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Urban legends, pious frauds, forgeries,
neat stories, relics, etc., mostly Christian

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Summary:

Urban legends are stories of events that never happened. Christian Urban Legends are stories of events that never happened but have a Christian theme. They are generally created by a individual or group as a fictional account because they give concrete support to their religious beliefs or perceived threats.

It is important to realize that most people of all faiths reject the validity of these stories. They probably look upon them with amusement.

Quotations:

	"The most outrageous lies that can be invented will find believers if a person only tells them with all his might." Mark Twain.
	"...the Christian community needs to become more vigilant in not just halting these rumors, but even running truthful accounts back in the direction from where they emerge." Focus on the Family, 1999-AUG-4 1
	It doesn't matter whether inaccurate information is intentionally or accidentally put in our paths, we have the obligation to know that something is accurate before we repeat it. And it doesn't matter whether the slander is directed at friends or enemies." John Tartaro.

Links to other essays in this section:

Overview of Christian Urban Legends (CULs) This is an important essay to read first.

Individual legends from various sources which never happened: Six hoaxes exposed by Institute for Creation Research (ICR): Darwin's deathbed confession; missing day of Joshua, Janet Reno and Christianity, etc.   Four more hoaxes exposed by the ICR: Hell hole, Noah's ark, Procter & Gamble's Satanic connection, etc.   CUL hoaxes involving Christian leaders: Crucified Santa Claus, Jesus porno film, George W Bush evangelizing, Luther legends, etc.   Other CUL hoaxes: About the Nazi Holocaust, Bible codes, modern-day Jonah, Gay violence, etc.   More CUL hoaxes: Stairway to hell, human/dinosaur footprints, reparative therapy, teeth fillings turning to gold, etc.   Still more CUL hoaxes: Religious broadcasting ban, angel bodyguards, Harry Potter' and Satanism, etc.   The case of the non-sentient fetus reaching out to his surgeon.   Did Einstein prove that God exists?   Stories that may be urban legends: Weighing a soul, relocated church, Coca Cola' and the Mormons.   Even more CUL hoaxes: These deal with the Harry Potter' series of children's literature.   "So help me God" at swearing-in ceremonies and in legal documents   The mother of all Urban Legends

	Major continuing beliefs -- some lasting for centuries -- which are hoaxes: Backmasking Strange messages on music recordings, often urging suicide   The dreaded implantable-chip and an end to privacy   Satanic Ritual Abuse - probably the most serious urban legend currently believed by some Christians and others.   Blood libel, host desecration, ritual murder, the "Protocols." and other largely anti-semitic fables These were responsible for the deaths of thousands of Jews, and helped lay the foundation for the Nazi Holocaust   Hidden codes in the Bible   Halloween: Evangelical Christian beliefs vs. Neopagan beliefs. The myth of Samhain: The Celtic "God of the Dead."
	Bible-related forgeries: The Jehoash/Joash inscription -- Now determined to be a fake.   The Ossuary of James, the brother of Jesus -- Now determined to be a forgery.
	Church artifacts with miraculous powers: The Shroud of Turin -- A work of religious art, an actual relic, or a forgery? Its nature is hotly debated.   Weeping/bleeding statues
	Non-Christian urban folk tales: The UK Holocaust education hoax.

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References:

1. "Urban myths within the Christian community," CitizenLink, Focus on the Family, at: http://www.family.org/
2. LDS Internet hoaxes and Mormon urban legends," at: http://www.ldsworld.com/

Lists of urban legends on the Internet:

	Greg Hartman's column "Christian Humor: Christian Urban Legends" on About.com' at: http://www.christianhumor.about.com/
	Urban Myths by Rich Buhler at "Ship of fools: The magazine of Christian unrest," at: http://ship-of-fools.com/
	The Yahoo search engine: http://dir.yahoo.com/

About.com: "Urban Legends and Folklore," at: http://urbanlegends.about.com/

Copyright © 1999 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Creation date: 1999-APR-5
Last update: 2009-SEP-04
Author: B.A. Robinson

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