Offensive anti Christian bumper sticker
You said it all! I don't find the sticker offensive, it's actually very to the point.
mapleman said:
I think some folks don't know what it's like to be a non-believer in this country. There are people of some religions who feel the need to put God and Jesus in other people's faces all the time. Not to mention the people who use their idea of God to meddle in the lives of other people - put curbs on abortion or contraception, or keep same sex couples from marrying.
when there are religious people out there citing God as their rationale for denying other people the freedom to live as they choose a little bumper sticker asking people to keep their God out of other people's lives is pretty tame if you ask me.
mtierney said:
How about a bumper sticker saying "choose life"?
You mean like the t-shirts Wham! wore in the Wake Me Up Before You Go Go video?
You shouldn't. It's a near perfect pop song. I still prefer Club Tropicana, though.
ridski said:
mtierney said:
How about a bumper sticker saying "choose life"?
You mean like the t-shirts Wham! wore in the Wake Me Up Before You Go Go video?
We look at those shirts through an American perspective as to the phrase's meaning. The shirts in the video were created by activist designer Katherine Hamnett. They were aimed at drug abuse and suicide, one of a series of slogan shirts she produced.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Hamnett
The pro-life movement didn't adopt the phrase to oppose choice until well after that video. The phrase is part of a passage from Deuteronomy. I also assumed it to be that meaning, but I think I'm correct in saying that in Britain and most of Europe, few go around trying to get others to adhere to biblical strictures so publicly. And Wham! seemed an unlikely bearer of such overt religious extremism.
As for offense from such a bumper sticker, it expresses a religious belief without demanding everyone comply at the cost of religious liberty. I don't agree it anyone's business what others do with their bodies, but it doesn't bother me the way a desire to change the Constitution would.
Thanks for the background info,, dk50b. I really didn't "get" that video reference, but I am often left out of the loop with Ridski references.
As I recall, the pro-choice movement had really taken hold of the concept that being pro choice was all about the right to choose abortion.
The pro life folks figured a message indicating that another choice was available was a positive rather than negative message. Thus "choose life" did not keep a choice from women, rather presented one to them.
I think it is, as you note, not forcing one's beliefs on another nor impacting anyone's religious liberty.
The pro choice movement also took exception at one time to the label "pro life".
Disclaimer: I do not belong to the pro life group, but support several Catholic charities. Three of our children joined our family in their first weeks of life. We were blessed by choice.
dave said:
But was ridski looking through an American perspective?
No, but I looked through an American once. They're weirder on the inside.
ridski said:
dave said:
But was ridski looking through an American perspective?
No, but I looked through an American once. They're weirder on the inside.
I guess the NHS has done a great job at keeping Brit's innards normal. Try looking through an American in a few years and let us if it's less weird thanks to the ACA.
As I was lecturing Ridski not to look at those T-shirts through an American perspective, it sounded odd as I wrote it. I tried to ask if my assessment Americans propensity to wear religion on their sleeve, chest, bumper and politicians far exceeds that of Europeans. So was I on target Ridski? Or do Brits still consider themselves only semi-European?
One factor in the Conservative sweep last week was the promise of a referendum on Europe, and Ukip did receive almost 4 million votes (only one seat though, thank FSM), so I think it's safe to say the UK is more semi-European than truly European.
I'm well aware of the thought behind mtierney's t-shirt concept. I just thought it was funny that we DID have those t-shirts and the chances of a pregnant teen Wham! fan in the early 80s walking into a British abortion clinic wearing one without irony were pretty good. In the UK, of course, while abortions are still considered a last resort, they are free and were made legal before I was even born by an Act of Parliament, rather than some weird hand-wavy court decision that can be thrown around for political gain every month or so.
In most surveys, the US claims to be about 80-85% Christian. In one survey (which admitted did not include Northern Ireland) the UK was 50.6% Non-Religious. This is enormous compared the US. Even in the UK Census of 2011, Christianity only claimed 59.5% of the population.
And yes, we don't wear it on our sleeves. Expat message boards for Brits in the US are abundant with stories of "God-botherers" and people asking if there are places where Americans go "other than church". If you live anywhere more than 100 miles from either coast, the US takes a lot of adjusting to. We're simply not used to being preached at everywhere, or being led in a prayer at the beginning of any event minor or major, or basically praising deities for things us humans do perfectly well all by ourselves.
As comedian Eddie Izzard once said, "It's more of a hobby, really."
Tom_R