Groundhog
06-06-2007, 08:33 PM
I don't know if it's just an Australian thing or what, but over the past 18 months or so suburban churches all over Sydney, and probably the other major cities as well, have been putting up "controversial" signs out front. The first one that many churches put up that attracted the media's attention, and the first one that seemingly every church I walked past at the time put up, was "Jesus loves Osama Bin Laden". It led to some press coverage on these signs along with interviews with the church council that planned it, who basically said they were playing the 'controversial advertisement' card to get the church back in the press and increase awareness.
I have no real problem with this really, though if I were a church-goer I probably would, mainly because it seems to... well... cheapen the churches image. If anything I find most of the signs pretty amusing, as they are so obviously drafted up by people who, while well-meaning, are so far removed from pop culture that it shines through clearly, like one that I saw up a few days after our Australian cricket team won the world cup saying "If Jesus scored 100 runs in a cricket match, would you bow down and worship him?".
There are many others that I've found a little naive or just plain dumb, but it's not anything that offends me.
Last night though we were driving past a church right next to the highway that had one of these signs up out front that I found particularly amusing, yet not quite for the reason they intended.
It reads in big print: "God doesn't believe in Athiests... therefore Athiests don't exist!"
I know that this is a common mistake, but jeez, considering the source you'd imagine that this would be a word that they'd be able to spell without too much trouble! I dread to think how many of these signs they've printed out and posted to other churches around the country.
I have no real problem with this really, though if I were a church-goer I probably would, mainly because it seems to... well... cheapen the churches image. If anything I find most of the signs pretty amusing, as they are so obviously drafted up by people who, while well-meaning, are so far removed from pop culture that it shines through clearly, like one that I saw up a few days after our Australian cricket team won the world cup saying "If Jesus scored 100 runs in a cricket match, would you bow down and worship him?".
There are many others that I've found a little naive or just plain dumb, but it's not anything that offends me.
Last night though we were driving past a church right next to the highway that had one of these signs up out front that I found particularly amusing, yet not quite for the reason they intended.
It reads in big print: "God doesn't believe in Athiests... therefore Athiests don't exist!"
I know that this is a common mistake, but jeez, considering the source you'd imagine that this would be a word that they'd be able to spell without too much trouble! I dread to think how many of these signs they've printed out and posted to other churches around the country.