Offensive anti Christian bumper sticker
ramzzoinksus said:
ParticleMan said:
mcgoey said:
I was just driving behind a car that had a bumper sticker that said "please curb your God" with a cross in the corner. I found it so offensive that I considered getting out and telling the person who was driving while we were at a stop light. It's one thing to be a proud atheist, but to compare anyone's God to a dog peeing on the curb is awful.
You know what I find offensive? That this bumper sticker, which in no way mentions any particular religion or god, is immediately assumed to be anti-Christian. As if there were no other religion out there that mattered.
You did not read the whole OP did you? The one that says there was a "a cross in the corner".
You are absolutely right. I missed that part. I retract my indignation.
kibbegirl said:
The day you allow a bumper sticker to upset you so much that you must post about it is the day you need to start booking a relaxing vacation and tune out the world for a bit.
dave said:
The devil appears as a dog in Faust. I think we can connect the dots and know why mcgoey was bitten by a dog now.
http://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/id/85534-I-was-just-bitten-by-a-dog-while-jogging
And why a dog ripped up mcgoey's daughter's homework
Really??? People come on To MOL to vent about all sort of ridiculous stuff like the " the checkout girl at Ashley looked at her cell phone while I was checking out". She said she was offended, she wasn't about to throw herself off the highest building in NJ.
Dave..what 's your point?
ParticleMan said:
mcgoey said:
I was just driving behind a car that had a bumper sticker that said "please curb your God" with a cross in the corner. I found it so offensive that I considered getting out and telling the person who was driving while we were at a stop light. It's one thing to be a proud atheist, but to compare anyone's God to a dog peeing on the curb is awful.
You know what I find offensive? That this bumper sticker, which in no way mentions any particular religion or god, is immediately assumed to be anti-Christian. As if there were no other religion out there that mattered.
I think it's pretty clear that the bumper sticker was addressing Christianity. I think the person's view of Christianity is based on listening to or reading some fundamentalists. I think if the driver of that car was more informed, that person would learn about what other Christians believe, and would not put that sticker on the bumper.
nohero said:
ParticleMan said:
mcgoey said:
I was just driving behind a car that had a bumper sticker that said "please curb your God" with a cross in the corner. I found it so offensive that I considered getting out and telling the person who was driving while we were at a stop light. It's one thing to be a proud atheist, but to compare anyone's God to a dog peeing on the curb is awful.
You know what I find offensive? That this bumper sticker, which in no way mentions any particular religion or god, is immediately assumed to be anti-Christian. As if there were no other religion out there that mattered.
I think it's pretty clear that the bumper sticker was addressing Christianity. I think the person's view of Christianity is based on listening to or reading some fundamentalists. I think if the driver of that car was more informed, that person would learn about what other Christians believe, and would not put that sticker on the bumper.
I think your characterization of the bumper sticker owner is completely off base. My view of Christianity is based on far, far more than what I hear from fundamentalists, and I think the sticker was spot on.
Kibbiegirl you are right. I have some things going on right now that are making me a little sensitive. And, I didn't get a relaxing vacation for Spring break for sure.
Particleman- the sticker had a cross on it. What other religion would you associate with a cross?
Thx Judy3x
I think I am done here. maybe the only thing anyone should post about here is when the next dump day is... wouldn't that make MOL boring though?
I don't get offended easily (or hardly at all!), but I do get annoyed sometimes at the "strident atheists" who feel the need to belittle others' beliefs. I had one friend who on Easter put a pretty out-there Facebook status about how ridiculous it was to celebrate Easter in the first place. She took it down when a few of us gently suggested that went just a little too far. I don't push my religion on others, so I don't appreciate anti-religion being pushed on me, especially on a day that's so meaningful for so many. Kinda works both ways. "Live and let live," indeed.
The difficulty with evangelicals is it's not a personality thing. They are aggressive in their messaging because they truly believe that it's up to them to save the souls of the world. The one critical verse - "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6) - that verse's interpretation is very different in different denominations. For evangelicals and some others, they feel that means someone must come to know Jesus in order be saved from damnation, and they truly endeavor to share this message to as many people as they can. Some do this less offensively than others, but for the most part there is a pure intention behind it.
drummerboy said:
nohero said:
ParticleMan said:
mcgoey said:
I was just driving behind a car that had a bumper sticker that said "please curb your God" with a cross in the corner. I found it so offensive that I considered getting out and telling the person who was driving while we were at a stop light. It's one thing to be a proud atheist, but to compare anyone's God to a dog peeing on the curb is awful.
You know what I find offensive? That this bumper sticker, which in no way mentions any particular religion or god, is immediately assumed to be anti-Christian. As if there were no other religion out there that mattered.
I think it's pretty clear that the bumper sticker was addressing Christianity. I think the person's view of Christianity is based on listening to or reading some fundamentalists. I think if the driver of that car was more informed, that person would learn about what other Christians believe, and would not put that sticker on the bumper.
I think your characterization of the bumper sticker owner is completely off base. My view of Christianity is based on far, far more than what I hear from fundamentalists, and I think the sticker was spot on.
Well, then, we disagree.
mcgoey said:
Particleman- the sticker had a cross on it. What other religion would you associate with a cross?
You are absolutely right. I missed that part. I retract my indignation.
Many of us who are Christian can get offended by evangelical/fundamentalist messaging too. On paper we all believe the same things but there are some big dividing lines too, in the way that we express our faith and the principles we hold most important. (And I'm not even talking about the anti-gay type hate speech)
I had this experience just recently at my grandmother's funeral in rural Georgia. I was with the pastor up to a point, but then he went into the "only those who have a personal relationship with Jesus are saved" detour and he lost me. This point was illustrated further at the gravesite where he reminded everyone that those who don't know Jesus are damned so it's time to get right with God. Always be closing, I guess.
metaphysician said:
This quote from Mark Twain should fit nicely on a bumper sticker:
"Religion began when the first con man met the first fool."
Looks like that comes from the oft-quoted Gnostic Twain:
http://www.zebrafactcheck.com/neer-the-twain-did-speak-it/
marylago said:
I am offended by anti-abortion bumper stickers. I believe in a woman's right to choose--I don't believe it in for me (although that ship has sailed), but like I said, I believe in choice. I also believe that it is because of religion that many (most?) people are anti-abortion. But live and let live... (Yes, that is intentional.)
This!!! I hate with a passion the bumper stickers that say "Choose life, your mother did" - I always have an urge to write a note saying, "Yes, my mother choose to have me. It wasn't forced upon her by the pro-life right."
dk50b said:
I can see how someone of faith might take offense at that bumper sticker. On the other hand, as a Jew, I am angered and offended when I see a "I'm Pro-Life and I Vote" bumper sticker. This is whom the "curb your G-d" message is aimed, not everyone who's outwardly religious.
Defining life as beginning at conception is solely a Christian doctrine, with no basis in medical science. I think it's accurate say it's not a belief accepted by all Christians. To ask that it become law is a blatant violation of the free exercise and establishment clauses of the Constitution. As such, to do so requires amending the Constitution. Due to the capture of the Republican party by Christian religious extremists, such an amendment is in their platform. To add more to their goal of making religious doctrine Federal law, another amendment in their platform defines marriage as only between a man and women.
I'm well aware neither would ever get enough votes to be sent to the states for ratification. What incenses me is the fact these people advocate the end of religious freedom in America, perhaps the most important quality setting us apart from the rest of the world. You can say whatever you want on the back of your car. But the example cited in the OP doesn't advocate taking away anyone's basic freedoms. Pro-life stickers and the Republican platform do exactly that. I never recall a time when a political party had reversing our founding principles in its platform.
And this too! I get so frustrated when I try to explain to people that the anti-abortion crowd is trying to legislate their religious beliefs. Until the fetus is viable on its own, my religion considers it a parasite on the mother (for lack of a better term).
I think "Curb your god" means don't be too strident or zealous. It's a message worth sending.
The bumper sticker itself raises some quesitons.
- Do Christians really have the ability to put God on a leash and keep him under control?
- Does God poop? I don't think he does. We were made in his image, but we're obviously cooler because we get a digestive tract and he doesn't.
- Then again, Jesus must have had a digestive tract.
- Have you seen how muscley Jesus is? I wouldn't want to try putting him on a leash or telling him what to do. He'd kick my ass.
Tom - I think you are misinterpreting what curb means. It's not like in "Curb your Enthusiasm". It's like "Curb your Dog". Curb has two different meanings. If it were meant the way you think it wouldn't be so bad.
mcgoey said:
Tom - I think you are misinterpreting what curb means. It's not like in "Curb your Enthusiasm". It's like "Curb your Dog". Curb has two different meanings. If it were meant the way you think it wouldn't be so bad.
I see that as one single meaning. But perhaps that's just me (and Tom). The problem is that God and Dog are similar looking words and even jokes have been made about this. (Did you hear about the dyslexic agnostic insomniac? He stayed up all night wondering if there really was a dog.)
mcgoey said:
Tom - I think you are misinterpreting what curb means. It's not like in "Curb your Enthusiasm". It's like "Curb your Dog". Curb has two different meanings. If it were meant the way you think it wouldn't be so bad.
You're totally missing the point. It's a pun on the two meanings of "curb." It's taking a common phrase about where your dog should poop and, simply by reversing two letters, turning it into a nearly identical phrase that means something totally different: reign in your religion. It's clever. The bumper sticker has nothing whatsoever to do with dogs or poop beyond the fact that the original phrase happens, randomly, to refer to those things. Yes, it's a hostile, aggressive thing to put on your car and I can see how somebody might be offended by it, but if what's giving you offense is the dog/poop part then you're definitely overreacting.
mcgoey, I think you are straining to find reason to be upset. Let it go. And as wendy and I both feel, curb, as a verb, means nearly the same thing whether you curb your enthusiasm or your dog or your dogma. I hope you can agree that excessive religious zeal is a problem. The third commandment says don't take the lord's name in vain. To me, that means don't be so arrogant as to think you know God's nature better than anyone else does.
@mcgoey - some of the best getaways are places that don't have cars 
dk50b said:
I can see how someone of faith might take offense at that bumper sticker. On the other hand, as a Jew, I am angered and offended when I see a "I'm Pro-Life and I Vote" bumper sticker. This is whom the "curb your G-d" message is aimed, not everyone who's outwardly religious.
Defining life as beginning at conception is solely a Christian doctrine, with no basis in medical science. I think it's accurate say it's not a belief accepted by all Christians. To ask that it become law is a blatant violation of the free exercise and establishment clauses of the Constitution. As such, to do so requires amending the Constitution. Due to the capture of the Republican party by Christian religious extremists, such an amendment is in their platform. To add more to their goal of making religious doctrine Federal law, another amendment in their platform defines marriage as only between a man and women.
I'm well aware neither would ever get enough votes to be sent to the states for ratification. What incenses me is the fact these people advocate the end of religious freedom in America, perhaps the most important quality setting us apart from the rest of the world. You can say whatever you want on the back of your car. But the example cited in the OP doesn't advocate taking away anyone's basic freedoms. Pro-life stickers and the Republican platform do exactly that. I never recall a time when a political party had reversing our founding principles in its platform.
Actually you can totally use the Bible to justify that a fetus is not an alive child until it starts breathing.
“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7)."
I won a debate back in HS when I had to use the Bible to justify a pro-choice stance.
It took me about 30 seconds with the above passage. My opponent had no rebuttal.
pmartinezv said:
dk50b said:
I can see how someone of faith might take offense at that bumper sticker. On the other hand, as a Jew, I am angered and offended when I see a "I'm Pro-Life and I Vote" bumper sticker. This is whom the "curb your G-d" message is aimed, not everyone who's outwardly religious.
Defining life as beginning at conception is solely a Christian doctrine, with no basis in medical science. I think it's accurate say it's not a belief accepted by all Christians. To ask that it become law is a blatant violation of the free exercise and establishment clauses of the Constitution. As such, to do so requires amending the Constitution. Due to the capture of the Republican party by Christian religious extremists, such an amendment is in their platform. To add more to their goal of making religious doctrine Federal law, another amendment in their platform defines marriage as only between a man and women.
I'm well aware neither would ever get enough votes to be sent to the states for ratification. What incenses me is the fact these people advocate the end of religious freedom in America, perhaps the most important quality setting us apart from the rest of the world. You can say whatever you want on the back of your car. But the example cited in the OP doesn't advocate taking away anyone's basic freedoms. Pro-life stickers and the Republican platform do exactly that. I never recall a time when a political party had reversing our founding principles in its platform.
Actually you can totally use the Bible to justify that a fetus is not an alive child until it starts breathing.
“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7)."
I won a debate back in HS when I had to use the Bible to justify a pro-choice stance.It took me about 30 seconds with the above passage. My opponent had no rebuttal.
Your premise assumes that God then breathed the breath of life into every subsequent human being rather than him just starting the chain reaction with Adam who begot the rest of civilization.
Edit: I'm pro choice by the way but your argument doesn't seem sound. There's a ton of stuff later on in the bible that would better support your point.
GGartrell said:
pmartinezv said:
dk50b said:
I can see how someone of faith might take offense at that bumper sticker. On the other hand, as a Jew, I am angered and offended when I see a "I'm Pro-Life and I Vote" bumper sticker. This is whom the "curb your G-d" message is aimed, not everyone who's outwardly religious.
Defining life as beginning at conception is solely a Christian doctrine, with no basis in medical science. I think it's accurate say it's not a belief accepted by all Christians. To ask that it become law is a blatant violation of the free exercise and establishment clauses of the Constitution. As such, to do so requires amending the Constitution. Due to the capture of the Republican party by Christian religious extremists, such an amendment is in their platform. To add more to their goal of making religious doctrine Federal law, another amendment in their platform defines marriage as only between a man and women.
I'm well aware neither would ever get enough votes to be sent to the states for ratification. What incenses me is the fact these people advocate the end of religious freedom in America, perhaps the most important quality setting us apart from the rest of the world. You can say whatever you want on the back of your car. But the example cited in the OP doesn't advocate taking away anyone's basic freedoms. Pro-life stickers and the Republican platform do exactly that. I never recall a time when a political party had reversing our founding principles in its platform.
Actually you can totally use the Bible to justify that a fetus is not an alive child until it starts breathing.
“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7)."
I won a debate back in HS when I had to use the Bible to justify a pro-choice stance.It took me about 30 seconds with the above passage. My opponent had no rebuttal.
Your premise assumes that God then breathed the breath of life into every subsequent human being rather than him just starting the chain reaction with Adam who begot the rest of civilization.
No, I am simply taking the Bible literally like many who like to use literal references to justify their positions. In order to be considered alive you have to breath. To many the Bible has no room for interpretation.
pmartinezv said:
GGartrell said:
pmartinezv said:
dk50b said:
I can see how someone of faith might take offense at that bumper sticker. On the other hand, as a Jew, I am angered and offended when I see a "I'm Pro-Life and I Vote" bumper sticker. This is whom the "curb your G-d" message is aimed, not everyone who's outwardly religious.
Defining life as beginning at conception is solely a Christian doctrine, with no basis in medical science. I think it's accurate say it's not a belief accepted by all Christians. To ask that it become law is a blatant violation of the free exercise and establishment clauses of the Constitution. As such, to do so requires amending the Constitution. Due to the capture of the Republican party by Christian religious extremists, such an amendment is in their platform. To add more to their goal of making religious doctrine Federal law, another amendment in their platform defines marriage as only between a man and women.
I'm well aware neither would ever get enough votes to be sent to the states for ratification. What incenses me is the fact these people advocate the end of religious freedom in America, perhaps the most important quality setting us apart from the rest of the world. You can say whatever you want on the back of your car. But the example cited in the OP doesn't advocate taking away anyone's basic freedoms. Pro-life stickers and the Republican platform do exactly that. I never recall a time when a political party had reversing our founding principles in its platform.
Actually you can totally use the Bible to justify that a fetus is not an alive child until it starts breathing.
“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7)."
I won a debate back in HS when I had to use the Bible to justify a pro-choice stance.It took me about 30 seconds with the above passage. My opponent had no rebuttal.
Your premise assumes that God then breathed the breath of life into every subsequent human being rather than him just starting the chain reaction with Adam who begot the rest of civilization.
No, I am simply taking the Bible literally like many who like to use literal references to justify their positions. In order to be considered alive you have to breath. To many the Bible has no room for interpretation.
Plenty of conflicting stuff in the Bible that makes literal interpretation difficult. Don't want to piss anyone off by listing the passages (Google if you like) but there is plenty in there that if taken literally would suggest that God isn't 100% against abortion. At least not in all cases. Of course thats just my opinion.
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Here are my world views upon reading bumper stickers while sitting at a stoplight that I suppose many people share:
I'm amazed at the number of folks who put them on crooked.
When I see one I agree with I wonder "Should I have one of those? Nah fcuk that."
When I see one I disagree with I think "Look at that idiot."
When I see one boasting of something I think "Congratulations".
When I see lots of the same ilk covering the majority of the back of the car I think "That person has a problem, but whatever turns you on I guess".
When I see one telling me what to do I think "Stop telling me what to do, now get off your cell phone and drive".
Meanwhile, when I read one while driving at high speed I think "Maybe I'm too close to this guy".