Rel(Sorta): Controversial Church Signs
 

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.

Well not to get into a long dissertation about religion but one of the tenets of the Judeo-Christian beliefs is that God does indeed love everyone.

He also gives them the choice to live their lives as they may, and to most that might seem conflicting or arbitrary, but, He laid out the rules years ago in that ol' guidebook called the Bible.

Of course most people prefer the New Testament version where forgiveness is more plentiful, than the Old Testament "eye for an eye" beliefs that are present.

I see it as a eye catcher to get attention, and some most likely are dumb, and crazy to the normal person. :) Some see it as a ministry (drive by kind of thing) I guess.

Spelling isn't always the best in ANY area, I am afraid.

What is wrong with these people? If you are trying to use the "controversial advertisement" card to bring attention to yourself, you don't ADMIT to it. What a bunch of n00bs.

That was close...I had almost forgotten about Christianity.

I suppose that the mistaken spelling in some way makes this statement true. An athiest really doesn't exist. :)

Even those he sentences to eternal damnation?

According to some...yes because that is better than oblivion/non-existence. Not sure I buy that, but that is an argument.

Anyway, these sound a lot like those black-and-white billboard signs you used to see all the time a few years back. Although here they were more innocuous statements like "Let's all meet at my house before the game. -- God" and my personal favorite, "I don't question your existence. -- God". Those were pretty funny.

Jesus does love Osama Bin Laden. Jesus also knows that Osama Bin Laden is a first class asshole.