The messages are simple enough. Some include a prayer, others offer stories or pictures. Then, slipped into the cyber-epistle, the kicker: If you love God and/or are not ashamed of your religious beliefs, forward the e-mail to a particular number of people. “Sometimes they are genuine witnessing tools and some of them have a very good, theologically sound, powerful message,” said Doug Wilson, assistant professor of Christian studies at the University of Mobile in Alabama. Others, he said, are lacking in biblical perspective. “I believe in sharing our faith and doing it openly,” Wilson said. But, he added, he doesn’t know that forwarding e-mails is an effective method.