Gads. I had to "deal" with one of you guys a few years ago, about late 1998. Only this time, we really were innocent! Our mortgage had been passed around, as happens. Well, one of the mortgage companies had a computer crash, trying to get prepared for that whole Y2K thing. They went to a back-up file. All of a sudden, we were about a year behind on our mortgage! Even stupider(is that a word?), is the fact that they didn't even hold the paper on our house anymore! But they still went thru the whole foreclosure process, even after we contacted them, they admitted to the screw-up, and PROMISED it was going to get straightened out. We had to hire attornies, the whole nine-yards. Turned out there was about a dozen others in W. Washington state that was in the same mess. Some had to sell their house to get away from the wolves. We now have a class-action lawsuit against them. But I'll be very surprised if we ever see a dime.
So, be careful. The not-paying-his-bill nut-case may in fact be the victim! I'm sure it's rare, but it does happen.

__________________
past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

Did you get it fixed? if not PM me and I may be able to help you.

I hope you declined because its low class.

Yeah, finally. Could have used you back about 2001 tho'. But thanks!
About the same time, we were hit with credit fraud. Our lives were hell for a couple years. Our attornies convinced us to file chapter 13. Looking back now, we should have just done regular bankruptcy. That ch. 13 didn't do squat for us when we sold our house in Washington and moved down here. Still had to account for EVERY stupid detail, and got totally grilled when we applied for a mortgage. Had to get copies of everything, contact supposed creditors, blah, blah, blah. It all worked out, but what a mess our life was.

Hey, ya any good at lighting fires under attornies that are supposed to be working on lawsuits for a person? We actually have 3 suits going, almost 10 years now. The sharks in Seattle just keep saying "we're working on it". Yeah, right

__________________
past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

I've done my fair share of religious proselytizing over the years. I think it's an interesting question as to which method of religious expansion is most effective.
Imperial expansion, like in early Islam, or adoption by an existing empire or monarchy like Constantine with Christianity or Asoka with Buddhism seems the most effective for quick powerful expansion. Missionaries associated with imperial expansion like Protestantism in the British Empire or Catholicicism and the French Empire seem pretty effective also. Mormonism and the American Empire might be comparable to those.
When it comes to expansion in the US, it would be interesting to see comparative numbers on individual door knocking like Mormons and JW's and mass rallies like Billy Graham's. I wonder if TV preaching has any comparable conversion numbers.
Mormons seem to have the best technique, with the requirement that young adult males must be missionaries. They've got to hit a lot more of the market than JW's and evangelicals who only do it on a hit and miss basis.
I'm guessing that US conversion rates are very low when compared to Mormon converts in the Third World where Mormonism is closely connected with US power and attracts a lot of followers as a result of that association.
I used to do a lot of missionary work on the Staten Island Ferry. It was cheap to ride, there was any competition and the targets had nowhere to go until the ferry docked. You had to tailor your message to fit the length of the ferry ride. You had to leave enough time at the end for the sinner's prayer.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I'd speculate (as usual) that that often netted you a prayer lengthed amount of 'me time' as the ferry came ashore.
Adoption by an existing empire seems to be the coup for a religion, but would need a lot of legwork put in in advance to get to that point... marrage with politics (the more successful the politics the better) would seem to be a universal garantee of success.

__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

The idea of reffering to us "unsaved" folks as a market and having to go door to door selling your wares like Am-Way strikes me as pretty pathetic.

Of all the door to door crap that has ever come my way, it all seemed like garbage and the only way to sell it was to slip a fast one by some unsuspecting buyer.

You would think that if religion could stand on it's own, they would not have to resort to door to door sales.

Like I said earlier, if I call you or ask you over for a demo, fine. Don't come knocking on my door or call me unannounced and expect me to be warm and fuzzy.

And by the way, if you are going to go door to door selling some snake oil, at least know your competition. I was washing my car the other day and some half with come by trying to sell me bottled watter. I told him I had "RO". I figured that would be the end of it. He goes on about the befits of bottled water. It occured to me that he had no idea what RO (reverse osmosis) was and that my system was better than his. I told him to bugger off and he got all pissy. What a dweeb. $100 a year for my filters and unlimited water verses what ever amount he was hawking. Bahhhh!!!!

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

I think most religions are a scam, they are just looking for your money.

So if you knock on enough doors, pray enough, polish the alter, your all set?

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I think market analogies are very useful in understanding contemporary american religion. Religion used to be be monopolistic. A person was born into a religion and kept it their whole life. Italians were Catholic, Greeks were Orthodox, and Jews were Jewish.
US capitalism, combined with the separation of religion and state and the protestant denial of infant baptism and focus on adult religious choice has turned religion into a saleable product purchased on the open market. Competition is fierce and innovation is rewarded. Witness Jews adopting Wiccan practices to their Jewish roots.
Fundamentalists of most stripes (particularly Christian and Muslim) don't like this market approach to religion, because it undermines the legal and social monopolistic power of religion as expressed thru the law. Current US law restricts religious monopolies and strives to keep the market open.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

What my brothers, friends and I used to always have fun with was to go knocking on THEIR door, on Halloween, trick or treating. I presume it's a rare occasion, that someone knocks on a Jehovas whitnesses door and we had fun breaking their chops a little.
Nick

__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

Ah, what a warm fuzzy fellow you are
Anyway, it's working. We don't post stats as a rule, but it's pretty well established that we're the fastest growing church in the USA, and in the running world-wide, and that's NOT by having big families. We're talking convert baptisms.
Don't worry David. Our missionaries are usually well prepared for your type of response. All in a days work, so to speak. Heck, I had a guy threaten to turn his German shepard on me. "Fine! Hope you enjoy jail time." He kept ahold of his dog.

__________________
past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

Just another religious cult ripping off the Bible............

Same go's for.....

Catholics

Mormons

Christian Science...and so on..............

Nothing Christian about them.........................It's all about works for them..(the law)..

__________________
Matt (SD,CA)

1984 300SD.. White/Chrome Bunts..Green

1997 2500 Dodge Ram 5.9 Cummins 12 Valve 36 PSI of Boost = 400+hp & 800+tQ .. ..Greenspeed

2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 Quad Cab Cummins 5.9 H.O "596hp/1225tq" 6 spd. Man. Leather Heated seats/Loaded..Flame Red....GREENSPEED

Global warming...Doing my part, Smokin da hippies..

Fight the good fight!......

Faith alone, devoid of love, strikes salivation into the mouths of men.

__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

Didn't the Christians "rip off" more than half of their Bible?

The last time the JW's or Mormons showed up at my door (I can't recall which it was) was about twenty years ago. Two ladies. One of them said, "We'd like to talk to you about the Bible." I said, "No thanks, I'm not superstitious." Aghast, the older said "Neither are we!" To which I replied, pointing at their Bible, "Well, you believe that." They were gone in sixty seconds.

Christianity as a religion existed for a long time without a Bible. The Bible as the center of Christianity is a product of the printing press and increased literacy rates in the modern world. The Church and its institutions were the heart of Christianity for about 14 centuries.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13