Are aggressive Christian bumper stickers witnessing or a way to turn debate into a monologue?

Question

A co-worker and others were giving statements to the police about an accident they witnessed. One of the witnesses had REALLY obnoxious bumper stickers on his car, including one that apparently said: "Sodom:[check] Gomorrah[check]: New Orleans[check]: San Francisco: [ ]." The rest were all pro-Christian things...

Suffice it to say a couple people asked about it, and the guy owning the car apparently got all sheepish and didn't want to justify his views.

It led me to thinking: Is putting a bumpersticker that is clearly hateful on your car a way to pretend you're having a debate or sharing the word when all it really is is yelling about your views?

Answer 1

lol no matter what the bumper sticker says, no matter what kind, it is gonna offend someone.

heres an idea.. they should BAN alll bumper stickers. Oh wait, someone would be pissy about that too.

I like the sourse from the person above me. As much as I dont like people tryng to get their point across thru bumper stickers (no matter what view they push) I actually like that one.

Answer 2

Monologue.  It's like Christians who slam non-believers for being hypocrites who aren't open-minded themselves, when they (the Christians) are close-minded.  Because if you try to have a logical debate, they can easily excuse anything  (historic truth of Gnostic gospels, the concept of radio carbon dating) because God did it.

As for God killing cities...Anyone who really thinks New Orleans went down that way...there's a clear difference in Old Testament Yaweh and Jesus's message of tolerance and cooperation.  The idea that thousands of people should die...

I'm stopping before I go on too long.  

Answer 3

Its a way of inciting road rage... you know, you want knock their bumper off in such cases.

It's a passive aggressive way to get your point of view out in the world without directly saying it yourself.

Answer 4

I've yet seen anyone give their life to the Lord because of a bumper sticker.

Answer 5

I think it depends on the bumper sticker. I have a license plate frame that says "pray to end abortion." That's pretty tame but still expresses my view. My son had a bumper sticker that said "...you will stop killing my generation..." he had people leave notes on his car and scratch through the sticker.

I'm offended by the bumper sticker that says "Cats taste like chicken." and things to that effect.

It depends on the person. If anyone ever came up to me and asked me about my pro-life stance I would share it with them. But some people put bumper stickers on as a way of stating their views without having to directly discuss it.  

Answer 6

One has to wonder about the mentality of someone that puts a 3 dollar paper sticker on their 10 to 50 thousand dollar car.  But other than that, yes, bumper stickers tend to be an enforced monologue.

Answer 7

That question could be asked about atheist bumper stickers and also atheist avatars.

Answer 8

If only life were as simple as evangelism.

Beware of anyone with more than two bumper-stickers.

Scientific evidence shows that people with vanity license plates or bumper-stickers  are more likely to display road rage.  

Answer 9

Yes, it is just a way to advertise their hate and stupidity.

Answer 10

Absolutely.  It's the same on this site when you answer someone's questions and they block you because they don't like your opinion. Why don't they just go talk to themselves?  

Answer 11

It's smug, religious, self-righteous hate speech.

Answer 12

Doesn't sound like what he is trying to say is very Christian and certainly not based on the Bible.  The end will not come one city at a time.

Answer 13

It's kinda like ranting in here - it doesn't really do anything positive.  Personally, I don't use Christian bumper stickers on my car.  What I want to know is why he had a bumper sticker on his car that he wasn't willing to explain?

Answer 14

Bumper Stickers, as you have surmised are more like a one-way street than a four-lane highway. It is basically shouting your views. I have bumper-stickers which usually contain some insult like "Don't tailgate me, I'll flip a booger on your windshield" or "Look out for the idiot behind me."  Notice, no political or religious ideology in mine.

Oy Gevalt!

I saw this one the other day on the back of a car owned by a transcendental idiot. "Obama is the AntiChrist".

Oo-la-la what a merry bunch of blockheads I dwell among.

Answer 15

A bumper sticker is simply a way of giving you opinion without being ask for it.

Answer 16

We should all get one that says [Zoroastrianism [check], Ancient Egyptian Ra Worship [check], Greek Pantheon [check], Christianity [ ]

Answer 17

How can one enter a dialogue with a bumper sticker?

It's a statement, and nothing else.

Answer 18

I have seen wiccan bumper stickers in the bible belt, something like "the end is near and God will prevail and SHE is mad."

I also see Darwin fish w/legs all the time. I have seen a military sticker "if you don't support a soldier, then get in front of the soldier and be their sheild." something to that effect. I mean its not just christians, I have seen g*y stickers, I mean I know what the rainbow means when I see it, it means that person is g*y. I have also seen a wiccan with a circle and a star sticker on their vehical.

I thinks its equal across the board, you can't just say its christians only, I have seen stickers for people for and gainst gun control. But I read all the bumper stickers I come upon and they say all manner of polotical and religious stuff on them.

Answer 19

I'm a Christian, and I don't have a problem with bumper stickers...gives you something to do at a red light.  I wouldn't put them on my car though.

But that one about New Orleans is absolutely inappropriate and offensive, and he should remove it.

Pirate AM, is that what you think about all the Obama bumper stickers too?

Answer 20

I don't really know.  I wish I could help you.  Try reading my source.  

Answer 21

I think it's just a very loud statement on your opinions.  I don't know if anyone that puts really hateful statements on their car realizes that they are showing everyone that looks at their car how much of a racist, bigot or whatever they really are.  

Some of those stickers can be used or against you.  Like on jury duty for example.  Lawyers ask potential jurors what kind of bumper stickers are on their car.  It gives them an insight to what kind of a juror they could be.