# Mean-Spirited Christian Bumper Sticker **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 21, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848 "2002-11-21T01:54:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/1 "2002-11-21T01:54:23Z")
Every time I go to White Plains, I see this one car with the following bumper sticker: It depicts a big “Jesus” fish, and a little “Darwin” fish, and the Jesus fish is eating the Darwin fish. Do you really need a quasi-violent image to make your point bub? Wouldn’t a simple “Jesus” fish do the trick just fine?!? Are ya gonna go out and demonstrate in front of somebody’s science class?!? (Maybe wearing a monkey costume?) ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/2 "2002-11-21T02:00:08Z")
Maybe he’s ticked that the _evilutionists_ stole his fishie symbol, put legs on it and handed it a tool. Those Darwinists, after all, started it first. I think my favorite though is the Truth fish and the Darwin fish kissing. ---
**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/3 "2002-11-21T02:27:50Z")
I don’t think of it as a violent image, myself. I can see how it might initially _appear_ to be somewhat violent, but consider: they’re implying that Darwinism, a ‘weaker’ philosophy, will inevitably be consumed by their faith, which is ‘stronger.’ Survival of the fittest - part of the theory of evolution! They’re proclaiming that they’re on our side, and they don’t even know it! [In the meantime…](http://valiante.plugnpay.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/scstore/p-100-CP.html?L+scstore+qbmv0510ffe896e8+1037850055) ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/4 "2002-11-21T03:11:04Z")
I would like to see a Commercialism fish eating both the Jesus fish and the Darwin fish–I think that would be the most accurate appraisal of the whole situation. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/5 "2002-11-21T03:17:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by apotheosis \* > \*\*[In the meantime…](http://valiante.plugnpay.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/scstore/p-100-CP.html?L+scstore+qbmv0510ffe896e8+1037850055) \*\* LOL ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/6 "2002-11-21T03:38:38Z")
It seems to me like the statement is, “My Idea Is Better Than Your Idea Because It’s Bigger!” ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/7 "2002-11-21T04:00:08Z")
[Here’s some more.](http://www.darwinfish.com) ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/8 "2002-11-21T04:28:08Z")
In a dark, unworthy moment I once conceived of a\* Calvin-pissing\* on a\* Calvin-kneeling-at-the-Cross\* sticker but I decided that using it would be needlessly provocative and make me a bad person. ---
**Author:** ![Ace\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Ace\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace_Face)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/9 "2002-11-21T04:56:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neofishboy \* > \*\*…and make me a bad person. \*\* Or an [artist](http://artslaw.com.au/reference/piss974/). ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/10 "2002-11-21T05:03:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Philosophocles \* > \*\*I would like to see a Commercialism fish eating both the Jesus fish and the Darwin fish–I think that would be the most accurate appraisal of the whole situation. \*\* You know, I’m almost tempted to paint that… Because I agree with you. Would you mind? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/11 "2002-11-21T05:14:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Mean-Spirited Christian Bumper Sticker But aren’t they all? (Hey! _Somebody_ had to say it!) :d&r: ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/12 "2002-11-21T05:14:29Z")
I thought the Jesus-fish-eating-the-Darwin-fish was a later response to the earlier Darwin-fish-eating-the-Jesus-fish, which I saw sooner and much more frequently. Living in California may have had something to do with that, though. But Philosophocles’ commercialism fish wins, definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Lilairen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lilairen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilairen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/13 "2002-11-21T05:17:28Z")
An acquaintance of mine saw the Jesus fish eating a Darwin fish in a parking lot at one point and started cracking up. The people whose car it was asked him what was so funny, he pointed to the fish in question and proclaimed, “Natural selection! Survival of the fittest!” They were Not Amused, but everyone he told the story to found it hysterical. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/14 "2002-11-21T05:41:45Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by neofishboy \* > In a dark, unworthy moment I once conceived of a Calvin-pissing on a_ Calvin-kneeling-at-the-Cross\* sticker but I decided that using it would be needlessly provocative and make me a bad person. \*\* I saw a sticker the other day that I’ll swear was Calvin kneeling at the cross in drag. What the fuck does that mean? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/15 "2002-11-21T06:08:07Z")
Much as I’d like to come up with a hilarious riff on Calvin being a drag queen, I’m going to try to do this one straight, instead. It’s not Calvin. It’s a girl (probably Calvin’s friend Susie). I guess the message is that the driver of the car is female, or is indoctrinating daughters in the household, rather than sons. I’d kind of like to see Calvin kneeling before a Ford logo. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/16 "2002-11-21T06:09:04Z")
See, this is why I hate these “bumper sticker wars”. One side is always trying to “one up” the other side, and it never ends. I’ve been complaining about this for a while now. Anyway, I don’t think the bumper sticker cited in the OP is any more “mean spirited” than many of the other Darwin Fish or other mocking non-Christian bumper stickers I’ve seen. Both sides of this stupid “bumper sticker war” have what might be considered mean-spirited or mocking stickers. If you think one side’s mocking sticker is funny, you’d damn well better be able to see the humor when the other side retaliates with their own mocking (or “mean spirited”) sticker. To do otherwise is something akin to saying “No fair! We made fun of them and now they are making fun of us! No fair!” But it doesn’t work that way, and never well. I am happy to steer clear of the whole religious bumper sticker wars—my car is currently being held together with various Yosemite National Park bumper stickers! _Much_ better! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/17 "2002-11-21T06:14:44Z")
I always wanted to get two Pissing Calvins, and arrange them yin-yang fashion to pee on each other. That would about sum up my opinion of the whole thing. (Although I did like the Onion’s idea of a sticker showing Calvin peeing on Bill Watterson, to express one’s opinion of copyright laws…) Of course, you could also have the other Calvin, peeing on the Pope… ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/18 "2002-11-21T08:01:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by apotheosis \* > **Survival of the fittest - part of the theory of evolution! They’re proclaiming that they’re on our side, and they don’t even know it!** That’s my brother’s take on the symbol. My children brought home a dinosaur cookie cutter from their Wednesday church program tonight. The bag it’s in has a tag that says, “Before Jesus, there were the dinosaurs!” I’m not quite sure what that’s all about, but it sure is nice to be a Methodist. We get to believe in God _and_ science at the same time! ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/19 "2002-11-21T12:05:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yosemitebabe \* > \*\* > > Anyway, I don’t think the bumper sticker cited in the OP is any more “mean spirited” than many of the other Darwin Fish or other mocking non-Christian bumper stickers I’ve seen. \*\* I agree - I’d be annoyed by a Darwin fish eating a Jesus fish. But the humping bumper sticker, now that’s damn funny. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848/20 "2002-11-21T15:18:01Z")
All those pissing Calvin stickers piss me off. It’s a copyrighted image, guys, and Watterson gets nothing for it. He was one of the most brilliant comic artists of his day, and now people are taking his work and using it to show that they’re a bunch of mean-spirited yokels. Yay us. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mean-spirited-christian-bumper-sticker/137848.md?page=2)