in a patronizing way)

Nobody is mad at you op, nobody thinks you are a troll.

You are not the first to not use the search button and you won't be the last.

Honestly, if we didn't create duplicate threads sometimes we'd run out of things to talk about.

 

I do need a hug. But that's irrelevant. And now that we're all peaceful like, we can let this thread die a quick death. Ignore this thread and look at my much more happy thread about the caches people are the most proud of. (Everyone elses [so far] puts mine to shame.)

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Wow, I don't think the OP came here to be crucified. :yikes:

 

One of the things I :mad: about this forum is everytime someone asks a question, it's almost guaranteed that someone clever will point out that there are 1000 threads already on the same subject. Personally, I think that's quite rude. If you don't like the thread, don't post, eh. A discussion forum is not just here for people to look up information. If we wanted that, we could just compile all the information in the forum, make it into a webpage and shut the forum down. If someone hasn't had the chance to participate in a particular discussion, then let them open a new thread. If others feel it's been discussed to death already, well then, don't post or at the very least, be polite.

 

As for the religious stuff, I don't think that stuff should be in caches. I don't want to see people advertising their businesses either. All I want to see is cheap plastic toys and a logbook. I don't however believe my kids would be scarred for life seeing a picture of Jesus on the cross in a cache. We've been all over Europe and paintings of the crucifixion are everywhere. There is also a tremendous amount of nudity and nobody thinks twice about it.

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As for the religious stuff, I don't think that stuff should be in caches. I don't want to see people advertising their businesses either. All I want to see is cheap plastic toys and a logbook.

 

I think it depends on the circumstances. I would not like to find ten copies of a religious tract in a cache. One copy of a book devoted to a religious topic, a crucifix and a rosary are however appropriate trading items in my opinion. If a Donald Duck books, Harry Potter, Grimm's fairy tales, books about microprocessors etc are allowed, then the for example the bible needs to be feasible as well.

 

It is your own choice whether you are religious or not. I do not think that it will harm any child to see a picture of Jesus. It is an important message for children to learn that people are different and that different things are important for them.

 

We've been all over Europe and paintings of the crucifixion are everywhere.

 

Not only paintings. In my home country, for example, there is a cross in each class room in school.

 

Cezanne

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I think it depends on the circumstances. I would not like to find ten copies of a religious tract in a cache. One copy of a book devoted to a religious topic, a crucifix and a rosary are however appropriate trading items in my opinion. If a Donald Duck books, Harry Potter, Grimm's fairy tales, books about microprocessors etc are allowed, then the for example the bible needs to be feasible as well.

 

It is your own choice whether you are religious or not. I do not think that it will harm any child to see a picture of Jesus. It is an important message for children to learn that people are different and that different things are important for them.

 

 

That's odd. Never seen a book in a cache here. Too moist in this part of the world, I think.

 

As someone who was raised Catholic, I would not like to see a crucifix or rosary in the cache as a trade item. I remember when we got our rosaries, it was a special ceremony and the rosaries were blessed, I wouldn't want to see one in the bottom of a mildewy box in the forest. Again, lots of moisture issues here and the trade items in our caches are usually toys.

Edited by The_Incredibles_
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As someone who was raised Catholic, I would not like to see a crucifix or rosary in the cache as a trade item. I remember when we got our rosaries, it was a special ceremony and the rosaries were blessed, I wouldn't want to see one in the bottom of a mildewy box in the forest. Again, lots of moisture issues here and the trade items in our caches are usually toys.

 

I agree to the extent that I would not put a rosary into a cache and I cannot recall to have ever left a book. I have found however already quite a number of caches that contained books in various parts of the world. Personally, I do not think that the woods are a perfect place for storing items at all and I am not trading at all. However, preferences of cachers are different and there exist numerous threads where cachers complain about caches that just contain cheap plastic toys and ask for items that are nice to find for adults. The problem with that is that everyone regards different things as nice.

 

Cezanne

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It isn't so bad if there are one or two tracts in a cache. I get annoyed when the cache is stuffed full of them. Are you one of those people who do that? If so a little hint. They are only gonna turn to trash and will probably end up as the object of someones cito. It's a waste of your paper and an annoyance to everyone else.

 

OP, your sisters kids are gonna run into this stuff everywhere. It would probably be a good idea to deal with that reality early in life.

 

I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of a naked lady sticker being worse than the image of a man being violently tortured and murdered. But both images can be found daily displayed openly all over the world.

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I feel like someone needs a hug (and I honestly don't mean that in a patronizing way)

Nobody is mad at you op, nobody thinks you are a troll.

You are not the first to not use the search button and you won't be the last.

Honestly, if we didn't create duplicate threads sometimes we'd run out of things to talk about.

 

I do need a hug. But that's irrelevant. And now that we're all peaceful like, we can let this thread die a quick death. Ignore this thread and look at my much more happy thread about the caches people are the most proud of. (Everyone elses [so far] puts mine to shame.)

 

You might ask a mod to close thie thread, otherwise it will probably go on for 2 or 3 pages or more :D

Edited by vagabond
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After a few thousand caches over the past nine years filled with broken McToys, a religious trade item is about the ONLY thing that I WOULD trade for. So, no, we can't all agree - sorry.

 

I don't drink alcohol anymore. Maybe I should start a thread about "free drink" coupons and tokens in caches. They aren't family friendly, you know. I will probably get around to starting that thread after I start the thread calling for banning event caches in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol.

 

Or not. I could also just be tolerant. B)

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Has anyone else run into this? It really steams my clams! Spent a long time searching for a cache and when you open it up, bam!, the violent imagery of a bleeding man. I sometimes cache with my small niece and nephew, I would be horrified if they opened up a cache and saw that, they are being raised sans religion based on my sister and brother-in-laws wishes. Now I understand to some people it means something different, but don't push your opinion on me. That goes for any religion, although I have only seen propaganda from one. What do you think? Is it ok to place this "reading material" in caches?

 

that is perfectly fine, but religion does exist and so do the followers, perhaps the kids should be aware of that so they are not horrified

they will sooner or later find out that not everyone has the same views

 

having said that, i do agree that such issues have no place in geocaching but how do you propose to control that?

i don't like seeing all the religious pamphlets either, but at the end of the day we are all entitled to our beliefs...don't like it, ignore it

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All I want to see is cheap plastic toys

 

Please no! Most toys have a tie in to some TV show, and I raise my children in a TV free household. Plastic toys encourage TV watching, which takes time away from their studies, playing outdoors, and their worship activities. It would also expose them to the fact that there are people different than them, and I would be horrified to have them experience something that I can't control.

 

If toys must be traded, they should be non-violent and made of sustainable hardwoods using only non-toxic paints and stains.

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As someone who was raised Catholic, I would not like to see a crucifix or rosary in the cache as a trade item. I remember when we got our rosaries, it was a special ceremony and the rosaries were blessed, I wouldn't want to see one in the bottom of a mildewy box in the forest. Again, lots of moisture issues here and the trade items in our caches are usually toys.

Moisture isn't going to remove the blessing from one of these items. Further, if someone wants the item but is concerned that it isn't blessed, he/she can take it to any priest, who would no doubt be happy to do the deed.

 

To the OP, while a person is perfectly within his/her rights to not introduce religion into his/her household, I think that it's unreasonable to expect that the children will never run into religion while out in the world. An image of Jesus on teh cross can easily be explained to children without proclaiming him to be our Lord and Savior. Non-Christian religions don't typically deny the fact that Jesus was crucified, after all.

Edited by sbell111
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As someone who was raised Catholic, I would not like to see a crucifix or rosary in the cache as a trade item. I remember when we got our rosaries, it was a special ceremony and the rosaries were blessed, I wouldn't want to see one in the bottom of a mildewy box in the forest. Again, lots of moisture issues here and the trade items in our caches are usually toys.

Moisture isn't going to remove the blessing from one of these items. Further, if someone wants the item but is concerned that it isn't blessed, he/she can take it to any priest, who would no doubt be happy to do the deed.

 

To the OP, while a person is perfectly within his/her rights to not introduce religion into his/her household, I think that it's unreasonable to expect that the children will never run into religion while out in the world. An image of Jesus on teh cross can easily be explained to children without proclaiming him to be our Lord and Savior. Non-Christian religions don't typically deny the fact that Jesus was crucified, after all.

 

+1

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Has anyone else run into this? It really steams my clams! Spent a long time searching for a cache and when you open it up, bam!, the violent imagery of a bleeding man. I sometimes cache with my small niece and nephew, I would be horrified if they opened up a cache and saw that, they are being raised sans religion based on my sister and brother-in-laws wishes. Now I understand to some people it means something different, but don't push your opinion on me. That goes for any religion, although I have only seen propaganda from one. What do you think? Is it ok to place this "reading material" in caches?

Do you not see the irony in your post? :huh:

 

Sign the log and keep your opinion to yourself. Yep, sounds right to me.

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having said that, i do agree that such issues have no place in geocaching but how do you propose to control that?

i don't like seeing all the religious pamphlets either, but at the end of the day we are all entitled to our beliefs...don't like it, ignore it

 

To me the original post sounds as like each form of religious items is considered inappropriate as trading items. There is a difference between a cache container full of religious pamphlets and e.g. a single book with religious content. Do you really think that a book about cryptography, a Donald Duck book, a McD toy or a necklace are deeper related to geocaching than a book about religion? I am not a buddhist, but I can well imagine taking a brochure about a buddhist group with me while I am perfectly sure that I would not take any of the aforementioned other examples with me (I am tired of that sort of stuff).

 

Do you really object against leaving e.g. a book or a post card which shows a picture of Jesus on the cross? This would also exclude some of the finest works of art. I sometimes traveled to some place just e.g. to be able to view a wonderful altar painting in a church.

 

I am sure that many of the widely spread computer games are more harmful for children (not only the violent ones) than being exposed to the image of Jesus Christ.

 

Cezanne

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I feel like someone needs a hug (and I honestly don't mean that in a patronizing way)

Nobody is mad at you op, nobody thinks you are a troll.

You are not the first to not use the search button and you won't be the last.

Honestly, if we didn't create duplicate threads sometimes we'd run out of things to talk about.

 

I do need a hug. But that's irrelevant. And now that we're all peaceful like, we can let this thread die a quick death. Ignore this thread and look at my much more happy thread about the caches people are the most proud of. (Everyone elses [so far] puts mine to shame.)

 

Either pm a moderator and ask to have this thread locked, or report it.

 

If you want the thread to "die", it's not going to happen unless you, as the thread author, ask for it to be locked.

Edited by Pup Patrol
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This was just something that happened to me today and I was just caching with my niece and nephew days ago. Would it have irrevocably harm them? No. May it upset them, perhaps.

It may upset them if you teach them that it should.

 

On the other hand you could tell them the Jesus story from the Bible's perspective and from yours, let them decide what they believe... although you sound too entrenched to view it from any perspective but your own. Maybe a better idea is take them to Sunday School when they are visiting you. Let them choose between the Christian lifestyle and your own. Kids are pretty smart like that, they will choose their own beliefs no matter what you believe IF they are given enough information to make a decision.

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As someone who was raised Catholic, I would not like to see a crucifix or rosary in the cache as a trade item. I remember when we got our rosaries, it was a special ceremony and the rosaries were blessed, I wouldn't want to see one in the bottom of a mildewy box in the forest. Again, lots of moisture issues here and the trade items in our caches are usually toys.

Moisture isn't going to remove the blessing from one of these items. Further, if someone wants the item but is concerned that it isn't blessed, he/she can take it to any priest, who would no doubt be happy to do the deed.

 

 

I guess you misunderstood The_Incredibles. I am pretty sure that he/she just meant that for him/her these items are too precious to put them into a cache. There are lot of stuff that I value too high to put them into a cache. If a cheap plastic toy does not survive well in a cache, it is not that much an issue for me than if something which I regard as valuable is turned into a bad condition.

 

Cezanne

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I feel like someone needs a hug (and I honestly don't mean that in a patronizing way)

Nobody is mad at you op, nobody thinks you are a troll.

You are not the first to not use the search button and you won't be the last.

Honestly, if we didn't create duplicate threads sometimes we'd run out of things to talk about.

 

I do need a hug. But that's irrelevant. And now that we're all peaceful like, we can let this thread die a quick death. Ignore this thread and look at my much more happy thread about the caches people are the most proud of. (Everyone elses [so far] puts mine to shame.)

 

Either pm a moderator and ask to have this thread locked, or report it.

 

If you want the thread to "die", it's not going to happen unless you, as the thread author, ask for it to be locked.

 

This is true. Historically, this thread will just become increasingly hostile until it gets locked. Do us all a favor and request that it be closed.

 

I don't hold any religious beliefs. I don't like being proselytized to and in a world where everybody wants to make me happy I'd never find any kind of religious propaganda in a cache. I don't live in that world so I either ignore it or, if it's hateful and mean-spirited, throw it away. Avoiding talking about religion with the kids is going to have a similar affect on them as avoiding talking to them about sex- they will find out about, but not from you. Why not have an honest discussion with them and prepare them for some of the viewpoints they are going to encounter in the world instead of sending them out unprepared?

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...As someone who was raised Catholic, I would not like to see a crucifix or rosary in the cache as a trade item. I remember when we got our rosaries, it was a special ceremony and the rosaries were blessed, I wouldn't want to see one in the bottom of a mildewy box in the forest...

My Catholic wife found a Rosary in her first cache find. Loves it and that's where her geonick came from - GeoRose.

 

I wear a silver cross and chain that I found in a cache six years ago.

 

Funny how we all think differently. Just goes to show why we shouldn't try to enforce our values on others. :D

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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For me, I don't understand how a bloody whipped man with nails through his hands on a cross is not considered disallowed under:

 

"Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages."

As was demonstrated almost a decade ago, GEOCACHING hates CHINLDREN . :lol:

 

OK, back on topic...

 

Many religions incorporate mythology revolving around martyrdom. These religions often allow children into their places of worship, where such imagery is prominently displayed. Heck, some adherents even wear iconic representations of a particular act of martyrdom as jewelry for all the world to see. If a child is raised by reasonably intelligent parents, seeing such images should not be earth shattering. If your sibling doesn't qualify, it might behoove you to explain to your niece/nephew the imagery in question and the mythology behind it, so the kids don't walk away thinking it's OK to nail people to trees.

 

However, if you are the one who is offended, then all I can suggest is to embrace tolerance. No one person can act as the arbitrator for which religion is the right one. We may discover, in the end, that the Flying Spaghetti Monster, (All hail His benevolent noodleness!), is the one true religion. I bet there'll be some surprised faces that day! :ph34r:

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I was once opposed to this stuff in a cache until I realized that everyone seems to hate something in all caches with stuff in them. Some don't like swag. Some don't like business stuff/advertising stuff. Some don't like coupons or discounts toward stuff. Some don't like jewelry, toys or bottle caps. Some even get upset if they find a gun in one. Wish I found a gun in one. :(

 

If I don't like the stuff in one, I ignore it and continue on. My kids see stuff on TV that sickens me more than anything they've seen in any cache and all they watch are channels I choose for them. :blink:

 

I've taught my children that different people have different beliefs and that it isn't fair to judge them.

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Want to make geocaching a better place? Trade up for questionable items, leave the cache better than you found it. Actions are louder than words.
+1

That's what I've done when I've found questionable materials in a cache (e.g., scented items, offensively graphic materials). Trade up or trade even, and then it's yours. Once it's yours, do whatever you want with it.

Warning Big Surprise Ahead!

Whenever I see these tracts in caches I like to trade for them with my Sweet Potato Tracts The tracts contain some recipes and other important info. Sweet potatoes are yummy, nutritious, and very versatile. They are also the official state vegetable.

Yesterday we made some hash with them by adding caramelized onions and fennel, sauteed apples and craisins, and seasoning them with roasted garlic, ginger, brown sugar, orange, salt & pepper.

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Wow, I don't think the OP came here to be crucified. :yikes:

 

One of the things I :mad: about this forum is everytime someone asks a question, it's almost guaranteed that someone clever will point out that there are 1000 threads already on the same subject. Personally, I think that's quite rude. If you don't like the thread, don't post, eh. A discussion forum is not just here for people to look up information. If we wanted that, we could just compile all the information in the forum, make it into a webpage and shut the forum down. If someone hasn't had the chance to participate in a particular discussion, then let them open a new thread. If others feel it's been discussed to death already, well then, don't post or at the very least, be polite.

 

Frankly, I thought pointing a newbie to the search function was a helpful thing to do. In NO way was I impolite (if you were directing your ire at me). I even offered a helpful hint on keeping children safe.

 

Geez...try to help people around here and you get blasted. :blink:

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Let them choose between the Christian lifestyle and your own.

Why restrict the choice?

True. I tried to make sure my five kids read about and were exposed to all belief systems so that they had enough information about the world around them to make their own informed choices. I am a Christian, a Chaplain of the Southern Baptist Church, and I sincerely hope that they choose to live a life proscribed by some set of guidelines that they can believe in and abide by. But they don't have to believe what I believe. Living within a set of common societal values is good for everyone. What label you put on those values doesn't much matter.

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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having said that, i do agree that such issues have no place in geocaching but how do you propose to control that?

i don't like seeing all the religious pamphlets either, but at the end of the day we are all entitled to our beliefs...don't like it, ignore it

 

To me the original post sounds as like each form of religious items is considered inappropriate as trading items. There is a difference between a cache container full of religious pamphlets and e.g. a single book with religious content. Do you really think that a book about cryptography, a Donald Duck book, a McD toy or a necklace are deeper related to geocaching than a book about religion? I am not a buddhist, but I can well imagine taking a brochure about a buddhist group with me while I am perfectly sure that I would not take any of the aforementioned other examples with me (I am tired of that sort of stuff).

 

Do you really object against leaving e.g. a book or a post card which shows a picture of Jesus on the cross? This would also exclude some of the finest works of art. I sometimes traveled to some place just e.g. to be able to view a wonderful altar painting in a church.

 

I am sure that many of the widely spread computer games are more harmful for children (not only the violent ones) than being exposed to the image of Jesus Christ.

 

Cezanne

 

i think you missed my point by miles, but i don't care enough to argue pro or against religion to try and clarify it

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...As someone who was raised Catholic, I would not like to see a crucifix or rosary in the cache as a trade item. I remember when we got our rosaries, it was a special ceremony and the rosaries were blessed, I wouldn't want to see one in the bottom of a mildewy box in the forest...

My Catholic wife found a Rosary in her first cache find. Loves it and that's where her geonick came from - GeoRose.

 

I wear a silver cross and chain that I found in a cache six years ago.

 

Funny how we all think differently. Just goes to show why we shouldn't try to enforce our values on others. :D

My wife has a St. Christopher medal that I found in a cache.
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Want to make geocaching a better place? Trade up for questionable items, leave the cache better than you found it. Actions are louder than words.
+1

That's what I've done when I've found questionable materials in a cache (e.g., scented items, offensively graphic materials). Trade up or trade even, and then it's yours. Once it's yours, do whatever you want with it.

Warning Big Surprise Ahead!

Whenever I see these tracts in caches I like to trade for them with my Sweet Potato Tracts The tracts contain some recipes and other important info. Sweet potatoes are yummy, nutritious, and very versatile. They are also the official state vegetable.

Yesterday we made some hash with them by adding caramelized onions and fennel, sauteed apples and craisins, and seasoning them with roasted garlic, ginger, brown sugar, orange, salt & pepper.

 

Sweet potatoes are only good for one thing and that is in a bait pile so when a deer walks up and lowers it's head to feed, I have a perfect shot. I am offended that you would waste perfectly good bait pile stuff on people! :P

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Some people golf religiously. I find a lot of these in caches:

 

titleist_golf_balls_6.jpg

 

Seriously, though... I would rather not find religious tracts in caches (I'd rather not find any paper swag, actually) but we can't control what swag people leave. The "no agenda" guideline has to do with cache listings, not with swag.

Edited by knowschad
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For those that believe that religious items are fine for swag in caches;

Do you have a personal limit about the content that is acceptable or is all religious based material ok?

I have seen a good bit of religious material. Some of it seems fairly benign, the typical guy on cross image, "Jesus is the way" type slogans that sort of thing.

However some of it is not so 'friendly' and borders on hate speech. Some even makes those folks that protest at fallen soldiers funeral services seem pretty tame in comparison.

I am also curious if booklets produced by radical Muslim jihadists advocating the destruction of your way of life would be fine swag since it is 'religion' based.

 

To the OP:

I think religious and other controversial agenda based swag should be off-limits for caches.

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