to be a bit creeped out by this?

[WeirdPost]

NC as a good friend knows my posting name and I'm not sure I want her to know. I live in a neighbourhood where a lot of people who go to the same very evangelical church live. My friend (who knows my posting name) is one of them. Just got back from coffee with her and checked the post. There was a small piece of card, obviously cut up from something else (mostly blank but with a piece of printing in the corner) with the handwritten note 'Jesus loves you'.

DP and I are very strong atheists but also, I think, very tolerant people. As an example I try very hard never to use language that these neighbours would think blasphemous when we meet (there's an active neighbourhood social life, about half church-only, the other half mixed) as, regardless of my beliefs, I think it's rude for me to say things that I know would seriously offend them.

However I know that a couple of them don't agree with DP and I living together before marriage and I feel like there's a bit of curtain-twitching in the street. 95% of the time I love living here but sometimes something like this happens and I feel a bit This church is very into 'community outreach' which, IMO, is a little OTT in the way they go about it (I've experienced a lot of community outreach by religious groups in my time and this group is definitely at the radical end of the spectrum) so it's not out of character for this to be some kind of prayer activity that they are doing on 'our behalf'.

Or maybe it's the neighbourhood kids playing a prank.

I don't know. I suddenly feel a bit uncomfortable and, if it is them praying on my behalf, a bit cross because I leave them to get on with their religion and they should, in turn, leave me alone to get on with my lack of religion.

So, AIBU to feel creeped out by finding this in my letterbox and WIBU to call my close friend (very liberal, doesn't give two hoots about DP & I living together) and ask her if she knows generally whether the church is putting notes through people's doors? If it came with the church name I'd shove it in the bin but the anonymity is wierding me out.

And that was far too long!

I'd make a giant sigh saying "IT'S OFFICIAL - JESUS LOVES ME!" and put it in the window.

Haha, I would love to do that DP would give me the face.

just ignore it. it doesn't affect you whether they pray for you or not. i think rteh fact it's not on offical church paper suggests its a prank. i would laugh about this tbh (i'm also atheist).

don't think they would cut off a bit of card and write on it (the adults). You can ask your friend but if they were posting notes through letter boxes, I don't think they would do it on a cut-off bit of card

I would let it pass this time if I was you and see if it happens again.

It does sound more like the sort of thing that children would have done, or at least it doesn't sound like an 'official' church note.
Maybe they heard their parents talking about the heathens and no.32

Yes, you're right. The card has been cut into a deliberate square. My first thought was that it might be one of them who has recently converted (but lived here a while) and is very keen.

I was being silly. It just felt very creepy at the time - three of the houses they live in had people at home with windows that overlook my postbox so it was just weird to be reading this note in full view of their houses (I know they are often watching the street - sometimes a few of them make remarks about people they've seen going backwards and forwards, including me & DP).

We are total heathens Normally DP and I laugh a lot about it, particularly one guy who just refuses to speak to us, sits in the corner at parties and only talks to married/church people

yanbu

I am what could be described as an 'evangelical Christian' and have been known to give friends/family handwritten notes with things like Jesus Loves You written on them... although I hadn't ever thought of sticking it through a random door, not really my style

I really don't think you need to worry about them praying for you, it isn't like they are casting a voodoo spell, it's just a sign that you are someone they care about and they want what is good for you.

I can't speak for your neighbours and I've no idea about the area you live in, but take it from me as an individual - I may be a Christian but I've never thought about whether couples in my street are married or co-habiting and I'd never think of 'watching' people come and go. If that really is what they are up to then take that as a trait of theirs, not a Christian thing.

YANBU but in fairness, it may just be evangelising. Something that does my head in but which seems to come as second nature from this sort of enthusiastic Godbotherer Christian sect.

At my dm's funeral a small group of very fundamental Christians fetched up. They managed to collar ds1 and send him back to England with various Jesus-based texts. DS2 had the commonsense to admit to being a publican and was considered beyond saving. Much to his relief.

I think the best thing you can do OP, is laugh about it.

Oh it's definitely something peculiar to them/their church My parents are extremely devout Christians (I was brought up Christian) and I know those of them who have a problem with me and DP aren't exactly behaving in a 'Christian manner' themselves. Again, it's not all the group - my friend and some of the others are really lovely and truly Christian in their manners, the way they treat people etc. - but some of them are very radical.

Re: praying... I know they aren't casting voodoo but, as they know my views, I feel it's a little impolite. Much like I don't say things like 'Jesus Christ Fenton!' in front of them out of courtesy I would expect them not to pray for me.

I'm not sure that they can help themselves so far as praying for people is concerned. At dm's funeral, ds1 was told that they'd pray for both me (Pagan Devil Worshipper in their books) and the Limb of Satan that was ds2. Fortunately ds1 is more tactful than me or his brother. But I do know that their misguided hearts were in the right place and that they felt it their duty to try and save our Godforsaken souls.

Maybe everyone on your street has got them.

Maybe it's nothing to do with the church where you know people: other denominations, particularly Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses go in for this sort of thing often well away from their home bases (though JW are more likely to leave The Watchtower than a card).

I think I'd find it rude rather than creepy, tbh (unless they shoved them through everyone's door). You are respectful of their views. Why can't they be respectful of yours?

I have had people pray for me before. I don't really care honestly. If someone wants to think nice things about me, no harm can come of that. Don't let it bother you OP. It's when they sew 'Jesus is coming' in flowers in your lawn you have to worry.

I'd ignore it, but if you do feel you want to do something (or it escalates) why not have a quiet word with the Pastor and ask them to drop something about "loving thy neighbour despite their little foibles" into the next sermon

If it escalates or happens again I will speak to them directly and say thanks but no thanks and have a bit of bloody respect!. I doubt their pastor would care. We recently attended another neighbour's wedding (went to the ceremony with others to wish them well) and the pastor started talking, in the sermon, about issues that had come up in the pre-marriage counselling. I was

I mean it, quite seriously and not in the normal atheist knee-jerk way, when I say their church is not a normal evangelical one.

Ouch! My ILs are evangelical (liberal, I'm lapsed CofE and dp and I are living in sin) and the pastor's I've met would be the first to ensure there was harmony in their flocks :)

If it's a piece of cut up card, I would guess it's from an individual weirdo (possibly child), not from the church as a group - surely the church would put the church name on any communication?

Whomovedmychocolate: It's when they sew 'Jesus is coming' in flowers in your lawn you have to worry.

If they do this, you just have to sew "Look busy" underneath.

I think you are overthinking it.
Someone put an anonymous card through your door - they mean well.

Hmm, well, just spoken to my other close friend in our street and she didn't get anything. DP, who is very laid back, has come home from work, seen the card and declared it 'creepy'. I think it's the style that invites the 'creepy' label. There is also a culture in our neighbourhood of popping notes in letterboxes about events etc., which made me think it was an adult, rather than a child, as well as the handwriting. I have also taken part, as a child, in church-related anonymous 'angel' activities that involved dropping notes through members' letterboxes but would never have dreamed of doing it to someone outside our church.

I may mention it to my close friend who is part of the church and see what she says - it's definitely not her as a) she respects my non-beliefs and we often have interesting chats about religion and b) she was with me for most of the time and has better things to do than post anonymous cards Other than that my close non-church friend wants to see it for curiosity's sake and then it's going in the bin where it belongs.

On a lighter note and not wanting to upset anyone,Alan Bennett,the national treasure,tells a tale of receiving a Christmas card from someone, possibly Russell Harty(sp)?The yuletide message inside this very holy looking card was 'Jesus loves everybody except you,you cunt'.Well it made me laugh and I'm a good (ish) Catholic girl.

What is a 'very strong' atheist? As opposed to what? A weak and weedy limp example of an atheist?

If you're an atheist you're an atheist. I'm fairly sure there are not degrees of atheism.

Unclench OP. She's not sacrificing your kittens or exorcising your cellar.