So, in my last post I kinda went a little nuts flam-basting WWJD bracelets. I kinda did it with good reason, in my own mind I guess.
I HATE Christian paraphernalia. I hate it with a passion. I hate seeing it on people, I hate having to look at it, I hate it being in my own possession. Perhaps hate is a strong word. I really dislike it…a lot. Perhaps loathe.
Reason #2: It just seems arrogant to me. There’s a contemptuous air about it all. Like I have this Jesus Rules shirt therefore I am better than you. Holier than thou. The bumper stickers just seem the same to me. They seem arrogant. They never seem very loving to
me at all. It seems to me like all this stuff is to lead other people to Christ. But how is a bumper sticker going to get you in a relationship with a person where you’ll actually lead them to Christ?? I’m sure it has happened but I really think money should be spent on other things.
Reason #3: I’ve been made to feel like I SHOULD own this stuff. All of that stuff is thrown in the face of kids and teens. I remember feeling guilty that my clothes weren’t the
Christian kind or whatever. I’ve had church leaders talk me into smashing all of my amazing music because it wasn’t Christian. I regret that to this day. Oh how I wish I hadn’t done that. It felt like I SHOULD know all the Veggie Tales songs and I SHOULD have the latest and greatest Bible cover. Like having Christian paraphernalia will make you a better Christian. Sorry poor little boy, you’re not welcome in our group because your mom can’t afford the True Love Waits Bible (I soooo had that Bible as a teen).
Reason #4: It just seems like most Christian music isn’t really that good. It seems like the strive for excellence isn’t always there because if you knock it then it’s not longer “spirit led” or whatever. Therefore…it aint that good. Not always, but a lot of the time it’s just not very good.
Reason #5: Some of it’s just very wrong. Like a bumper sticker above said “No Sin Zone”. Ya freaking right. And the sticker below…it’s being really awful to a certain man, is that loving and Christ like? Should Darwin really be remembered in THAT way? Would Jesus do that?
That’s my reasoning for hating all this stuff. I don’t care if you like it or wear it or want it. Just perhaps let this be something to help you think about why you want it. If you want to lead people to Christ, I think the non-passive aggressive way is the way to go. Create relationship with people, love them wholly. That I think is a much better thing to do. You could then spend your extra money on a starving child who’ll never be able to even afford a Bible let alone an amazing Footprints bookmark or a car to stick their “NO SIN ZONE” bumper sticker.
PS I used to have all that kinda stuff…I’m reformed from the Christian paraphernalian ways. I even have a trinity tattoo on my leg…which I still like though 
I didn’t know if I’d like coming to this blog because I was worried you’d be one of those super-devoted-Christians who believe those that don’t think Christ is awesome are going to burn in hell and make it their life mission to convert everyone to “save” them and will be very aggressive in their tactics. Those kinds of Christians always scare the crap out of me! But I like this post. I agree completely.
The only shirt I’d wear with words on it would be: “What Would Li Do?”
By: withlovebyli on December 22, 2007
at 6:04 am
I am with ya. Good words, especially, “It just seems arrogant to me…” Did Jesus flaunt Himself or His ministry? He was exactly the opposite. He was humble. If Jesus is to be glorified in my life it will be by the words I’ve spoken in love, not by my t-shirt.
By: Russ Cruzan on December 22, 2007
at 7:27 am
Li – no evangelism here at all. That’s not what my blog is about.
Russ- that’s so right, He was humble
By: pluckymama on December 22, 2007
at 9:34 pm
I feel the same way. In fact, I hate religion on the radio or the TV unless it’s historical. I feel the church services should be seen in person. If you’re too sick or are too disabled to attend church, ask the pastor to come see you. It is part of their job.
By: southdream on December 22, 2007
at 10:00 pm
Here’s another reason: It’s mostly tacky. How embarrasing to walk into a Christian bookstore that’s filled with really tasteless stuff. Is this how God wants the world to perceive Him? He is beautiful, stunning… and the stuff they sell in His name does not very often reflect His glory. IMHO.
By: lpkalal on December 23, 2007
at 3:20 am
I really hate when you are cut off by a car with a bumper sticker like that on it. How are you showing Christ in your driving. For that simple fact you will never catch my car with a Christian bumper sticker.
By: curtismchale on December 23, 2007
at 6:25 am
Curtismchale: That is exactly why I do not have a fish on my car–not because I’m not proud to be a Christian–but becaues I drive like an idiot and get flipped off often–last thing I want is someone looking at my car and thinking exactly what you are.
By: mklasing on December 23, 2007
at 7:29 am
What the hell is happening to America?
Surely, consumerism and religious devotion are not compatible. That is, unless religion hasn’t started to aim for something else than spiritual health. I have a feeling that it has, especially in America.
To quote Bill Hicks, if Jesus was to return to Earth, the last thing he would want to see is a cross. As for the bumper stickers, Christian music and so on, he would probably start pulling out his hair. As for creationism vs. evolution, surely you don’t take the Bible as a history book, do you? Because if you do, you have missed the plot (completely).
By: the Esoteric Sheik of Inner Confusion on December 23, 2007
at 10:27 am
Ahhhh, the commercialization of faith. You know it was bound to happen. Christian companies realized that a T-shirt was the perfect place to put a message of hope or even a funny or satirical “ism”. After all, rock groups and big companies had been doing it for decades.
Although I do have a few t-shirts I wear around the house with some sort of reference to Christianity or Christian companies, I try not to be too ostentatious about my faith in public.
The thing that bothers me is that people seem so willing to wear other things in public (like rock star T’s or skull jewelry, tattoos which depict the not-so-holier-than-thou…) and no one seems to have a problem with it. Seems to be a double standard when it comes to WHAT our free speech is speaking about.
I once worked at an office where we had a lot of freedom to put up posters and play the music of our choice in our offices. I made copies all day for a company that got contracts from large law firms to make copies for the purpose of making sure all their lawyers had copies for pending litigation.
I got hired and got to know everyone there and liked all of them. I was the only Christian in the office (that I could tell) but we all got along very well. Since the office wasn’t open to the public we could put up whatever we wanted in our rooms, so after what I felt was an appropriate time period, I decided to put up a couple of posters with Christian artists on them and some Scripture verses I wrote out myself. You couldn’t really tell what they were unless you came into my room.
About a week later, I was approached by the assistant manager and she asked me to take the Scripture references down and to not play my Christian music so that anyone else could hear. When I asked why, she said that they felt that I was pushing my religion off on them.
I asked her if she thought it was okay for them to ask me to take my things down when there was no policy in place stipulating religious items not be displayed or that Christian music be at a certain level. I also asked her if, since it was an offense and therefore a personal choice issue, I could ask that all the posters depicting rock stars exploiting women or items containing curse words or activity I found offensive also be removed and the music that promoted pre, post and extra-marital sex and drugs also be pulled down to a more reasonable level.
She didn’t realize that any of the other displayed items or music I pointed out could be offensive to anyone. But when I pointed out that it was all pretty offensive to me, and also pointed out that I had said nothing about it (but now that I knew I could complain…) she changed her mind about making me “tune my religion down” as she put it.
Many of the Christian items I own are to remind ME of who I am in Christ. I should be free to also express this in public, although I prefer to do it with more tasteful T-shirts and stickers.
Who is going to complain about someone wearing a death metal T-shirt that depicts death or a rock T-shirt which depicts a woman in a sexually demeaning pose? I may not like it, and I might find it offensive, but that is just where that person happens to be… that’s how they express themselves. It shouldn’t be such an issue for Christians to have the freedom to do the same.
As long as doing it doesn’t turn into idolatry.
By: The Reformed Faith Weblog on December 23, 2007
at 4:37 pm
The wife of a friend of mine had one of those “Darwin” medallions on the back of her car. She returned to it in the parking lot one fine day to find that someone had removed the medallion, snapped it in two, and placed it under her windshield wipers. Nice people, these Fundee Xtians.
By: jgrab1 on December 23, 2007
at 10:00 pm
> Seems to be a double standard when it comes
> to WHAT our free speech is speaking about.
I don’t think it’s a “free speech” issue, and I don’t think anyone has framed it as such.
By: jgrab1 on December 23, 2007
at 10:03 pm
I don’t like the Darwin things either…just for the same reasons as the Christian ones either.
You can for sure exercise free speech. It’s just up to you if you want to look like an ass or not.
By: pluckymama on December 23, 2007
at 11:16 pm
Great post. I went through the same kind of thing in highschool, bought in to all of it– in retrospect it is both heartbreaking and embarrassing.
It seems the church went to bed with capitalism and consumerism (or more generally, the broader U.S. culture), and the WWJD bracelet and “Warning: In Case of Rapture this Car Will Be Unmanned” bumper stickers are their illigitimate children.
By: scholarsparrot on December 24, 2007
at 3:53 am
I agree with you whole heartedly. I find myself tiring of the music we sing in church. There is no heart in it. I feel like I connect with God a lot more when I am listening to “Let It Be” then I do when I am singing “Amazing Love” for zillionth time.
I don’t really find services to be the place where I worship the most. I enjoy the fellowship and the teachings, but I find myself worshiping God in the woods and by the creek in my neighborhood.
By: ianwayne on December 25, 2007
at 6:49 am
Here’s a little ironic tidbit of info for you: The item that is stolen the most often is the WWJD bracelets.
And amen!! to this post!
By: Jenivere Peters on January 2, 2008
at 5:11 am
Nice blog… and great rant…
By: myschisms on January 23, 2008
at 4:00 pm
thanks
By: pluckymama on January 23, 2008
at 4:58 pm
wow, what a great article. I submitted it to Digg, so hopefully more people will get to see this.
Christianity is so consumerized these days. I used to work at a Christian bookstore, and it made me sick at all of the stuff that was sold that people would buy because it was the “Christian” thing to do.
Great read.
By: adam on January 28, 2008
at 8:33 pm
Found your blog looking for some Van Gogh pictures; glad I stayed to read more!
It’s exactly this sort of thing that chased me out of the church. As a jr. high girl who’s mom was on welfare, I was made to always feel less than a good Christian. I didn’t have the latest Bible, or t-shirt, I couldn’t afford to go on the cool retreats, I couldn’t afford to even tithe. When I stood up and said, HEY, how Christ-like are YOU being?! to them, they just laughed.
I’ve always believed even to this day that God should show through your actions. I don’t keep any Christian propaganda on my car, but I let people in when they’re waiting, I try not to cut people off, I’ve even paid the toll for the guy or 2 behind me a few times. I’m not perfect, and I’m not worried about forgiveness, but we all have to suffer this pitiful existence together, so it makes sense to not make it more miserable than it has to be.
Do unto others, and all that, but believing in “karma” (even so to speak) has worked for me too.
Can’t wait to read more.
By: The Betwixt on April 22, 2008
at 10:33 pm
I just had to respond to this. I saw a vanity license plate recently that said “Go to Church” in some cryptic way. Once I figured it out, I was apalled. Is that assuming that everyone (except for those in the car) do not go to church?
Talk about a vanity license plate.
I do get over that guilt of “if you really love jesus you’ll forward this email to everyone and their brother.” I just say, “JC, you know the deal” and then I hit delete…
By: Jen P on June 25, 2008
at 1:41 am
For some reason, someone wanted me to read all your comments and now I know why. I had never heard of this site, blog, or whatever it really is.
I will say that the precious KJV Bible is true and that the Bible says, ” Be sure your sins will find you out.”
” What so ever a man ( or woman ) sows that will they also reap.”
No wonder there is such agreement with the writer. Birds of a feather stick together.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus said the world hated him, and they’d also hate the true christian. No, it’s not the signs or crosses or car stickers that makes us christians.
It’s the Blood of Jesus Christ that washes away our sins. He forgives us and makes us clean, and yes “Holy,” and pure. All true christians who will go to Heaven are set apart from the thoughts, actions, and even the way the world talks.
The Bible says, if ye love me, keep my commandments. Those commandments are the KJV Bible words. If we do not obey God, we definitely are obeying the devil, satan.
Jesus said, I am the way,the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the Father except through me.
He also says, no sin shall enter the kingdom of God.
We are judged by God Himself in every thing we do in this world, whether we want to except that or not.
May God be Glorified. Thanks for the equal opportunity of giving my comment.
By: Sam Phillips Sr on November 27, 2008
at 11:28 pm