deconversion

One thing that drives me up a freaking tree is the excessive exploitation of people's faith by businesses. For example, I went to biblegateway.org to see how the NIV handled a particular passage I read in the LOL Cat Bible (lolcatbible.com). If you have yet to read lolcatbible.com, you are missing something hilarious! Check out Leviticus 18 and you'll pass out from laughter.

Enough of my sidetracking. What really frosted my cookies was a banner ad for Christian apparel called lifewithgodisgreat.com. This bothers me for several reasons. One, why are Christians compelled to be a walking billboard for Christ? Don't they get how tacky they look with their Christian T-Shirts, hats, jewelry, and God knows what else?

Two, they are making a claim about themselves and a statement about the kind of behavior we should expect from them. Truth is I can't tell you how many times my cycling friends and I have been honked at in anger or flipped off by people with that damned fish on the back of their cars just because we've delayed their journey to their church by fifteen seconds. WWJD? Give me the bird? LOL!

By the way, how does life with God being great translate into junky merchandise being sold for $25 per item?

Lastly, I'm still reeling from the Purpose-Driven Life craze of a few years ago. PDL Bibles are one thing, I suppose. PDL meeting folders are pushing the line. PDL golfing equipment is way over. Why not PDL condoms? PDL Ginzu knife sets? PDL septic line snakes?

Enough of my rant. Had to get that one off of my chest.

Not too long ago I listened to an admittedly cranky older Christian complain about cyclists that slowed down his trip to church that morning. His complaint was two-fold, first that they got in his way, and second that they were clearly heathens or they would have been in church, not out riding their bikes. I was insulted because I thought it was petty to complain about cyclists getting in his way and also because I was a heathen myself who would rather have been out on my bike than going to church that particular morning!

It seems to me that they want to be tacky walking billboards for Christ. There's a weird trend in contemporary Christianity were Christians challenge each other to not be "ashamed" of their faith by presenting themselves as overtly as possible as Christians to "the outside." I can't even begin to count how many times I've been sent chain emails/myspace messages/whatever else from Christians that say basically, "Are you too chicken to label yourself as a Christian? Are you really, truly a Jesus freak? If you're not ashamed of God, pass on this email to all of your friends to prove it." The Christian marketing paraphernalia contains the same sentiment. At my Christian school, the kids that were the most "on fire for Christ" were always the same ones to never be caught dead without at least two WWJD bracelets, a cross necklace, a FROG bracelet for good measure, and a tshirt with Philippians 4:13 on it. It was almost as if they weren't covered head to toe in Jesus-wear, they weren't "real" "serious" Christians. Oh, wait, I mean "Jesus freaks," because they don't like the baggage that comes with the terms associated with "organized religion." They just love Jesus, guys.

"My life was saved by body piercing" bumper stickers

Oh, the merchandising. When I was practicing my faith, I felt quite Grinch-like when I was critical of it all, but I couldn't help it.

For instance, one of my friends allows her seven-year-old son to run around in a baseball cap that says, "Jesus" on the front. Not "Jesus Saves" or "Jesus is the Answer", just "Jesus". Huh?

I personally avoided Christian bookstores like the plague. Every possible useful and not-so-useful item adorned with a "catchy" phrase or slogan about Jesus or God or how terrible people were who believed in evolution or were gay or fill-in-the-blank. I still buy books by Christian authors, but get them through Amazon or whatever.

If you have yet to read lolcatbible.com, you are missing something hilarious! Check out Leviticus 18 and you'll pass out from laughter.

Funny! You should post this on the humor thread, so people looking for a good laugh will see it.

Thanks for sharing!