Subject: Second Thoughts



Dear Bob,

I found an interview with you online - ' Coilhouse magazine + blog; Normal Bob Smith Knows What He Knows '. Having read it, your answers to the questions totally changed my view of you. Like I said I didn't hate you (that would be a very harsh and horrible attitude) - but I was a little bit scared of you! That's changed now, and actually I agree with many points you make about the values of human life. You are very obviously much saner than many people who post you hate mail. Just as many religious people seem to have a hatred for atheists, many atheists seem to have a threatening tone to religious people. You clarified why that is really well in the interview - I no longer feel threatened. Thinking back over your hate mail responses, you have almost never actually attacked a person any more than they attack you, and your comment "I don?t have a hatred for religion or religious people" was reassuring. It appears you have no patience with people who make no effort to consider other peoples' perceptions of the world; that's intended as a compliment. As a matter of fact, although I believe in God/Christ, it's a personal thing for me, and I'm not out to convert anyone or lord it over people (pun intended). But it's good to have belief challenged and be able to come up with answers - a strength you have in my opinion, and one I'm cultivating - hopefully. God and Christ fit in my mind and give me personal rails to follow that make sense for me. If my view of the central message of all religions is correct (admittedly it differs from yours), then it does make me angry how much it's been botched up as a direct result of humans trying to carry it out. That's why it's a personal thing for me - easier to cut through the crap that way. If you are doing the things you do to try to bring happiness and peace to the world as it is, then that's something for people to admire, not to send you hate mail for! Probably enough rambling from me anyway.

Your friend,

Laura Guthrie

“It seems like you live in your own little, imaginary world where you are just trying to make money off of disgusting merchandise all the while playing the part of a worldly hypocrite.” Subject: hypocrite You say that you lump Jesus and Santa together because they are both created by man. Yet you dress up like satan, looking like an idiot with horns on your head. If you dont believe in Jesus then how in the world can you believe in a satan? I feel sorry for you, because you dont live in reality. It seems like you live in your own little, imaginary world where you are just trying to make money off of disgusting merchandise all the while playing the part of a worldly hypocrite. PS... Go ahead and pick apart my sentence structure and spelling, i really could care less that you know how to write a Ryan Warren

sothrnbull3@yahoo.com How does dressing up as Satan mean that I believe in him? Do the people who dress up as Santa believe Santa's real? Do people who believe in Jesus go around dressed like him? You'll have to pardon me for saying so, but you're the one who's sounding like the babbling weirdo here. Please let me know the thoughts you're trying to force out of your mouth.

Bob “Since you don't believe in satan, why not have a dress up satan page?” Dressing up like satan for Halloween is one thing, but dressing up for every photo i saw on your website is a little wierd. It seems you dressing up like satan, and not believing in him, is just a cover for something or a part that you play for merchandising, am i right? Since you don't believe in satan, why not have a dress up satan page? As it is right now, you are discriminating against believers of Jesus or Muhammad by specifically picking on our religious beliefs. If you don't believe in Jesus then why not just move on with your life rather then mock people who do believe? You seem like a very petty man with too much time on your hands. Why not just have respect for others and their beliefs one way or another? You can believe what you want, but why make fun of peoples beliefs with these ignorant dress up magnets? Ryan Warren

sothrnbull3@yahoo.com A dress up Satan page?!?!? I'm sorry but that sounds more offensive than any of the other pages I've even dreamed of! OMG! A game where you can play around with Satan. Wow! YOU ARE SERIOUSLY ASKING FOR SOME MAJOR TROUBLE, AREN'T YOU???? Have you no fear of the wrath of Satan and his mighty demon armies?? Not to mention the Satanist cult churches that'd come after me. I can already see myself on a slab in between two sacrificial virgins staring up at that flaming pentagram. NO THANK YOU, RYAN!! You're so brave with Jesus protecting you at every corner, why don't YOU make a dress up Satan page??? Huh?? Chicken?!? Or do you believe Satan's real too, and he'll come to get you in your sleep?!! You need to practice what you preech, Ryan. Respect for people's beliefs goes BOTH ways! Bob Ryan CC'd about 6 (as opposed to BCC) of his friends on his original email to me.

This is one of them. I'm assuming a relative.

(Oh, and here's two different Satan Dressups I've made! #1 & #2 ) “Bob, you are right, dressing up like a character does not make you that character. Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny have always been fantasy characters, but to a Christian, God, Jesus and the Bible are real” The problem here is communication. Ryan, you are correct, if Bob wants to portray himself as evil than he has that right. Bob, you are right, dressing up like a character does not make you that character. Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny have always been fantasy characters, but to a Christian, God, Jesus and the Bible are real. And if we believe in God than this concept, in turn, makes Satan real. Whether for halloween or just on a website the portrayal of him becomes offensive to a Christian. At this point it is personal preference. You choose what you feel is right and Christians will choose what they feel is right. We are accountable for our individual choices. The issue is not dress preference, it is perception. I am on Ryan's side on this one. Anyone who portrays himself as an evil character is either trying to attract controversy or appeal to evil followers. Either way, it is not an area I want to be associated with. So for me I would prefer no response or additional email on this subject. Thanks,

Danny Warren

danny.warren@earthlink.net Well Danny, of course everyone's dream world is to be able to make blanket statements, state a whole bunch of personal beliefs to a captive audience, then withdraw from the conversation. But if you truly don't want to be associated with all of this you'd best just stay out of the kitchen all together. But since you seem to be standing next to the stove here is where I would say you're the one who's incorrect, Danny. Satan too has frequently been a fantasy character. He's been portrayed over and over again in fictional movies, books, television shows, Off Broadway Theater and even historical mythology. Saying he's not portrayed as a fantasy character is just plain incorrect. Of course I'm speaking from first hand experience too. One of the things I've found that's most enjoyable about dressing up as a make-believe Satan (because clearly I am not him) is the Pavlovian response it triggers from the religious. I've often compared it to the reaction you get from your dog if you approach it with a paper bag over your head. But I also have to add that I just really think I make a cool looking Satan. There's no holding me back. I'm thrilled to see so many people included in this conversation. Ryan's a good friend to you all, it's clear.

Thank you for the feedback. I'm taking it all into consideration.

Bob

normalbob.com “I am in the kitchen and willing to cook but...” I am in the kitchen and willing to cook but the difference is I do not willing to waist my time with your rhetoric. I have no problem sharing an ongoing conversation with everyone is this audience, but you. Your quest, as you admit, is to create controversy and that is a waist of my time. I never said satan was not portrayed by persons. Hollywood, Broadway and people have done a lot things that I think are offensive. I said, whether at halloween or on a website depiction of satan is offensive to a Christian. Most Christians would find it offensive in movies, plays or holloween characters. But, if you choose to portray satan or anything else that is your choice. My choice is not to waist my time and breath on such nonsense. Your second paragraph explains just my point. You like controversy and seeing how tight you can spin people up. To me that is a waist of intelligence that could be used for something positive. But, you get to choose the game you play and I get to choose whether I play. You have chosen to play a game that has absolutely NO value to me. Ryan is a good friend and honest in his heart. You on the other hand are unpredictable and dangerous. Your desire is to argue and provoke. My analogy would be the other way around. You are like the dog that sees a man with a bag over his head. You could either bite or wet on yourself. I do want to associate with that kind of person. You do not have to take anything I say in consideration. You do not know me nor do I know you. You choose your path. If you fall it was your choice. I will choose my path. If I fall it was my choice. Danny Warren

danny.warren@earthlink.net To me is sounds like you're close to the activities room, or out back in the tool shed. Or someplace else a long ways from the kitchen. And you've installed an intercom system that lets you turn down the volume on what everyone else in the house says, but your volume is turned way up. And we have a Saint Bernard named "Teeny." And I work in a factory that makes candy. A candy making factory. And every month I get a paycheck for a million dollars. And you're a part time vet.



My game, my rules. You make a game and we'll play by your rules. Bob “Enjoy your life.” You are too funny. Enjoy your life. Danny Warren

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