Would This Statement Offend You?

[Principessa Alba]

Isn't there, like, a GIANT difference between being offended and thinking something is funny? Isn't there a big grey area in between?

What do we mean by "offended", anyway. Something might not be worth getting angry about or making a fuss about, but it still might be offensive.

Is there nothing sacred anymore? Is everything worthy of ridicule?

Again, just wondering. Are there those of you who actually find nothing offensive? Not even racial jokes or gay jokes? How about AIDs? It's OK to make fun of AIDs patients? Jokes about your family members? I'm not talking laughing at people, not with them.

 

[shirleyb]

Nope, even though I am a Christian, I'm not one of those that is easily offended.

 

[Narnian_Princess]

I am not offended by fish bumper stickers, I just wonder why they feel the need to put their faith on the bumper of a car. I see a lot of religious bumper stickers and I wonder if they really think they are going to convert anyone. It would take more than a bumper sticker to make me believe in god.

IMO, bumper stickers and such are not meant to convert. They're meant to proclaim the faith, which is an essential part of Christianity. If you're ashamed to declare yourself a Christian, the Lord will be ashamed to declare you His. Just like in the real world, if you act embarrassed of your parents your behavior will embarrass them. A bumper sticker is one way a timid person can display their faith without actually saying anything.

 

[JoyG]

I am not offended by fish bumper stickers, I just wonder why they feel the need to put their faith on the bumper of a car. I see a lot of religious bumper stickers and I wonder if they really think they are going to convert anyone. It would take more than a bumper sticker to make me believe in god.

I don't think anyone believes they will convert someone with a sticker.

Bumper stickers just serve to identify the beliefs of the person driving the car. Lots of people wear their "values" on the bumpers of cars; Democrats, Repulicans, Pro-Choice, Pro-Life...Pro Darwin!?!

 

[Principessa Alba]

IMO, bumper stickers and such are not meant to convert. They're meant to proclaim the faith, which is an essential part of Christianity. If you're ashamed to declare yourself a Christian, the Lord will be ashamed to declare you His. Just like in the real world, if you act embarrassed of your parents your behavior will embarrass them. A bumper sticker is one way a timid person can display their faith without actually saying anything.

Exactly, and btw, why are they any stranger than bumper sticker for anything else, presidential candidates, organizations, sports teams...

 

[caitycaity]

Isn't there, like, a GIANT difference between being offended and thinking something is funny? Isn't there a big grey area in between?

What do we mean by "offended", anyway. Something might not be worth getting angry about or making a fuss about, but it still might be offensive.

Is there nothing sacred anymore? Is everything worthy of ridicule?

Again, just wondering. Are there those of you who actually find nothing offensive? Not even racial jokes or gay jokes? How about AIDs? It's OK to make fun of AIDs patients? Jokes about your family members? I'm not talking laughing at people, not with them.

in my opinion, laughing at people, not with them is not humour. it's all in the context of how it is offered. in my family, we make fun of each other all of the time. even over things others might consider inappropriate. i think generally it is pretty obvious, irl anyways, when someone is making an offensive comment framed as a joke and when someone is making a joke that ismerely intended to be funny.

i don't find EVERYTHING funny, but there are some things out there that, while perhaps offensive and/or inappropriate are still pretty funny.

 

[marybet]

IMO, bumper stickers and such are not meant to convert. They're meant to proclaim the faith, which is an essential part of Christianity. If you're ashamed to declare yourself a Christian, the Lord will be ashamed to declare you His. Just like in the real world, if you act embarrassed of your parents your behavior will embarrass them. A bumper sticker is one way a timid person can display their faith without actually saying anything.

That may be true of the fish stickers, but there are some that are really sending a message, wish I could think of a good example but right now my mind is blank. I'll remember some in the middle of the night, it's when I do my best thinking.

 

[JadenLayne]

My honest opinion is I find it sad. Of course people have the right to believe what they want. But being a Christian I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't believe. I know non believers may find that silly but I can't help it. I just feel pity for any non-believers.

Oh and I know you don't want my pity etc. etc. but I don't mean it in to be a debate just the true from my heart feelings.

 

[marybet]

Exactly, and btw, why are they any stranger than bumper sticker for anything else, presidential candidates, organizations, sports teams...

I think if you have a political sticker you are trying to influence people to vote for your candidate. It is more than just to identify yourself as democrat or a republican. I guess I have just never felt the need to proclaim anything on the bumper of my car.

 

[Disney Doll]

It's immature and childish, but not offensive. I'm not sure why she would think we would care what her religious beliefs (or lack thereof) are.

 

[jbthi]

I can understand the tacky part, but why dumb and uneducated?

Maybe I should not have called the person dumb and uneducated, I should have said the statement in her signature is not very intelligent. I know several athiests. There are several that teach at our local university. Our former neighbors and good friends were athiests. Somehow I can't imagine them making a comment like that or using it as some sort of signature.

I do get the ironic or "funny" part of it.

June

 

[JoyG]

I think if you have a political sticker you are trying to influence people to vote for your candidate. It is more than just to identify yourself as democrat or a republican. I guess I have just never felt the need to proclaim anything on the bumper of my car.

Oh, I don't know.

I saw one political sticker that made me laugh out loud. It said, "Frodo failed, Bush has the ring." Now that was funny and I usually vote republican. I don't think the driver of that car was trying to influence my vote, just state his and make me chuckle.

Maybe someone with the straight "Bush/Cheney 2004" is doing more campaigning though.

 

[caitycaity]

It's immature and childish, but not offensive. I'm not sure why she would think we would care what her religious beliefs (or lack thereof) are.

so is any display of religiosity childish and immature? i'm not sure i understand how her signature is any different than someone witnessing in their sig.

(this part is not addressing you disney doll, but rather aimed at the topic in general)
i am an atheist (duh). i just don't understand why we can't just all live and let live. ftr, the skywriter thing doesn't bother me. if i spent every minute of every day being bothered by every religious thing i came in contact with, i would probably be bothered 24/7. i don't understand why it seems so many religious people seem to get offended when they see something about atheism. i doubt you are confronted by atheism as regularly as atheists are confronted by religion.

 

[Principessa Alba]

I think if you have a political sticker you are trying to influence people to vote for your candidate. It is more than just to identify yourself as democrat or a republican. I guess I have just never felt the need to proclaim anything on the bumper of my car.

Well, I'm not a bumpersticker person at all, but I think there must be something that people just like about identifying themselves in some way. Showing who they are or something. I might like Aerosmith, the OuterBanks, WDW, or even Jesus, and display something to show it on my bumber sticker. Personally, I don't want to junk up my car, but I can see why people do it.

 

[PrincessTiff]

I like it

I agree!

Some people post bible verses all the time and being borderline atheist, that doesn't offend me.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Isn't there, like, a GIANT difference between being offended and thinking something is funny? Isn't there a big grey area in between?

Of course there is. Both are personal and subjective as well. Hell, someone out there actually thinks Pauly Shore is funny.

Is there nothing sacred anymore? Is everything worthy of ridicule?

Again, just wondering. Are there those of you who actually find nothing offensive? Not even racial jokes or gay jokes? How about AIDs? It's OK to make fun of AIDs patients? Jokes about your family members? I'm not talking laughing at people, not with them.

Any topic can lend itself to humor, IMO. No, nothing's sacred when it comes to humor.

 

[Principessa Alba]

i don't find EVERYTHING funny, but there are some things out there that, while perhaps offensive and/or inappropriate are still pretty funny.

I still suspect that it's much easier to find something funny in something we have little respect for - I'm not picking on you, I'm sure I do the same thing. I just don't think we can say we find as much humor in things that we care deeply about, especially if we know the person making the joke has no respect for whatever that is. It's fine to say, "lighten up", but we have to be ready for someone to say that to us, say, if they have some little "funny" about our gay friend or whatever cause is important to us.

 

[noodleknitter]

I agree with Bob.

How many of us have sat around a funeral home, making sick jokes... hopefully not just me!

Remember Jeri Jewell (sp?) the comedienne with CP that poked fun at herself.

And then there is "boy" humor. I can make my 3 youngest boys laugh hard enough to wet themselves by just using certain words when they don't expect it!...

Love the Frodo/Bush bumper sticker!

 

[JennyMominRI]

Isn't there, like, a GIANT difference between being offended and thinking something is funny? Isn't there a big grey area in between?

What do we mean by "offended", anyway. Something might not be worth getting angry about or making a fuss about, but it still might be offensive.

Is there nothing sacred anymore? Is everything worthy of ridicule?

Again, just wondering. Are there those of you who actually find nothing offensive? Not even racial jokes or gay jokes? How about AIDs? It's OK to make fun of AIDs patients? Jokes about your family members? I'm not talking laughing at people, not with them.

Its AIDS not AIDs..and yes, feel free to make fun of me.

 

[Narnian_Princess]

Well, I'm not a bumpersticker person at all, but I think there must be something that people just like about identifying themselves in some way. Showing who they are or something. I might like Aerosmith, the OuterBanks, WDW, or even Jesus, and display something to show it on my bumber sticker. Personally, I don't want to junk up my car, but I can see why people do it.

I'm with you about the bumper sticker thing. Why permanently affix something to your car when you can use a magnet or a cling?

But seriously, they are an expression of oneself. Just like T-shirts and message board signatures, they say something about YOU. Just because someone else has a license plate that has the logo of a football team doesn't mean that hockey fans should be 'offended'. Same with religious or political messages. It's an expression of the individuals preferences, not a way of forcing others to their point of view.