# Schmaltz



## Pergamum (Feb 20, 2012)

Your dose of daily schmaltz:



> A young man working in the
> army was constantly
> humiliated because he
> believed in God.
> ...




Then of course, there are numerous "atheist and professor" stories as well.

My question:

Why, oh why oh why, do I still get so many schmaltzy messages from even Christian friends? Some of them are so syrupy I almost think they are satirical (i.e. the one above not only features a believer and an atheist but the believer is a SOLDIER......additional points). 

Perhaps they think it helps the faith of others? (instead of making Christians look like gullible idiots who believe anything or are prone to untrue sentimentalities?


What's your favorite schmaltz stories? The ones you hate the most? And why do you think schmaltz is so popular?


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## Pilgrim (Feb 20, 2012)

It is because their spirituality is in many cases largely sentimental and syrupy. I don't want to offend the ladies here but it could be that this is another example of the feminization of the church.  What percentage of these are from women, off the top of your head? 

The one I have disliked the most is the one that states something like "Only two men offered to die for you: Jesus and the American Soldier."


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## Andres (Feb 20, 2012)

I think the worst I saw was stuff pertaining to God being our Valentine or something dumb like that.


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## Scottish Lass (Feb 20, 2012)

Yuck. The collections of warm and fuzzy stories that line the walls of many Christian bookstores doesn't help much, either....


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## crimsonleaf (Feb 21, 2012)

We recently held a Christmas service to which a number of non-Christians were invited. One of elders preached on the Christmas story and focused on how Christ's coming was in order for him to die, and he also covered in some detail the slaughter of the innocents. My wife, who doesn't attend church normally remarked to me how wonderful it was to be hit with the reality of the incarnation and its context, rather than the traditional fluffy sheep, shepherds and Magi. Shmaltzy stories misrepresent our faith and the Lord's sacrifice, which was an unecessarily cruel and tortuous punishment for anyone, let alone the Son of God.

In fact, stories like the one in the OP show us in a naive light.


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## Bill The Baptist (Feb 21, 2012)

I for one have never ever passed on any type of chain email, regardless of the content. I just think the whole idea is stupid.


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## JP Wallace (Feb 21, 2012)

The schmaltz is bad enough but it's the 'if you don't pass this on you hate Jesus and like kids to get cancer' lines that really annoy me.


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## Mushroom (Feb 21, 2012)

Hitchhiker tells of impending rapture/advent/revival (your choice), then disappears from back seat.


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## Rich Koster (Feb 21, 2012)

Schmaltz enables people to form a mental picture of a god created to suit their image/imagination, that's why they like it.


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## fishingpipe (Feb 21, 2012)

Brad said:


> Hitchhiker tells of impending rapture/advent/revival (your choice), then disappears from back seat.



That is one I hear often. I always hear added that a cop stops to check on a motorist on the side of the road. The motorist tells the hitchhiker disappearing bit and then the cop decries, "You're the fourth car to tell me this today!" And usually the cop is their uncle or something.

The professor dropping the chalk so that it hits the floor and proves there is no God, and then it getting caught in the cuff of his trousers is an "interesting" one, too.


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## py3ak (Feb 21, 2012)

I like the stumped scientists who find "missing time" in the universe and are baffled until a Christian remembers Joshua's long day and Hezekiah's reversal of the shadow on the sun dial, and it turns out that these two events make up for the shortfall exactly.


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