From:    Steve Quarrella
To:      Jesse C. Jones                         Nov-30-93 23:12:54
Subject: Thanksgiving greetings


 Hwaet, Jesse!

 25 Nov 93, dixit Jesse C. Jones ad All:

 JC>      I recall my wife many years ago telling a small Bible study
 JC> of her near-death from Lupus.  She said that once she was out of
 JC> danger she wandered by herself to the hospital chapel, compelled
 JC> by a feeling that "something" -- "someone" -- she corrected
 JC> herself -- "had to be thanked."  The minister replied,
 JC> "'something' will do just fine."

Dopefish DOES talk to people.

 JC>      You secularists (thank who for what?) are missing the joy
 JC>      of thankfulness. of gratefulness, of grace itself.  I hope
 JC>      each of you at least enjoyed your turkey.
 JC>      Thanks be to God!

Jesse, you really outdid yourself on this one.  I pity you.  I really do.
You have to be one of the most ignorant con-men who has ever come into
this echo.  You bought the package AND the extended warranty plan,
didn't you?

A short time ago, I attended a wedding at a Baptist church.  Well, the
minister had to get in a little dig at "heathens" in my boss' (and friend)
wedding ceremony.  The comment he made was irrelevant, and completely
uncalled for:  "If you asked our atheist or agnostic friends where love
comes from, they would be silent."  Of course, we non-Christians found
ourselves looking at each other with smirks on our faces, knowing that
each of us was trying VERY HARD to control our laughter at such an ignorant
statement (I was trying very hard to NOT stand up and pronounce the
damning judgment of Dopefish upon this Christian Clown.).  He went on to
say what a bitchen' blessing from God it was, and how we should all grovel
to God because of the institution of marriage.

You remind me of this same ignorant minister.  What is it with you, anyway?
Why do you feel we need your God to deal with life?  You come in here months
ago and spout some cock and bull story about how we're all empty, and all
you can offer is scripture and "spiritual experiences" that rank of Steve
Bedard's wacky claims in order to back it up.  To this day, you have not
satisfactorily addressed the issue.  Now you come in here blathering about
how we need your God to be thankful or grateful.  I've never heard such
drivel in my life, not even from SpinRon Stringfellow.  Let me spell it
out for you, in black and white.  Go ahead, tell me I'm angry, tell me
I'm empty.  Your masters programmed you well.

I am thankful to a great guy by the name of Joe Siegler (who has recently
come into this forum...he's one of the good guys, BTW).  I've known Joe
electronically for several years, and finally got to meet him face-to-face
when we both moved to Dallas last December.  He shortly thereafter got me
a wonderful job which I wouldn't leave -for the world-, and we've been very
good friends ever since he showed up at my apartment bearing a copy of
Red Dwarf V.  After leaving grad school, my life took a complete tailspin,
and I couldn't get going again.  Joe gave me an opportunity to FINALLY pick
up the damned pieces and get moving again, and do you know what?  My life is
the best it's ever been.  I didn't even need to spend hours down on my
knees at the feet of Mistress Church, begging for "just a chance."

To add to the above, I am thankful that I have a job I enjoy, and that job
pays good enough money to put food on my table and pay for all the things
I really enjoy, such as eating out, nipple clamps, and extra memory for
my computer.  I also have four "children" in the form of felix cattus who
sit in the window every night, waiting for "Daddy" to come home.  I wonder
if they need your Jesus hero to experience the love that they experience
for me.  I am grateful that I have all this.

I am thankful for my fiancee, who will be my wife on the 17th of December.
EVEN if she has PMS right now, is bitchy, and is pissing me off to no end.
I cannot put into words what this woman means to me, but I will add that I
don't need your Jesus deity to experience love.  Simply because I do not
understand what love is does not mean I have to attribute it to some
supernatural force (or would you prefer I invoke Ciya and Dopefish?).

I am thankful for having a reasonably well-behaved family.  Unlike my
in-laws, they have accepted my fiancee with open arms, and have treated
her with the love and kindness that her God-loving family will never EVER
bestow upon her OR me (whom they consider to be an incarnation of your
Satan deity).

I am also thankful for HOLYSMOKE, as looney-toons such as yourself make
me laugh and realize that I shouldn't take life as seriously as you do
lest I look like someone with a broom handle up my ass and a strange look
on my face.  Keep reading your Bible, Jesse.  From what I have observed,
it keeps you off the streets and it keeps you from robbing banks and
killing people.  I'd rather you be in church on your knees with a smile on
your face than out in public shooting at presidents because you are so weak
that you cannot take responsibility for your own actions and build your
own sense of right and wrong without help from an old book.  Sure, you'll
probably turn away and laugh and scoff, knowing how "angry" and "deceived"
and "empty" I am, but I just thought you should be confronted with yet
another account from someone who doesn't need your deity worship to be
happy or thankful.

And I am grateful for that.