# Would this T-shirt be offensive? (Christian Dopers' opinions especially needed) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260 "2004-09-05T20:46:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/1 "2004-09-05T20:46:46Z")
I must preface this by saying that I am Christian. I go to an Assemblies of God church. My daughter and I were shopping last week, and in the hip, urban shoe/fashion store saw a t-shirt that I thought was really cool. [Here’s a picture of it.](http://www.journeys.com/catalog_detail.aspx?ID=16792&src=PERFORMX) My daughter wanted one and I told her I’d think about it. (I wanted one too.) Later, we were talking about it, and I said I hesitated because I thought maybe the shirt would offend some Christians. Now, although my life isn’t spent in efforts not to offend, I do want to avoid even the appearance of “blasphemy” in any form. That would include images of Jesus that might offend other Christians. My daughter and I both felt that the t-shirt was not personally offensive to either one of us. We decided to see what the SDMB had to say about the subject. Okay, Christian Dopers, what would you think of such a garment? Offensive or not, and why? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/2 "2004-09-05T20:49:56Z")
Reminds me of [this](http://thebeatles.ru/gayatri/hp/Dogma.jpg), from the film _Dogma_. That film certainly would offend quite a few Christians. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/3 "2004-09-05T20:51:55Z")
Technically I could be considered a Christian I guess, but what’s offensive about that T-shirt isn’t the message. It’s just one God-awful ugly T-shirt. IMHO, of course. ---
**Author:** ![JamieC588](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/90db22/32.png) [@JamieC588](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamieC588)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/4 "2004-09-05T20:55:22Z")
Well, I don’t consider myself prudish or anything, but that shirt IS offensive. I saw a bumper sticker with the same slogan on it, and I just thought “What a dumbass that person must be to want to put that on their car” I would likely think the same thing about the person wearing the t-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/5 "2004-09-05T20:59:43Z")
Exceptionally tight-assed ones, sure. They’ll be offended by anything. Now, if you want to remove all doubt about the possibility of offending people, you might wanna try something like [this](http://www.tshirthell.com/shirts/tshirt.php?sku=a112). ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/6 "2004-09-05T21:14:46Z")
If you are thinking of the shirt as in any way humorous or ironic, I would find it more racially offensive than religiously offensive–I don’t know what your race is, but if I saw that shirt on a WASPy looking sort, I would imagene that the thought process behind buying it went something like this: “Oh look at this shirt! It’s like something a black person would think! How quaint! How funny!” Now then, if you run with a group that uses homeboy with a straight face and it’s an honest expression of a sentiment you honestly hold, then it’s fine. But don’t wear it because you find the idea of “Jesus” and “homeboy” being in the same sentence so bizarre and incongruous that it is funny. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/7 "2004-09-05T21:21:51Z")
Jesus is your Lord, **not** your Homeboy. Please treat Him that way. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/8 "2004-09-05T21:29:39Z")
It’s ugly as all hell, but it’s more annoying than offensive (Look at me! I am Down with Jesus! See, I have this t-shirt saying so!). Offensive would be “Are you Saved?” with some offensive picture of a ‘typical’ sinner burning in Hell. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/9 "2004-09-05T21:35:27Z")
> [@Antiochus](#): > > Jesus is your Lord, **not** your Homeboy. Please treat Him that way. And as he proclaimeth, soeth it waseth. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/10 "2004-09-05T21:37:25Z")
> [@Antiochus](#): > > Jesus is your Lord, **not** your Homeboy. Please treat Him that way. I was going to say something similar, but probably in about four or five sentences, using a lot of fifty cent college words, but I think you did a better job, so I’ll just say Amen. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/11 "2004-09-05T21:40:49Z")
> [@Antiochus](#): > > Jesus is your Lord, **not** your Homeboy. Please treat Him that way. Jesus _was_ a prophet, he is not my lord. He’s dead. But; I see nothing wrong with a picture of a kinky-headed, mellow-looking ol’ Jesus. The price, though, is offensive. 😉 Peace, mangeorge. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/12 "2004-09-05T22:08:56Z")
> [@Antiochus](#): > > Jesus is your Lord, **not** your Homeboy. Please treat Him that way. Off-topic, I know, but how did Christianity acquire the terminology of the English aristocracy? ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/13 "2004-09-05T22:12:16Z")
FWIW, I’m not offended. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/14 "2004-09-05T22:21:44Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Jesus _was_ a prophet, he is not my lord. He’s dead. > But; > I see nothing wrong with a picture of a kinky-headed, mellow-looking ol’ Jesus. > The price, though, is offensive. 😉 > Peace, > mangeorge. But I was talking to the OP, and Jesus is indeed his Lord. ---
**Author:** ![PussyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/15 "2004-09-05T22:44:17Z")
I’m an atheist and _I_ find it offensive. Really. If there was a figure I admired as much as Christians are supposed to admire Christ I would not place his image in such a mocking form. Some may say there is nothing necessarily wrong with the term “homeboy”. That it means friend, and someone who looks out for you. But it is pretty plain, IMHO, that there is an element of mockery in it. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/16 "2004-09-05T22:59:09Z")
> [@PussyCow](#): > > If there was a figure I admired as much as Christians are supposed to admire Christ I would not place his image in such a mocking form. What if it was a picture of Pinochet? Or Stalin? Or Hitler (no, wait, reatract that under Godwin’s Law 😃 )…why are Christians exempt from mockery? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/17 "2004-09-05T23:00:11Z")
Sorry, I missed the crucial part to my post…people admire, and _still admire_ all of those people. ---
**Author:** ![PussyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/18 "2004-09-05T23:06:09Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > What if it was a picture of Pinochet? Or Stalin? Or Hitler (no, wait, reatract that under Godwin’s Law 😃 )…why are Christians exempt from mockery? Are you serious? Because people that would wear a shirt mocking Stalin or Hitler are probably not people that worship these people. I believe this shirt was intended _for_ Christians. As the OP stated, s/he is a Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/19 "2004-09-05T23:11:55Z")
Christain doper here, and I am a jr high sponser at my church. I think the shirt is fine. This is not a racially exclusive term of enderment. It it declars The Lord to be a close friend, then that’s good. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260/20 "2004-09-05T23:21:13Z")
It’s not that it’s mocking…it’s because it’s butt-ugly! No problem with the message…big problem with the total lack of style or taste. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-t-shirt-be-offensive-christian-dopers-opinions-especially-needed/263260.md?page=2)