An Open Letter To My "Christian", "Family Values" Republican In laws:

[Contrary1]

Your adult sister needs financial help...again. And, we will, no doubt have to bail her out...again.

Don't worry yourselves. We won't be bothering you. Last time, when my husband (your brother) called, asking if you too could help out, you all had the same bullshit lines:

"We have to take care of our own family first."
"You can't get blood out of a turnip."
"I don't know if I will have a job next week."

Never mind, that one of you have no children, you and your spouse are gainfully employed, are on your second custom-built home, and buy a new car every other year.

Never mind that another of you have grown children, who never went to college, and have steady jobs.

Never mind that yet another of you have been steadily employed for 35+ years, refused to help any of your three children with college costs, have your mortgage paid off, and have enough money to buy an RV, two new sets of golf clubs, drive 200 miles round trip to your favorite restaurant, vacation in Hawaii, oh, and here's the best part: you were able to take a week off, without pay, so that you could attend a seminar in South Carolina (in your RV), so that you could continue your study on how to become a minister. And thanks heaps for telling sis when she did work up the nerve to call you that one time, that she should just get in touch with us anytime she needed help.

We're on to you. You don't give a damn.

For all the garbage the right wing likes to spew about families taking care of their own, it's more than likely they are identical to this bunch of hypocrites that I married into some 35 years ago. Out of their combined total of seven children, five of them are on welfare in one form or another.
Yet, not a one of them wants any of their tax money going to support a "nanny government".

Thanks a lot for reinforcing the fact that Republicans don't really give a crap about anyone but themselves. Enjoy voting for John McCain. He does have that "R" after his name, so he must have the same values as you.

Your pissed off, but not at all surprised sister in law, who married the only intelligent sane member of your family.

[ingac70]

1. You should really send them that letter.

Shame them.

I recently let my "God fearin', Christian" aunts have it for refusing to help my mom with my Grandfather while he was out of it with dementia, and died 2 months later. While he was alive they wanted us to leave him ALONE with my Grandmother! Told them all that fake ass boo-hooing for visitors to the funeral didn't fool anyone.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. how true.

They chew you out for asking for help, and then are surprised when you tell them that the Christians you know refuse to help people out.

I asked the people at my church to help me find a job (NOT a loan or a handout) and they wouldn't do a damn thing. So I left and told everybody I knew that the Christians I knew were worthless as far as helping people. This happened at several churches.

[YOY]

6. Same here.

I asked the same damn thing of the Catholic Church a few year ago when I was in trouble. They sent me on my way with "prayers"...assholes.

[knitter4democracy]

11. Really? The churches I've been in help each other out like that.

The Nazarene churches I grew up in (smaller ones--that makes a difference) always were networking and helping keep members employed and all. The Orthodox church we're in now is looking into expanding our Sisterhood's fundraising so we can help support more of the poor families in our parish. We're already helping one family with their food and gas every month, but we have another couple of families in similar dire straits. I've also known of members hiring fellow members and such. Smaller city and a smaller church--everyone's family, so we all help out.

[anniebelle]

3. My mother had the same experience with her church family.

She was a faithful member of her church for 70+ years. She died when she was 84 and the only and I mean ONLY person to take care of her in her last year and half was her 'ol heathen, atheist daughter - that'd be me. Not her 'christian' friends, fellow church goers, nor my brother's church-goin' children. Oh yes, they showed up at her funeral and I just wanted to tell them what lying hypocrites they are, but I didn't and now 4 years later, I'm sorry I didn't say something.

[tanyev]

4. My ex-husband.

:grr:

Nominally, he was working on his PHD, and I was working full-time to pay the bills. Fine. I had two jobs, in fact, in addition to being the elf behind our magical self-refilling refrigerator and cooked food appearing on the table every night. His mom, who was quite well off, was kind enough to send us a sizable monthly check to help with rent.

As time rolled by, he signed up for fewer and fewer classes every semester, and showed up for fewer and fewer of the classes he had registered for. He spent a lot of time sitting in the recliner watching old movies all night long. And yet, whenever there was a story on the news about people who were on welfare or needed some help he was full of nasty comments about how they were taking handouts from the government and they needed to find a job. This from a jobless man who was living on the welfare of his wife and mother.

Don't even get me started on when he decided he didn't need the PHD because he was going to become an Amway millionaire. Or when he made a campaign donation to Oliver North.

I don't miss him.

[tjwash]

5. It's not the shameless arrogance, and blatent selfishness that gets me about most RW fundies.

It's the pride that they seem to take in it that gets me.

[raccoon]

7. Why should you and your husband bail this woman out?

If she's sick or in an accident, that's one thing.

If she's got a problem with substance abuse, gambling, or just pisses money away, that's quite another.

And I agree you should go ahead and send the letter.

[Contrary1]

8. She lost her job.

I'm pretty sure it had to do with coming across more knowledgeable during the interview than she actually was for the position.

Prior to this job, she was going through a temp agency, so every 4-6 months, she had to start looking again.

No drugs, gambling...nothing like that. Here rent is due. And to be honest, neither my husband nor I want her moving in with us. Been there, done that.

[Thirtieschild]

9. Not always the case

My 99-year-old mother is in a retirement home (should be in assisted living but can't afford it) in the same city - actually suburb - as my Christian right sister and bil. They do a wonderful job looking after her, are always there to take her to get her hair done (every week), run errands for her, make doctor's appointments for her and then take her to them. They would like to retire to a small town but can't as long as Mother is alive. Her two liberal democratic metaphysical and/or agnostic daughters each live eight hundred miles away (one east, one west) and don't do nearly as much, or nearly enough. The Texas contigent will almost certainly vote for Huckabee. I don't agree with them religiously or politically, but I salute them. They're earning their sainthood points for the way they help Mother.

[knitter4democracy]

10. Wow. They sound like my in-laws.

Last summer, we were tapped to help Hubby's younger sister with tuition for an internship she really needed. MIL and FIL were refused as co-signers, their credit's so bad. We gave the money with the one stipulation that SIL was to babysit for us for our anniversary trip later in the summer and a couple of other times during the year. That girl is never available, and she has yet to ever make good on that. She's getting married this summer and moving away, so she'll never honor her part of that contract. Hubby won't let me say that the tuition is her wedding gift, and the wedding's going to cost us (with travel, two kids in the wedding, and Hubby's tux since he *has* to usher) a grand, easily. Oh, and then MIL asked us last fall to help the guy with buying the ring. Seriously.

Those kinds of people infuriate me. They're all about Christian piety when it makes them look good, but screw family when it's inconvenient. The stories I could tell about all the times they've screwed us over . . . Grrrr!

[raccoon]

12. I sure hope yall didn't help with the ring. nt

[knitter4democracy]

14. Heck, no!

I did get to say "I told you so" to Hubby, though. I'd warned him that MIL was going to ask us to help pay for stuff for the wedding, and it started a minor disagreement between him, his mother, and me. Two weeks later, we get the call about the ring. I soooo totally called that! :)

[treestar]

13. The reason there should be no government programs

Is that those down on their luck will be helped by "charity." :sarcasm:

[MrsMatt]

15. I'm sorry , but they are NOT true Christians

Tell them to pull out their bibles and refer to the following verses:

Matthew 19:23-25

Matthew 25:39-41

[Contrary1]

16. I know...

at least not my definition of what a true Christian is.

The preacher wannabe brother in law baffles me. He works in a prison and delights in telling how he verbally torments the prisoners. "We all do it."

The needy sister in law showed up at his church a few Sundays ago. She was hoping to hear him preach. When he told me about it later, I couldn't believe what he said.

It went something like this: "When I walked into the church, and saw her talking with some of the members, I had to hurry on over to make sure she didn't embarrass me. I hope she isn't planning to join the congregation. If she does, I will tell her to find another church." And more of the same, blah, blah...

And I should clear up something. I do not judge all Christians or all Republicans by the behavior of these nitwits. It's just been my experience that the majority of similar thinking people have all been good Christian Republicans.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

17. Please don't use the "No True Scotsman" fallacy.

Christians are self-identifying and they are responsible for their actions.

Don't use that logical fallacy, PLEASE! That is NOT a valid excuse for their behavior. There is no excuse for their behavior.

Link with definition:
http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=No_True_Scotsman


:nuke: