# Your bumper sticker says you're a Christian. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 10, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003 "2003-02-10T02:37:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/21 "2003-02-10T05:56:31Z")
I’m sure this was on one of those road hogging, fuel guzzling, vehicles of death and destruction SUVs and the driver was high as a kite, too. Methinks you need to turn in your driver’s license and take the bus, **Pucky**. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/22 "2003-02-10T07:00:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, quite a few that I know seem to feel that they do not need to behave better. To quote one: “My sins have been forgiven, so you’ll just need to deal with it”. James 2:14: My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? 15If you know someone who doesn’t have any clothes or food, 16you shouldn’t just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? 17Faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead! 18Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.” I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.” ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/23 "2003-02-10T07:01:40Z")
The point being that this kind of stuff is to Christianity as wishing the death of the American infidel is to Islam. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/24 "2003-02-10T10:28:31Z")
**Yosemitebabe** , I’m with you. I know I’m sometimes a little tougher on people who have Christian bumper stickers because I think if you’re going to proclaim your faith so prominently, you’d better act on it. I’ve already told the story about the car I saw parked in a handicapped space with no handicapped plates or anything else, just a bumper sticker saying, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” Then there was the car stopped next to me in a left turn only lane who decided to go straight. Since I was also going straight, this provoked a moment of consternation, as a result of which, I wound up looking at the sticker on its back bumper which read, “I vote pro-life.” What I thought was “Yes, and I drive pro-death.” On the other hand, at rush hour, in bumper-to-bumper traffic on my way to a company meeting from a work-site 25 miles away, I saw a little car waiting to merge onto the freeway with a bumper sticker which read, “God loves you and so do I.” I remember thinking, “If you sincerely mean that at this moment, you’re a much better person than I am!” CJ ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/25 "2003-02-10T11:28:05Z")
When did people start believing everything they read? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/26 "2003-02-10T13:42:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pucky Schumer \* > \*\*Your driving says you’re a prick. \*\* Bah. I usually interpret Christian bumper stickers in the same way as handicapped license plates … the driver of the vehicle bearing them will usually be proceeding veeeeeeeery slooooooowly. ---
**Author:** ![johnboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@johnboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/27 "2003-02-10T13:51:52Z")
My favorite bumpersticker: "Jesus Loves You…Everyone else thinks you’re an asshole! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/28 "2003-02-10T14:57:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cardinal \* > \*\*The point being that this kind of stuff is to Christianity as wishing the death of the American infidel is to Islam. \*\* Granted. It’s just a PITA to live with. And in my neck of the woods, the ‘christians’ seem to extend the principles you outlined in James 2:14 only to others they deem to be good christians. As a Unitarian who resists their offers to ‘save’ me, I don’t merit further treatment. Frankly, neither do the few local methodists or catholics either, so I’m in good company. But man, you should have seen what they did to the Ba’hai families who moved into the area. It wasn’t pretty. And I don’t mean to paint all the Calvinist christians in the area with the same brush. Many are fine, worthy people. But it truly does seem that the more vocal they are about their beliefs, the less likely they are to behave in a manner consistant with them. ---
**Author:** ![Clint\_in\_Wichita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Clint\_in\_Wichita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clint_in_Wichita)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/29 "2003-02-10T14:58:50Z")
“Jesus is coming…get a towel!” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/30 "2003-02-10T15:20:39Z")
See, this is (just one reason)why I don’t believe that bumper stickers are any use at all: **Scenario 1:** Driver is waiting to pull out into the traffic from a side road. You stop, allowing him to pull out. Because he is now in front of you, he doesn’t get to see that your kind act arose out of your strong faith ('cause we all know that atheists are immoral, right?) Furthermore, the driver of the car behind you, who is (IMHO) more likely to be concerned about getting to his destination than anything else (hey, he’s an atheist - he’s not going to let people out because he does not fear the fiery pit), sees your bumper sticker and resents your act; you have just put one more car between him and his destination; in his blind rage, he rams you off the road, causing you to run over eight pedestrians, although three of them are Catholics, so it’s not as bad as it might be. **Scenario 1:** Driver is waiting to pull out into the traffic from a side road. Concerned by the apparent urgency of driving of the (immoral)atheist tailgating you, You don’t let the driver pull out, but you smile at him, in a way that is supposed to convey the simple message “Jesus loves you and died for your sins so that you may be reunited with God and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. He, also being an atheist (and as we know, atheist is synonymous with ‘stupid’), misunderstands your friendly gesture as one of smug self-satisfaction. Noticing your bumper sticker enrages him to the extent that he determines to eat three christian babies for dinner, instead of the usual two. No, I can’t see a good side to religious bumper stickers. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/31 "2003-02-10T15:35:37Z")
In short, smug, self-satisified assholes are smug self-satisfied assholes, no matter if they’re driving a SUV, driving a car with christian bumper stickers, though I have seen some amusing ones, or posting about blatantly obvious things on message boards. How about we just turn the other cheek on them, people? After all, we only see them in traffic. They have to live with themselves twenty four hours a day. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/32 "2003-02-10T15:44:06Z")
It is a mystery to me why _anyone_ would use their car as a personal billboard for religious or political stances. Whether I agree with the expressed opinion or not, I can’t help but think their idiots when I pass a car with a bumper sticker. You’re not gonna save any souls in a traffic jam. Or make people switch political sides. And there’s a special place in hell for all of you “Baby on Board” pricks, as well as the “I brake for animals” crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/33 "2003-02-10T15:44:50Z")
Of course, it always helps to make at least one grammar mistake when calling other people idiots. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/34 "2003-02-10T16:06:49Z")
How about: “Forgiveness is a good thing. God forgave me. So I’m going to drive like an idiot so that you can practice it too!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/35 "2003-02-10T16:14:05Z")
The best Christian bumpersticker I ever saw: “Jesus Paid For Me.” My thought: “I wish Jesus would buy me a car.” SpazCat, whose only bumpersticker is from MST3K and reads “Join Us!” ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/36 "2003-02-10T17:24:03Z")
y’know, **Spaz** ,I saw that one once on a car and wondered,“Gee…ya think he got gypped and paid too much?” IDBB(whose only sticker is an American flag on her back window) ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/37 "2003-02-10T17:33:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Clint in Wichita \* > \*\*“Jesus is coming…get a towel!” \*\* “If you’re going to summon the Devil on the internet, bring your Quake cheatcodes. If you’re going to summon God, bring a mop.” ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/38 "2003-02-10T17:40:19Z")
So what does my rainbow sticker mean? 😉 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/39 "2003-02-10T17:43:26Z")
…that you believe God’s promise that the Earth will never again be destroyed by flood? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003/40 "2003-02-10T18:31:26Z")
Um, yeah, that must be it! \ Esprix [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-bumper-sticker-says-youre-a-christian/154003.md?page=3)