Oh, ain't it clever?
In a recent conversation with my son, he said that he thought it was wrong for politicians, such as George W. Bush when he was President, to invoke their religion on others. I asked him what he meant. I explained that what we today call morals are really the lessons of human experience. Since religion for many centuries was the center of society and education, the lessons were passed down by religion and thereby gained their "religious" connotations. My son immediately understood that these lessons were necessary to have a functioning society, and he understood the connection with religion. He then knew why shunning something for no other reason than it was tied to religion was short-sighted.
But people do it anyway. They would rather modern society figuratively re-invent the wheel again and again rather than listen to the knowledge passed down to us by some long-dead people.
Many people believe that the way to demonstrate their open-mindedness is to shut down those of a particular view. Re-evaluate? Yes -- but reject for the sake of rejecting, why? It seems especially sad when much of what religion can teach us is of more value than what secularization can teach us.
Notice that this sign does not differentiate between Judeo-Christian values that try and teach people to work for both the personal and common good and the so-called "values" of a certain other religion that is trying to bomb the world into the 12th century.
A sad state of affairs.
If it can fit on a sign or a bumper sticker, it's stupid. Period. And I even include the NoBama stuff in that. Great. NoBama.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan, either. On the other hand, there are REASONS I'm not a fan, and seeing a bumper sticker that said NoBAMA was not one of them. It was funny once. Eight million views later, I meet too many people who think the same end result I do (it would be really awesome if the President were not reelected), but can't articulate the reasons why, or can only give bumper sticker responses.
This is, of course, rampant among any political topic. Who wants to think?
I'd like to know what "shoving down my children's throat" means. Am I allowed to wear a crucifix? Say "God Bless You" when someone sneezes? Wear a shirt that says, "I love Jesus!" or "I love Buddha!"
And are all religions the same, or does this sign only refer to Christians?
I will not argue that there are Christians who take this too far. I tend to follow St. Francis of Assissi's teachings on that particular topic. However, is it any different than Muslim who says "Insh'allah" after every sentence? Or a Buddhist shrine in a Chinese food restaurant?
Religion - and lack thereof - is important to people. Why should we be forced to limit our interaction with it to smaller than what we expend on Harry Potter?
Hear hear.
ReplyDeleteThat sign is disgusting.
ReplyDeleteHow about if I substitute the word "Homosexuality" for the word "Religion" on that poster? Would the looneyticks still love it?
ReplyDeleteI think not.
"If it can fit on a sign or a bumper sticker, it's stupid. Period."
ReplyDeleteNoooooooooooooo!
I have two that aren't:
Sorry for driving too close in front of you
AND
Come over to the dark side...we have cookies
=))
First, That's a photoshop, right? Just to be clear.
ReplyDeleteSecond, it was likely written by someone who feels their life is driven by their, or another's, dick.
Third, I find the inclusion of children in this message to be of an extremely degenerate nature.
Free speech it is, but that type of thought should be shamed into non-existence.
Amen to that, Luther, well said.
ReplyDeleteSorry for driving too close in front of you
AND
Come over to the dark side...we have cookies
Fay, those are AWESOME!!! I love them!!
Here's another one I saw that gets my stamp of approval - "I'm still hot. It just comes in flashes."
:-D
You know, no one seems to be very concerned about the gay guy who verbally assaulted Bristol Palin. I found it to be extremely upsetting and wished I hadn't watched it. If I was a gay activist, I would have issued a statement immediately putting a lot of distance between my organization and that guy.
looneyticks
ReplyDeletetee hee
ReplyDeleteMany people believe that the way to demonstrate their open-mindedness is to shut down those of a particular view. Re-evaluate? Yes -- but reject for the sake of rejecting, why? It seems especially sad when much of what religion can teach us is of more value than what secularization can teach us.
You said it all here in a nutshell, Matt. I'm glad your son was open-minded and listen to what you had to say and consider it.
(Jourdan):
ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt that of all the things offensive about this Hallmark Card of Liberalism is that its creator obviously thinks himself clever.
Those are the *good* bumper stickers, Fay! :) It's when they sway into political territory that they become silly.
ReplyDeleteThe bumper sticker I especially despise is the one that says "COEXIST" using symbols for the religions of the world as letters -- including the muslim crescent. The air of that bumper sticker is that we should learn to live with them. I'm sorry, but they're the one who fly planes into buildings.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Matt.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's up with the insinuation in that bumper sticker that it's MY fault everything isn't la-di-da? Because I really don't care what religion someone is - Muslim included - unless they are threatening me somehow.
Take your preaching where the problem is, 'cuz the problem isn't in my house.
Another reason I hate bumper stickers, aside from the fact that people forget how to defend their beliefs using non-stock phrases and actual reasoning, is that people slap one on their car, or pay extra for the Free Tibet license plate, and think that is doing enough. "Oh, I SUPPORT a FREE TIBET."
No you don't. You pay lip service. You think words speak louder than actions. If blabbity blabbing would solve the issues of Chinese aggression and abuse of the Tibetan people, it would have been solved as soon as Richard Gere started preaching. But it doesn't (in fairness, I think Gere actually does a lot of real work in the movement. It doesn't change his smug factor, though).
I'm so SICK of people talking and not doing. It just makes my head explode.
AFW, that's why I do not like the idea of on-line petitions. What good are they? Some guy cares so much that he spend a minute going to a web site and adding his name? How about getting out a piece of paper, writing a letter (or using a word processor and printing it out)? I have read that one personal letter (not a cut-and-paste form letter) carries more weight than an on-line petition or a preprinted post card.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't care enough to put it in your own words, then you don't care.