07 November 2007

Bumper Sticker/Sacrifice

I am behind a car and the bumper sticker reads: "Jesus died for me and you" and the first thing I notice is that the statement is broken into two lines: "Jesus died for me" on top and centered underneath it is "and you" AND the top line is larger than the bottom line, as if to say "Jesus died for me. ...Oh, and you, too... of course... I guess... Mostly me, but some you, sure." What exactly IS the message here?? I find this amusing but then I'm not of the Christian persuasion so I can't very well take it personally. There may well be another way to interpret this. Anyone in the club want to enlighten me?*

I've never understood the whole sacrifice one life for the benefit of others concept. Make sacrifices of time, energy, money, food, sure! But life?

Christians don't have a lock on this concept. Jews have it as referenced in the Abraham/Isaac story, which never made sense to me either. What kind of god wants a human sacrifice? And is this a god I want to follow? I mean no offense. It literally never gelled for me intellectually. I couldn't reconcile it.

And in light of all the suicide bombers of late in the Muslim world, it makes even less sense to me.

Don't die for me. Don't even live for me. Do for yourself and if you want to help out, that's great. Be friendly. Reach out. Don't die. That doesn't help me. No matter what size font you use.

* Note: This is not an invitation to proselytise.

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