> -----Original Message----- > From: G Money [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 1:14 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: I need this bumper sticker > > Should you be? > > On 9/19/07, Jim Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > .......my wife is against (she thinks I > > shouldn't be "confrontational").
It depends on how you define it. She feels, for example, that my "Atheist American" bumper sticker is confrontational... mostly because nearly everybody around us has Jesus Fish and "God Helps Me Choose Life" bumper stickers. So - is promoting your worldview confrontational? Since Atheists are considered to be the most "mistrusted minority" and since 12% of Americans are non-religious I do think that there's a disconnect. I would like to see more Atheists "out" themselves. I'm a good neighbor, I raise my kids well, I'm free with my time and resources, I'm ethically bound and I'm a proud American: all without a religious framework. I would like to see more Atheists setting examples. As for the "Bible" sticker... I'm torn. On one hand it's absolute truth: reading the Bible did more to cement my Atheism than any other single thing. I am truly stunned by the number of people supposedly living their lives by the words in this book who have never so much as cracked it. On the other hand I do see how it could be offensive to some. Since so few Christians have actually ever read the bible it's taken on a chaste symbolic quality: anything remotely resembling an attack on the Bible is construed as insulting. I'm of the deep-seated belief that this should NOT be so, but it is and I understand it even if I don't agree. There are some slogans/stickers that I think do cross the line in this area. I wouldn't wear a "There's a Sucker Born Again Every Minute" shirt (even if I do think it's cute) or a "God is just Pretend" bumper sticker (even tho' I believe that). I think the difference - and it's a subtle one - is that I prefer (if possible) to state my beliefs rather than attack others. But the very nature of my beliefs are, almost by definition, an attack on those other beliefs. I believe that Intelligent Design is a crock of horse shit. I believe that gays should marry whomever they choose. I believe that the United States is not a "Christian Nation". I believe that there is no God. Now how do I promote these beliefs - even if only to my own family - without being insulting or confrontational? When a neighbor kid tells my son that he's going to go to hell because he doesn't go to church how should I react. Of course, at the same time, those other beliefs are an attack on MY beliefs but that never really seems to matter to people. I'm truly offended by those "The only King is Jesus" or "God created Adam & Eve - not Adam & Steve" stickers - I've no problem with people having them (I'm 100% for freedom of speech) but I'm still offended. They are not only stating their beliefs they're also suggesting that those beliefs are SO correct that they should be the basis for public policy. But still my wife, a very open-minded person in general, thinks that putting an "Atheist" sticker on my car is "confrontational" because we live in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood. I don't think it is... but I can't speak for the Catholics. ;^) Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Get the answers you are looking for on the ColdFusion Labs Forum direct from active programmers and developers. http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/categories.cfm?forumid-72&catid=648 Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:242688 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
