People get so touchy about their beliefs....even Atheists, who I guess get touchy about their non-beliefs.
Either way, what doesn't seem confrontational, and in reality isn't, suddenly IS, just because it involves religion. Your "Atheist American" bumper sticker is in no way, shape or form confrontational....but your wife's point is probably valid: people might see it that way anyway. The way I see, the one's who are the most vocal and confrontational with their beliefs, are probably the one's who are the most insecure about them. The Christian who quietly smiles in the face of doubters, is the one who is probably the most secure in his or her beliefs. It's the people who have 30 fish bumper stickers on their Ford Festiva that seem to be the ones seeking reassurance, more than salvation. On 9/19/07, Jim Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > -----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 > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Enterprise web applications, build robust, secure scalable apps today - Try it now ColdFusion Today ColdFusion 8 beta - Build next generation apps Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:242697 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
