Monday, February 20, 2006

Truth in Advertising

Over at The High Calling is a brief essay about the self-promoting slogans churches and Christians often use to promote ourselves as spiritually mature, holy people.

Aside from the merely clever schlock like "CH--CH / What's missing? / U-R," there is some stuff that's either arrogant and presumptuous, or at least condescending. Like "Christians aren't perfect ... just forgiven." That particular nugget suggests that we believe most non-Christians have been trying to figure out what it is that's different about us, scratching their heads and thinking, "Well, gee, they sure seem perfect, but that can't be right. What is it?"

Can anyone think of other slogans seen on church signs, bumper stickers or T-shirts that just give the entirely wrong message? Send them to davidlearn-atsymbol-gmail-dot-com, and once I have enough, either from my own recollection or from submissions, I'll post something here.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Like "Christians aren't perfect ... just forgiven." That particular nugget suggests that most non-Christians have been trying to figure out what it is that's different about us, scratching their heads and thinking, "Well, gee, they sure seem perfect, but that can't be right. What is it?"

No, more like how some people think that we see ourselves as perfect. They don't see us that way, but they think we see ourselves that way. And we don't. We admit we aren't perfect...just forgiven by the grace of God.

marauder34 said...

That's what I mean -- not that non-Christians see us and think, "Well, gawrsh, Mickey, they sure seem perfect to me!" but that we often have a chip on our shoulders that suggests they *should* be thinking of us that way.

Thanks for the clarification.