My inlaws decided after praying about how they wish they had more kids in their seminary class, that their 'more kids' should be their actual children + spouses.... So, every morning, FIL texts all a scripture and the principal we should get from it.

(I wish he was still emailing us crap because it would be easier to delete and ignore. But once on a text chain, you get notified every time someone responds on your phone!)

They are well aware of our disbelief. My husband immediately asked to be taken off the list. FIL essentially said 'too bad, delete it if you don't like it'. I asked to be taken off, and FIL honored this request, but not before saying how disappointed he is that I have not "chosen to accept Christ into my heart", and saying that he holds husband to a higher standard because he was raised in the church, and 'knows what's right'.

They have also said that they will agree not to talk to our daughter about religion "at this point in her life". And MIL specifically said "WE are CHOOSING not to" talk to granddaughter about religion.

I have told husband he needs to set and ENFORCE healthy boundaries with his parents. Clearly, this isn't working as FIL is walking all over him with regard to this texting scriptures daily thing....

Any ideas on getting the texting to stop? Or on enforcing healthy boundaries?

Can't you block them??? I use Blockem on my cell phone and it works. It's free. I can also unblock numbers if I have to too.

Ok, clearly I'm not that tech savvy.... If you 'block', do you block all texts from that #?

Yes! I've had to do when I got texts from somebody I didn't know. It was like they tested the wrong number and person.

Text back one principal from the CES letter every time you get a text from him. Fair is fair.

Yes! Was just going to suggest texting back.

Obviously, they don't know anything about how strong your own "(un)faith" is.

Share.

CES letter is an awesome idea.

stand your ground and inform him that you will educate him about TSCC if he persists in texting garbage to your phone.

Your cell phone provider has a method to block texts, and calls. Check on line, or call them.

You can usually find them in "Google Play". That how it was with both my Verizon and AT&T phones. That's where I found Blockem.

Can you 'reply all'? Then start quoting Robert Ingersoll, George Carlin, or Thomas Paine.

If you do that, they'll take you off the list real fast.

I've never tried that. But some of my texts are with companies like Amazon with delivering items.... It might confuse those who aren't being a problem....

southern idaho inactive Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've never tried that. But some of my texts are
> with companies like Amazon with delivering
> items.... It might confuse those who aren't being
> a problem....

The "block" only applies to particular phone #s, not to all texts. Block your FIL. Tell him you'll unblock him when he stops sending daily religious nonsense.

I like the "text back" idea...today it's "The many First Visions", tomorrow it's "Facsimile 2: God's hard-on"...


That'll dry up the invite to Thanksgiving dinner for sure.

Or, you could text back and say you're going to a same-sex wedding.

tell him that every time he texts you that you are going to contribute $100.00 to Hillary Clinton's campaign.

One of you tells the TBMs of a recent sex change, and that you are now the happy single-gender parents of your darling kid(s).

Wow, control freaks. Backing off your daughter only because THEY choose to is trying to tell you that they are in control. Continuing to send your hubby texts he has specifically asked them to stop. Telling him they are in control.

I agree with previous posters about setting boundaries. It's hard with Mormons. Most don't know what a boundary is. You might have to electrify your fence.

I know, right?! They seem to want to make it very clear that it's not US setting the boundary, but rather them making choices and decisions. It's very controlling behavior. They alone decide when they are going to be respectful, when they are not, etc. It makes it tough to have a kind and trusting relationship.

My suggestion...send him back his own scriptures...the racist, hate filled scriptures he might not recall are actually there...

Guaranteed way to get off those text chains.

As has been stated already, simply reply with a question like "Can you explain why JS never mentioned the first vision or recorded it in any way until almost a decade after it allegedly happened? And when he did record it his version bears no resemblance whatsoever to the version currently taught"?

Make sure that your question goes out to everyone that is included in the original text. After the second day of replies like that you wont be included in any group texts.

Brining up legitimate questions to multiple TBM's terrifies them because not a single one of them can answer them. That leads to the possibility that one of them might open their eyes - which scares the shit out of TBM's/.

Your problem is more with your husband than the FIL. Marriages almost always work better when each spouse deals with their own family.

When your FIL responded so rudely to you, your DH needed to step up.

Setting boundaries includes penalties for breaking them. Parents can be told there will be no contact for a month, or no contact with kids, or whatever is appropriate until they get the message. At the same time, reinforce that you are doing it because family is so important, like they taught you. You don't need to be nasty about any of it, just take decisive action. And when I say 'you' I mean your husband.

Yes, I completely agree - it's best when each deals with their own family. The problem is that my family and I are all very direct with eachother (non-mormons), whereas his family is the opposite.... Passive aggressive, talking behind backs, etc. So, his way of dealing is to ignore. The problem with this tactic is that, as you said, there is no penalty for breaking a boundary. If there is no penalty for breaking a boundary, then the line just gets pushed, and pushed until they are doing whatever they want, not respecting us, walking all over husband's wishes. Normally, I would probably just ignore it, but since it involves my daughter, I am not on board with that. That's where I care.

Isaiah 9:19-20
By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; no one will spare his brother. On the right they will devour, but still be hungry; on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied. Each will feed on the flesh of his own offspring.

Isaiah 13:15-16
Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished.

Isaiah 49:26
I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

I'd put him on SPAM immediately and keep him there unless or until he humbly apologized.

No contact from me unless he earns it. Not now, not every.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2015 03:28AM by Cheryl.

My advice would be to have your husband warn your father first that if he is not taken off the text chain, his number will be blocked. Then DH should follow through if necessary.

I would ignore the other comments about your daughter. As long as they are behaving for *now,* the rest is just so much blustering.

This is just me, but I would start texting porno back to said FIL and tell him "to bad, you can delete it if you dont like it".

Sometimes silence is a good response. After ignoring or deleting unwanted texts; What about sharing inspiration with someone else that would enjoy it?

Carl Sagan has a few nice ones:

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

"Our species needs and deserves, a citizenry with minds wide awake and a basic understanding of how the world works."

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

"We make our world significant by the courage of our questions
And by the depth of our answers."

"I don't want to believe I want to know."

"I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way."

"The brain is like a muscle, when it is in use we fill very good. Understanding is Joyous."

Thanks for the input! He has initially decided to try for a humorous approach with Gifs... https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/stop-including-me

Since DH's parents are such asshats, I doubt that gentle humor will solve the problem. He's going to need to step it up.

If he can't bring himself to block them, does he have the intestinal fortitude to rain a torrent of F-bombs on their heads? A few blasts of that should get the harassment to stop.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2015 10:05PM by Book of Mordor.