"Dear Friend in Christ"

[ydoaPs]

This is an e-mail I just got.

 

St.Thomas' Hospital' date='

Lambeth Palace Road

London SE1 7EH

United-Kingdom.

 

 

 

Dear Friend In Christ,

 

I believe you will treat this mail with the fear of God. It is with

tears that I

am writing you this mail; I dont need your pity, but love to my son.

My mail may

seem very painful and sorrowful, but there is more you can do in my

request than

to pity me, which is to show LOVE to my son. I was an orphan and do

not wish my

son to experience what i have been through on Earth after an automobile crash

that nearly claimed my life.

 

My name is Edward Brow Jr, married to the late Janet J.Brown Jr, who died with

our two daughters in Indonesia on 26th of December 2004 during the Tsunami

Disaster, after this Painful and sorrowful incident, my condition

worsened and I

was diagnosed of cancer, which got worst and I have been suffering from heart

failure and hepatitis since. My friends ignored me due to my relationship with

God on sickbed.

 

My wife, our children and I have been in United Kingdom for a long

time. We all

were suppose to travel to Indonesia in December 2004, but my bad

health, did not

permit me to travel with them, which made me and my son stay behind while my

wife and our two daughters traveled. If not, all of us would have perished in

the disaster.

 

My reason of writing you this mail is due to the sad news that came to me

recently from the doctors. After my last diagnosed result, it was

proved by the

doctors that i may not leave for more than one month ahead, due to the damage

the cancer have caused in my system unless I undergo an urgent surgical

operation which my chance of survival is less than 10% according to

the medical

experts. As it stands, I have given to fate and have found God on sick

bed. But

i have a more concern problem, which is why I have contacted you.

 

Please, this is about my son. Since it is now obvious that i will die,

my son's

future has been the greatest problem i have. I want you to take care of my son

please. He is only 13years and we have no person here to take care of him if I

die today. My friends for knowing God deserted me.

 

I left some money in a deposit house at United Kingdom, which i

intended to use

for investment in Indonesia. I want you to take this money and my son. Use the

money into a big investment, that you will manage until my son grows

up to take

over the investment. I will like you to take my son as your own son, give him

the love we the parents would have given him. Do not let him feel the pains of

being an orphan, give him good education, bring him up into a responsible man.

Make him have the fear of God. Please do not refuse this task. I have no one

else to help me out on this issue, I am an orphan who grew up without knowing

God rather focused on wealth and otherwise, living a life of fantasy

and doesn't

care or know who God is. Do not pity me, rather take good care of and

bring him

up to be God fearing.

 

As soon as I receive your reply including your personal details, all i will do

is to authorize my bank to transfer the money to your account directly and i

will also draw up my will in your favor. I will give the bank all the

documents

that is covering the deposit with the bank, i will transfer every power and

right of ownership to you stating at my Will to enable you claim the deposit

from the bank. It will be also included in the Will that you are the

only person

my son should be released to, if i die. All i need is your acceptance and

assurance that you will not treat my son badly.

 

I am writing you this mail with great tears and i pray you will be

kind & honest

with fear of God concerning this mail to you today.

 

Please reply this mail immediately if you have the love and care of God. at:

[email']edbrownjr46@gmail.com[/email]

 

Thank you.

 

Mr. Edward Brown Jr.

No, not only do I get rich, I get a child too! By the way, I'm not a Christian. It seems that many of the scams that aren't Nigerian are religious.

[Mr Skeptic]

Yes, this shows how dangerous people pretending to be religious can be.

[iNow]

Yes, this shows how dangerous people pretending to be religious can be.

 

How do you know he's pretending? What evidence do you have that he does not actively participate in religion?

[bascule]

How do you know he's pretending? What evidence do you have that he does not actively participate in religion?

 

Apparently you haven't read...

 

Thou shalt not engage in 419 scams

[Mr Skeptic]

How do you know he's pretending? What evidence do you have that he does not actively participate in religion?

 

How do you know that an email from Nigeria wasn't really sent by a high ranking Nigerian official?

[iNow]

I'll answer yours if you answer mine.

[Phi for All]

How do you know he's pretending? What evidence do you have that he does not actively participate in religion?

Yeah, he could be devoutly practicing P.T. Barnumism.

[iNow]

There's one born every minute.

[Mr Skeptic]

I'll answer yours if you answer mine.

 

OK, first, we see if he is lying. Since he gives (apparently) his name and address, it might be possible that he is not lying, in which case he would be a nice person. However, his request concerning personal information especially related to bank accounts and that he will trust a random stranger to take care of his son and his money, suggests this is a 419 scam, albeit one more clever than the usual Nigerian official. I suppose you will agree with me that it is likely that he is lying.

 

Now, lying to get money is fraud and effectively the same as stealing. Stealing is forbidden all over the Bible. By stricter interpretations, lying is also forbidden (at the commandment level), and is generally considered immoral.

 

43"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

 

19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality' date=' impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.[/quote']

 

Oh, in case you were wondering, I consider the enormous majority of people who call themselves Christians to be pretenders. If they truly believed Christ's message people would know it. And I'm not talking about the people preaching "hate the homosexuals," because hate is not proper for a Christian. I mean, if people believed what Christ said like they believe that jumping off a cliff would kill you, you would expect to see them doing all kinds of good deeds throughout their life, not just showing up at church. I think that most people who go to church do so for social reasons.

[iNow]

How do you know that an email from Nigeria wasn't really sent by a high ranking Nigerian official?

I don't, but who sent it and what they are asking for in return are not the same issue.

 

 

My comment earlier was in response to (what I perceived as) your implication that the only reason this message was a scam is that someone was "pretending" to be religious. My point is more that one does not have to pretend to be religious in order for religion itself to be a scam. The above is but one example among many.

 

 

 

 

I think that most people who go to church do so for social reasons.

I agree that this is a MAJOR part of it, it's what comes with that socialization that is at issue.

[swansont]

There's one born every minute.

 

With the changes in demographics since the original observation, it's more like one born every 24 seconds.

[Sisyphus]

This thread is offensive to me. I actually am the lawyer of a Nigerian prince seeking a partner in transferring funds, and it's people like all of you who are the reason I can't find one.

[ydoaPs]

I just looked up the hospital and it turns out to be real. Would they tell me if Edward Brown Jr was receiving treatment? Their website gives the same address in addition to a phone number, but I live in the US, so calling would probably be expensive. I can't seem to find an e-mail address, but I sent a request through their site asking if they have him as a cancer patient.

 

e-mail #2:

Hello my dear beloved,

 

greetings to you in the name of the lord god almighty. I thank you so much for your urgent reply to my mail proposal to you, I appreciate it so much. May the goodness of the lord God almighty continue to be with you and your family forever and ever, amen

 

 

 

It was written in the bible that money with out Christ is vanity, and as you know that for God so loved us the world that he gave his only begotten son (Jesus Christ) that who so ever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life (john 3:16) I went into prayer with the lord to lead me to the right person who will be willing to help me take good care of my son Gregory.

 

 

I thank you for your fast response once more, and for accepting to help me with this difficult task, this shows me that the good lord is in control of all that is happening. I want you to know that I am serious with this and want to carry it out with you which I believe and know that the good lord whom we serve will see you through with this work. Please my dear beloved, I will also like you to have that money and invest in a business that my son will take over when he become a full grown man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it was difficulty for me to take this decision but I have no option because I am a dieing patient. I had this feelings and I am convinced that you can do it for me and my son Gregory and money will be safe with you. My dear beloved in Christ Jesus, what I do want from you is to always keep me in your prayers for the lord to forgive me and accept me in his kingdom when ever I leave this earth. Please I am begging you in the name of almighty God to take good care of my son Gregory; he is the only thing I have on this earth. I writing you this massage with heart full of sorrow because I no he is going miss me and that it will be hard for him because he will start a new life.

 

 

I will forward your contact information to my attorney as soon as you get beck to me with your information as stated below.

 

 

 

Your full name

 

Your home address

 

Your phone number

 

Age and Occupation

 

 

 

As soon as you get back to me with those information I will go ahead and instruct my attorney to prepare my will in your favour. I will also send you the deposit certificate of the money to enable you claim the from the security company were I deposited money.

 

 

 

 

 

May the almighty God Bless you and fulfill all you heart desires as you contact my attorney and get back to me soonest, amen.

 

Thanks and remain blessed.

 

Regards,

Edward Brown Jr.

[YT2095]

as a Christian myself, I find such scams Equally offensive, but I find needless stupidity to be even More offensive!

 

just send a mail back back saying "Fu(k off!"

[DrDNA]

This thread is offensive to me. I actually am the lawyer of a Nigerian prince seeking a partner in transferring funds, and it's people like all of you who are the reason I can't find one.

 

No kidding?

Just send me your account number and I'll transfer $7 million to your account right away.

I don't want you to have to wait any longer to get the funds you so justly deserve.

 

May Allah find favor with you.

[shadowacct]

This kind of mails really pisses me off. This is utter bullshit. I have had many similar mails. Sometimes they pretend to be christian, sometimes they do not refer to any religion. But whatever they pretend, they are only after one thing. YOUR money!

 

One year or so, I read a nice article about a person in the UK, who actually did respond to this kind of mails. He was told to transfer GBP 5000 or so, but he responded that in order to do that, they first had to pay him GBP 50 or so. This happened quite a few times. After that, he simply quit. This guy collected a few hundreds of pounds, and gave this to some charity organisation .

[john5746]

Now, lying to get money is fraud and effectively the same as stealing. Stealing is forbidden all over the Bible. By stricter interpretations, lying is also forbidden (at the commandment level), and is generally considered immoral.

 

 

Nice how that works. A virtual stoning. If the person isn't "perfect" or does something you don't approve, they are not christians doing wrong, but are not christians at all.

 

How about a slave owner? Are they christian?

 

How about a woman who just had an abortion? Christian?

 

How about someone who just dropped an A-bomb on a city? Is that OK within Christ's message? Love thy enemies?

[ydoaPs]

How about a slave owner? Are they christian?

That one's not fair.

[Mr Skeptic]

Nice how that works. A virtual stoning. If the person isn't "perfect" or does something you don't approve, they are not christians doing wrong, but are not christians at all.

 

I'm not saying that Christians have to be perfect (though they should strive to be). I was saying that there is no reason to think that the guy is a Christian, since he has not given any evidence thereof. Unless you want to take the word of a liar and thief that he is deeply religious, that is. If you believe he is a Christian, you might as well believe that he intends to give you money and entrust the care of his son to you as well.

 

How about a slave owner? Are they christian?

 

There is nothing inherently wrong with slavery (any more than, say, prison). At one time, slavery (for a limited time) was a punishment for people who owed a bunch of money and couldn't or wouldn't pay it back. Nowadays, we just forgive their debt. The Old Testament had some rules for slavery, regarding the rights slaves retained and other things such as a death sentence for anyone caught kidnapping people to sell them as slaves.

[john5746]

I'm not saying that Christians have to be perfect (though they should strive to be). I was saying that there is no reason to think that the guy is a Christian, since he has not given any evidence thereof. Unless you want to take the word of a liar and thief that he is deeply religious, that is. If you believe he is a Christian, you might as well believe that he intends to give you money and entrust the care of his son to you as well..

 

In retrospect, I see your point a little better. I don't believe anything this person is saying. It isn't like this guy was your buddy for 20 years and then you declare he was never a christian. But christians are fallible, so I don't disbelieve the christianity part anymore than anything else.

 

 

There is nothing inherently wrong with slavery (any more than, say, prison). At one time, slavery (for a limited time) was a punishment for people who owed a bunch of money and couldn't or wouldn't pay it back. Nowadays, we just forgive their debt. The Old Testament had some rules for slavery, regarding the rights slaves retained and other things such as a death sentence for anyone caught kidnapping people to sell them as slaves.

 

There is true slavery in the bible, purchasing innocent people and passing them and their offspring down generations. They treated Israelites differently than foreigners, etc.

 

I think you would agree that slavery of innocent people is inherently wrong, if there is such a thing. I say that the bible does not teach this fact.

[YT2095]

I think you would agree that slavery of innocent people is inherently wrong, if there is such a thing. I say that the bible does not teach this fact.

 

so Mosses did all that stuff for Nothing then?

[ydoaPs]

so Mosses did all that stuff for Nothing then?

 

Apparently since he is supposed to be the one who wrote the Law. What does any of this have to do with the e-mails?

[YT2095]

read what I Quoted, and subsequently addressed.

 

what does your post #18 have to do with it either?

[shadowacct]

If you believe he is a Christian, you might as well believe that he intends to give you money and entrust the care of his son to you as well.

He is not a christian, he is a charlatan.

[ecoli]

I think you would agree that slavery of innocent people is inherently wrong, if there is such a thing. I say that the bible does not teach this fact.

I think there are some aspects to the bible, all religion really, where you're supposed to look at what happened and say "gee, we should do the opposite of that."

 

I know for a fact this is true in Hinduism... otherwise there would be a lot more incest, if Hindus tried to emulate what their Gods did in the stories.