Bumper Sticker Analysis
These just get to me man... It's not that I don't like this country - I just can't determine what people are trying to communicate to me when they place these stickers on their cars.
Proud to be an American
Interestingly enough, pride is one of the seven deadly sins: http://www.deadlysins.com/sins/pride.html
Why are you proud to be an American? Are you suggesting that you would not be happy with yourself and/or your life's accomplishments if you were not an American?
Your life is what you should focus on... why would one ever be proud to have been born somewhere?
God Bless America
I think this one is pretty bad. If you are not saying "God Bless us All" then you are essentially implying that God should bless us more than he should bless others... as if we are somehow more deserving of his care than others. An interesting implication to plaster on the bumpers of so-called Christians.
Here's what I'd like to have on my bumper:
A SMALL THEOLOGY
“With God all things are possible”–
that’s the beginning and the end
of theology. If all things are possible,
nothing is impossible.
Why do the godly then
keep slinging out their nooses?
-Wendell Berry
These just get to me man... It's not that I don't like this country - I just can't determine what people are trying to communicate to me when they place these stickers on their cars.
Proud to be an American
Interestingly enough, pride is one of the seven deadly sins: http://www.deadlysins.com/sins/pride.html
Why are you proud to be an American? Are you suggesting that you would not be happy with yourself and/or your life's accomplishments if you were not an American?
Your life is what you should focus on... why would one ever be proud to have been born somewhere?God Bless America
I think this one is pretty bad. If you are not saying "God Bless us All" then you are essentially implying that God should bless us more than he should bless others... as if we are somehow more deserving of his care than others. An interesting implication to plaster on the bumpers of so-called Christians.
Here's what I'd like to have on my bumper:
A SMALL THEOLOGY
“With God all things are possible”–
that’s the beginning and the end
of theology. If all things are possible,
nothing is impossible.
Why do the godly then
keep slinging out their nooses?
-Wendell Berry
posted by Wendy Berrell at 2:44 PM
6 Comments:
good stuff J. I never understand those bumper stickers either. i struggle with what to teach elia and jj about religion.
I am no fan of bumper stickers either but they may more sense if you look at their message in the inverse - "Proud to be an American" is really "I'm not ashamed to be an American". For many years there's been self-inflicted (and external) abuse for America and all it stands for. Whether or not it's deserved is a matter that's beyond the scope of this discussion, however. People need hope and something to believe in and hang onto in hard times and loyalty to your country, church, school, town or whatever is that something.
The problem with all bumper stickers: They say in black and white what needs to be said in color.
As such they are pointless; which means they provide 95% of the statements made by politicians and self-described pundits.
10"x4" stickers provide a disproportionate amount of cover when people don't peel them back and look underneath.
Good comments folks - thanks. You have prompted me to think about this even further.
I would still like to print a sticker that says "God Bless Everybody".
I made two stickers for my car.
"God Bless My Sticker"
and a purple Ribbon that says,
"Support Our Ribbons"
Go live in a communist country then if you don't like America
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