True. That was the point of using a non-religious example. What’s so special about a sticker advertisting religious affiliation that it automatically causes you to infer that it’s putting you down, when you don’t infer that from stickers that advertise non-religious things?
The bumper sticker rubs me slightly the wrong way, mainly because of the “I’m Saved, so anything I do is OK” attitude I’ve come across from some people. However, it’s not nearly as annoying as the “Come the Rapture this car wil be empty” variety.
On the whole, I think that if bumper stickers are the best way for you to express your beliefs, you might want to consider spending some more time thinking about them.
(And yes, that goes for the Darwin fish too.)
Speaking of generalizations…
I seem to recall other threads with very illuminating explanations of why many of us feel no need to ask forgiveness for our nature, which God himself gave us. It seems rather coercive to say, “Ask forgiveness or be punished for eternity.” Eternal punishment for finite sin is also problematical to some of us on a logical level.
Just my two cents.
To me, the message translates to an active lowering of the bar of expectations.
YMMV.
The wink was there for a reason.
Ah. missed that. Apologies.
I think you’re getting a little too touchy here. I am certainly not qualified to judge a True Christian, but damn, if I’m not qualified to state my own opinion, then who is? I see no reason to get defensive and sarcastic. What in my post was so offensive to you?
I see it as smug and insulting. The obvious implication is that anyone who isn’t a Christian is not “forgiven” (for what, I have no idea) and is going to Hell. It’s not “humble,” it’s passive aggressive. It’s not real humility, it’s a pretense of humility. It says “we’re more humble than you.”
Really, what is the point? What message are they hoping to convey? What do they want to accomplish? Are non-Christians supposed to be impressed somehow? Is it supposed to make us want to convert?
Bahh…no matter. It’s free speech. But I do automatically assume the person with the sticker is a tool.
I guess it’s still not as bad as that one that says “No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace.”
:dubious: I disagree.
Highly.
And what does this have to do with the thread in question?
Bingo.
I can’t believe I’m doing it, but I’m siding with the bumper sticker (I hate bumper stickers; I about choked on a skittle when I saw the dreaded Bush fish).
This isn’t lording (hee?) anything over anyone, it’s simply saying you don’t have to be perfect to be a Christian. I, like furt, wonder if there’s a bumper sticker with a Christian message that won’t get pitted.
Metacom, perhaps you should read what Jesus thought of the religious people of his time(the Pharisee’s) They were the letter of the law keeping, wearing their religion on their sleeve people of his day (so to speak); Jesus didn’t seem to like them much.didn’t have much good to say about them,he seemed to prefer sinners!
I guess he meant it
Monavis
It’s not a matter of religious vs non-religious, it’s just a matter of smug/condescending vs non-.
If I saw a bumper sticker that said “I may not be the smartest person, but at least I got into Harvard, and you didn’t”, I might read that as smug. On the other hand, one that said “I may not be the best husband, but my wife still gives me snuggles” is pretty non-offensive.
I can see the religious sticker as expressing either sentiment. And no matter which one was originally intended, I can see buyers of it harboring either sentiment.
I suppose it depends on who the target audience is. Whether that target is Christians or non-Christians would make a huge difference in the intended meaning, I would guess.
I find these to be amusing, truthful and very pro-Christian. If I saw one as a bumper-sticker, I would give the driver a “thumbs-up.” 
I have read it, although I don’t know why you think I need to read it.
Yes, he did mean it: He came to forgive those who were sinners. It’s one of the more widely agreed on aspects of the religion, and one of the more inoffensive ones when it comes to bumper-sticker fodder.
The message appears smug to me too.
But I wonder if it has any evangalistic (is that a word?) qualities too.
A non-Christian or a Christian who has lost faith could read that sign and possibly consider that they would receive forgiveness through Christianity. In other words, the smug overtone may impress upon some readers that the owner of the sticker feels good about themselves due to Christianity. The reader may not feel all that wonderful and be envious of somebody who has achieved um, serenity for lack of a better term.
btw - I do not posess one of these stickers and do not evangelize. I attend church regularly when I am dragged into one.
I agree with you…not all intend to proselytise,but many do. One can just ignore it. This is a free country and they can put what they want on their bumper stickers but that doesn’t make it so.
Monavis
Here’s an example of a non-religious bumper sticker that I find to be similarly smug:
“02138: The World’s Most Opinionated ZIP Code”
AKA: “We live near Harvard, therefore we must be cool”
I don’t know. Seems rather self-effacing to me. As in “We live near Harvard, therefore we must be opinionated.”
And this from someone who was steeped in Harvard culture for 10 weeks.