News-Record.com

I nearly got run off the road while driving through Atlanta on the weekend after the 9/11 attacks. My car had stickers that said "Born OK the first time" and "When religion ruled the world, they called it the Dark Ages"

"Born OK the first time"....Nicodemus thought so too.

if religion rules anyones world they are hurting - it's not a religion - it is a person - let me introduce you.....meet Jesus Christ !

namtAc you echo skeptics of old ...."saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation."
but rest assured........ "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
you do not have the scriptural type of faith which is required to understand His promise(s). so if you believe your first birth was ok, then time will bear you out to be incorrect - the key here is (if you are still breathing) that you still have time to repent.

Namtac's entry: Wow, and they say Osteen has a non-substantive spiel.

"Clearly we've decided to have the national debate ... on our cars," Merchant said. "We won't talk to each other about these issues, but we'll stick the 'God said Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve' or 'Who would Jesus bomb?' on our cars."

Nonsense!!! The debate is very widespread and very substantive. What a totally inane observation in a society that has been hotly engaged for some time debating such issues on blogs, TV, radio, acdemic cirlces, political exchanges, etc, etc. Bumper stickers are merely the mind-joggers of all that has been said and done regarding these mega-issues.

This is just another pre-election impugning of conservative Christian motives and beliefs, disguised as an astute assessment of Christian integrity.

Duh! OF COURSE, there is, and always has been, a disconnect between the high standards of God, Jesus, Prophets, and the mass of followers - seen also in every religion, philosphy, and ism.

The idea of grace in orthodox Christian theology is that God, through Messiah, has made atonement for our shortfall of sin and neglect on the cross, otherwise we would be accountable for every sin and every "iddle word." No doubt, there is always room for greater committment and zeal, but who set these guys up as judges over God's house. Of course, they are free to express their views. And God, being God, always uses negetive critique to his ultimate advantage.

And the current rash of bash from liberal, pre-election pundits (still reeling from the power of said vote in the last presidential election - and interesting timing of the release date) is simply designed to mitigate the evangelical vote and to prepare the ground for its ultimate demise after the enthronement of Billary or B.O.

But I probably shouldn't rush to judgment regarding this particular movie until I've either seen it or read responsible critical reviews. But from the sound of it in the referred article, it looks like they're trying to imply that Christians are merely seeing the issues from a superficial, bumper sticker perspective: that the sticker, "God said Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" shows prejudice, judgment - or ignorance rather than sound liberal reflection and insight.

ACTUALLY, this is one of the best stickers I've ever seen: almost as good as "Mary was with child, not tissue." And, of course, liberals and leftist radicals have their vast array of hard-hitting stickers too!! Perhaps bumper stickers rile these guys because they are so poignant and to the point. They cut to the chase and avoid the long-winded punditry of journals, articles and books.

Perhaps bumper stickers are more like existential koans, enlightening the soul, and unveiling the moral contradictions of the age, in a direct, incisive and trans-cognitive manner; much as grafitti on box cars crypticly (no pun intended)reveals the unseen essence of modernity. Perhaps they will be remembered and codified long after em-mails, doctoral dissertations and 20/20 segments are dissovled in the mists of nuclear winter or global warming.

Bumper stickers forever!!!!

Buz, the point of my post was that I was put in danger of my life on account of having a couple of non-conformist bumper stickers on my car. You objected to my stickers, just as that stranger did who drove his 1.5 tons of steel within a foot or so of my car at about 70 mph. It's an interesting study in tolerance, or lack thereof.

Nikos, I don't think anyone expects "substantive" discourses to be placed on anyone's bumper, regardless of what they might have in mind. It's a matter of venue, more than anything else. On-line, where you have unlimited space to enter your thoughts, and no editors, the exchanges have only a little higher quality. But the result is the same. It's nowhere near a "debate." More like a prolonged spitting (or other biological excretions of your choice) contest.

Feel free to start posting your favorite Greek or Latin phrases at any time, so as to get to your bottom line all that much more quickly. :)

"You objected to my stickers"......you are incorrect, i do not object to the stickers per se but the message they convey are argumentative so i argued. i have bumpers stickers on my bumper (they say i love domino's - albeit to cover the broken bumper cover). so have as many stickers as you like. and it is unreasonable to think that is is proper or right to try to injure someone who has a bumper sticker which is offensive. i'm gonna have a bumper sticker custom made and it will say "Disregard this bumper sticker" .

"More like a prolonged spitting (or other biological excretions of your choice) contest" - i will assume that you heap your posts into this same category?

Despite your bathroom allusions, Namtac, I think you have a point in regard to blogistry. It is certainly not a high-substance debate scenario; but it does afford some venting of ideas - and frustrations. Cartainly this blog can at times be quite informative and beneficial. I try to be substantive and responsible in my commentary, but I do confess to having descended into humor and sarcasm in my weaker moments.

"Feel free to start posting your favorite Greek or Latin phrases at any time, so as to get to your bottom line all that much more quickly."

Non sequitur ad hominem in loquitur meum substantia hoc majorem quibibus ad dextra - id est nonsensicum magnum.

Apokaluptetai gar orge Theou ap’ ouranou epi pasan asebeian kai adikian.

"Nikos, I don't think anyone expects "substantive" discourses to be placed on anyone's bumper, regardless of what they might have in mind."

That depends on what the word "substantive" means. Again, perhaps a good Koan, pithy comment, or political cartoon says volumes more than a verbose academic harangue or
doctrinaire FSTV diatribe. Certianly more than my own wordy tomes.

It just accurred to me that it would be fitting and proper for us, at this point, to compose bumper stickers as responses to one another, instead of prose - and just see how incisive and substantive they can be. Like:

B.O. STINKS !
HILLARY FOR A GOOD SMELL

OR:

I USE MY NEWSPAPER
FOR PUPPY WIPE UP RAGS

No? Well, I tried. Perhaps you guys can do better. You have to admit it beats long-winded diatribes. Now, don't plagiarize stickers you've seen elsewhere!
Be original.

I truly apologize for the above. Sometimes my flesh just gets the upper hand. Humor is a dangerous commodity, fraught with judgment pitfalls and excesses. My wife says it was over the top; and I try to listen to my best friend and truest critic. She's right. I will try to be more discreet in future. Forgive me.