Spam Envy

Long-time readers will recall that I've never particularly liked Mark Shea. I know some people who had once been in solidarity with me on this have gone a little soft recently, but I'm afraid I have been unable to shake my distaste for his peculiarly American, Disnified version of Catholicism that is sometimes referred to as Neo-cathism. This will not come as any sort of surprise to Shea either, since I've never kept it a secret and I know he doesn't particularly hold it against me, being, I suppose, essentially a good enough sport on the one hand and not giving a damn on the other. Fair enough.

But I have to say, I do envy his spam.

As a more or less ex-prod, Shea, instead of the dreary invitations to become involved in international money laundering scams from Burundi and requests to join pyramid schemes, gets long loving and painfully over-punctuated pleas to return to the bosom of protestantism.

Dear Mark, just came from your Web site and have some questions.
It sounds like you were a "Protestant" before becoming a Catholic? I don't
know which church you were in but I have to question whether you were ever
taught the Word of God there? If you had been in a church which taught the
truth concerning Baptism according to the Word of GOD and not the "traditions
of men" you would have learned that not only does baptism NOT save nor
"grant justification" but it is ONLY for those who ARE BORN-AGAIN by the
SPIRIT of GOD by placing their faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST! It is to be
symbolic of the new birth ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED by GOD as Romans 6 clearly
teaches! PLEASE READ the Gospel of John and pray asking GOD to show you
HIS TRUTH -- HE LOVES THE WORLD and DESIRES TO SAVE the LOST -- which we all
are apart from the New Birth which IS FREELY offered to ALL! Please read
and be saved! I will be praying for you in JESUS Name. Carolyn

If I got stuff like this in my spam file, I would check it most diligently for treasures, every day.