Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!watarts!geo
From: geo@watarts.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: suspicious singles questionnaire
Message-ID: <1980@watarts.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 30-Jul-83 03:00:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: watarts.1980
Posted: Sat Jul 30 03:00:44 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Jul-83 04:51:25 EDT
References: hogpd.103
Lines: 36

Avi Gross (avi@pegasus) recently posted the text of a questionnaire
he received unsolicited in the mail.  The questionnaire was
ostensibly directed towards single people.  Avi found the religious
bias suspicious, speculated that perhaps the questionnaire was a ploy
on the part of some evangelical group, and asked if anyone had ever
come across anything similar.  (Hope I haven't misrepresented you Avi.)

Well I came across something similar.  There was a chapter of the 
"Maranathas" on campus a year or two ago.  They used to pull this stunt
in pairs.  They would approach you in a lounge or common room, explain
they were students, and ask you if you would mind helping them out by
answering some questions for them.  They would have about a dozen
mimeographed questionnaires under their arms with their school books.
I don't recall their exact line of patter, but they clearly implied
that the questionnaire was associated with their academic work.

The first question or two were innocuous.  I had answered about half
a dozen before I realized that this was not a legitimate exercise 
intended to measure my attitude, but rather a ploy to embroil me in
a religious discussion.  Clearly I am still angry about it.

I am extremely distrustful of this group.  Does anyone know anything
more about them?  I understand that Rios Montt, the current dictator
of Guatemala is a member.  The local chapter seemed to be supported
by an incredible amount of money.  According to the records they filed
with the student federation they had on the order of two dozen members.
Somehow they managed to rent a storefront, print glossy pamphlets, and
every two or three weeks plaster the campus with posters for events they
were hosting.  The events would either be a visit from a young, clean-cut
looking evangelist, and his wife, or a movie about Christian life.

There seemed to be intense pressure on the members of this group to enter
student politics.

	Geo Swan, Integrated Studies, University of Waterloo
	(ihnp4 || allegra || linus || decvax) !watmath!watarts!geo