Christ-positive? When did we start using that term?
20th Century: “Hi, I’m Christian, what are you?”
21st Century: “Hi, I’m Christ-positive, what’s your C-status?”
:rolleyes:
ggurl, I don’t find the t-shirt offensive - but my tastes are odd (or so I’m told.). It’s not my style, but not offensive.
Of course I have a t-shirt with the Japanese kanji for ‘Philosophy of Perversion,’ too. And I’ve also got a Psycho Chihuahua t-shirt with ‘Eat Well. Stay Fit. **DIE ** anyways.’ I even used to wear my old ‘KGB/CIA - Now we’re EVERYWHERE’ t-shirt to airshows and veteran’s affairs.
Now, that’s a t-shirt I could see myself wearing. 
Makes it sound like a nasty infection. I, uh… actually, I don’t think there’s anything to add. 
Apparently, wearing religious tee’s is a trend started by Madonna, followed by Britney, Jessica, and Ashton Kutcher. The tee’s are worn by devout kids and atheist kids alike.
Madonna has taken the next step by making kabbalism trendy.
Somebody, make atheism cool and marketable, quick!
<hijack>
nitpicking here. Be warned!
What Madonna is doing is making outward expression of some aspects of the Kabbala trendy. Since proper Kabbalism is actually a study of Jewish lore and the Bible (AIUI) usually begun by scholars who have studied for years the Bible itself - I doubt that Madonna is actually investing that kind of time to the study. :rolleyes:
No more than the use of cross earrings necessarily means Christian beliefs or faith on the part of the wearer.
Given that - do you really want to cheapen your philosophy with crass marketing pressures?
(Besides, aren’t the Darwin Fish good enough for you? )
<hijack off>
I knew it would be that shirt…I have seen people wear it to church on youth nights but personally I think it is offensive basically it reduces the Savior of the World into a “Homeboy”.
I would find it 2 times as offensive if the wearer wasn’t even a Christian.
Ooh, I want that T-shirt. Oh, wait. I don’t wear “message” T-shirts.
Who cares? I want one anyway!
Well, here’s one version. You may be able to find one cheaper elsewhere…
What about the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”? Is that irreverent?
It means someone who doesn’t believe that Jesus was a Messiah, but that he had something important to say and set a good example. Like these guys.
I’m an atheist and find it offensive.
I find anyone overtly declaring their religion offensive.
It also seems a bit racist.
But…if it offends other christians then I say go for it.
*Luke 7:34
The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
John 15:15
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.*
I guess some people just don’t want Jesus as a friend.
Well that’s nice. Thanks for sharing.
Nice collection, thanks! And **OtakuLoki ** I didn’t know about the Darwin Fish, It’s an anti-creationist symbol, isn’t it? Is it a well known symbol in the USA?
I shopped at Wal-Mart last night. The cashier was wearing that t-shirt under her blue, unbuttoned Wal-Mart smocky-vesty thing. Considering how conservative Wal-Mart is, I guess it is now officially non-offensive. I, however, had a lot of trouble not bursting out laughing, since I had read this thread just a few hours previously.
Here’s how I read that T-shirt: “Jesus was not a white man.”
I don’t find that statement offensive or controversial, and I wouldn’t be particularly concerned about offending the people that worship a blond-haired blue-eyed hamburger-eating American Jesus.
If I saw someone wearing that T-shirt “expressing a heartfelt religious sentiment” would be way down there on the list of reasons why I’d think they were wearing it. “Making a political statement” or “trying to annoy the fundamentalists” would be top of the list. “Clueless trendslave with poor taste” would also rank (esp. in pink).
Offensive? No. But I don’t think it will send the message you want to send.
Fellow Assembly of God member here~
Offensive- no; Trite & tacky- yes.
For the record, I have a Jesus bobble-head & a Buddy Christ figure, but not on public display (tho I may put a BC in my dashboard some day).
But I’d prefer the “Homeboy” shirt to some of the C’tian Tees that mimic beer & other ads (Bud Wise Up; This Blood’s for You; God’s Gym- His Pain Your Gain, etc.)
Athiest, so I suppose my opinion doesn’t count, but that t-shirt is so lame on so many levels. Firstly it’s offensive in that it appears to mock real, deeply-held religious beliefs. Religion doesn’t have to be serious, and it should be a cause for joy, but to me it has a gravity and indeed a solemness that is not compatible with mass marketing or slogans. It’s simply tacky and rather pathetic to treat a religion like a brand of beer or a clothing label that can be advertised that way. And it’s wide open for ‘ironic’ interpretation - I wouldn’t really know what to think if I saw someone wearing it. I’d wonder if it was some sort of asshole mocking others’ religious beliefs, or if the wearer was indeed a Christian who felt it was okay to trivialize their religion in that way; either one is incomprehensible to me.
It’s offensive in that it’s a co-opting of black youth culture in a way that appears to ridicule black people. Since I don’t get the impression you go around using terms like “homeboy” all the time, it comes across as patronizing at best.
At its very best, it comes across like an over-enthusiastic, squeaky-voiced youth pastor loudly proclaiming, “Jesus isn’t square! It’s hip and radical to be Christian!”
And perhaps you’re okay offending others - your OP sounds sensitive, and you seemed to immediately grasp that there’s something about the shirt that was slightly unsettling, but others have encouraged you to wear it if you like it. That’s your right, but when you’re making your beliefs the subject of advertising, they become part of the public realm and people are going to wonder about your motives. I can’t see everyone cutting you enough slack to assume it reflects your real beliefs - some people are going to assume you’re ridiculing their religious beliefs, and they’re going to be offended.
Sure, it’s not your obligation to never provide cause for offense to anyone anywhere, but part of being in a civil society is manners - simply knowing what circumstances are acceptable for advertising your religion (church retreats spring to mind) and taking into account the different possible interpretations of the message you’re broadcasting.
It took me awhile to figure out exactly why I find the shirt so unsettling, and it sounds like you found it vaguely unsettling as well. Again, I’m not religious, so I apologize if you consider my post a waste of time, but I also have a lot of respect for folks’ religious beliefs and I’d probably be pretty pissed if I saw someone wearing this shirt, because I would immediately assume it was done to mock Christian beliefs.
Ya see, Excalibre, that’s projection. That’s what you think about it. It might make you question several things simultaneously…perhaps bring some prejudices into a focal point of critical thought. Raise some questions, maybe even change a mind. That’s why I find this t-shirt so appealing. Tacky? Maybe. Ironic? Depends. Funny? fer sure. Controversial? Obviously.