paintballpunk
2005-01-23, 19:08
"Last night I was driving home from my Spanish class and was stuck behind someone with one of those plastic license plate frames. On the top, it said "No Jesus, No Peace", and along the bottom it said "Know Jesus, Know Peace". How clever.
Anyway, I started thinking about what a total scam this was. First off, who was this self-righteous Christian telling me what to believe. I don't see a lot Muslims driving around with "Praise Allah" bumper stickers. In fact, the only fervent evangelists that I can think of are Mormans, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Fundamentalists.
The next thing that bothered me was the commodifcation of religion in some Nike-esque advertising slogan. I thought God was supposed to be some deep, incomprehensible being, not a slogan to be plastered on your bumper. Indeed, is this slogan any more meaningful than "Just Do It?"
On the surface, obviously not. There are plenty of countries and times that have been peaceful and not Christian. As far as I can tell, for instance, Native Americans were not in a continual state of bloody warfare until their decimation at the hands of Europeans. Nor were the Taoists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, or any other religious group.
In fact, it can probably be argued (though I'm no historian, and what I do know is way too Eurocentric) that Christian societies have been some of the most warlike ever. Europe has a long history of secular wars, and also of religious violence (most noticeably the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the conquest of the Americas). Different sects of Christian have long exhibited virulent intolerance for one another. And given their superiority in methods of warfare, it is quite probable that they devoted a larger share of resources to its pursuit.
In light of the Christianity's intolerance for other religions, it seems to me that this phrase can more accurately be seen as a threat. For example, it perfectly encapsulates Columbus's relations to the Native Americans: if you don't accept Jesus, we will kill, rape, exploit, torture, enslave, and otherwise deprive you of any peace. Indeed, it is a trope of "No Justice, No Peace", which is obviously a threat (though, to my mind, a much more acceptable one).
Of course, a good Christian would probably tell me that, no, what they meant was inner peace. And again I fail to see any correlation between Christianity and self-satisfaction. Indeed, much of the theology is based on the idea that we are all inherently evil, and only through the grace of some arrogant God can be forgiven our faults and allowed to experience something good. Why don't I feel better?
This is not to say that I think Jesus, or most Christians, are bad people. Nor are most of any other group. Just that I fail to see any meaningful correlation between Jesus and peace."
--Unknown
Anyway, I started thinking about what a total scam this was. First off, who was this self-righteous Christian telling me what to believe. I don't see a lot Muslims driving around with "Praise Allah" bumper stickers. In fact, the only fervent evangelists that I can think of are Mormans, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Fundamentalists.
The next thing that bothered me was the commodifcation of religion in some Nike-esque advertising slogan. I thought God was supposed to be some deep, incomprehensible being, not a slogan to be plastered on your bumper. Indeed, is this slogan any more meaningful than "Just Do It?"
On the surface, obviously not. There are plenty of countries and times that have been peaceful and not Christian. As far as I can tell, for instance, Native Americans were not in a continual state of bloody warfare until their decimation at the hands of Europeans. Nor were the Taoists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, or any other religious group.
In fact, it can probably be argued (though I'm no historian, and what I do know is way too Eurocentric) that Christian societies have been some of the most warlike ever. Europe has a long history of secular wars, and also of religious violence (most noticeably the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the conquest of the Americas). Different sects of Christian have long exhibited virulent intolerance for one another. And given their superiority in methods of warfare, it is quite probable that they devoted a larger share of resources to its pursuit.
In light of the Christianity's intolerance for other religions, it seems to me that this phrase can more accurately be seen as a threat. For example, it perfectly encapsulates Columbus's relations to the Native Americans: if you don't accept Jesus, we will kill, rape, exploit, torture, enslave, and otherwise deprive you of any peace. Indeed, it is a trope of "No Justice, No Peace", which is obviously a threat (though, to my mind, a much more acceptable one).
Of course, a good Christian would probably tell me that, no, what they meant was inner peace. And again I fail to see any correlation between Christianity and self-satisfaction. Indeed, much of the theology is based on the idea that we are all inherently evil, and only through the grace of some arrogant God can be forgiven our faults and allowed to experience something good. Why don't I feel better?
This is not to say that I think Jesus, or most Christians, are bad people. Nor are most of any other group. Just that I fail to see any meaningful correlation between Jesus and peace."
--Unknown