Honk for Jesus, says the child

[felonious thunk]

So this morning I was driving in to work, a school bus (from a religious school) was in front of me. I always get uncomfortable behind a school bus, cause I know the kids in the back are going to turn around and like look at me and stuff and it'll make me uncomfortable, cause like I don't want people looking at me.

Off-topic, anyways, so they of course do and all of the sudden they hold up a sign in the back window that says "Honk if you love Jesus". So I'm the only other vehicle there, and about five of them are looking at me with eager anticipation of my honk. This presents me with a quandry. I'm sure Jesus was a fine fellow, he seemed eminently likeable, but I'm not sure that I can say that I love a man that I never knew. I'm also what you might call a former Christian non-Christian Agnostic Buddhist. I got nothing against Jesus, but I have some problems with many of his more recent followers.

So now I face the prospect of ruining these kids' day, I'm sure they can't envision that anyone might not love Jesus.Or I can act like I don't see the sign, but I know they knew I did. Or I can sell myself out and honk my horn to please them.

I look right at them, sarcastically smile and shrug my shoulders. And I enjoyed every second of it. Several of them looked shocked. Just shocked. So now I feel bad that I ruined their day and shattered their little world, all the while enjoying it myself.

[Aristus]

1. Don't feel bad, thunk. You did them a favor.

Even as a Christian, I feel you did them a great service by offering them an opposing point of view, even if it was a noncommittal one. Who knows what crap their heads are getting filled up with? 'Jesus loves rich white folks', probably.

[felonious thunk]

12. Thanks Aristus

I appreciate the viewpoint from a Christian on this.

[PurpHaze69]

2. Considering that Jesus

wasn't even part of the Christian faith until the Council of Nicea, when the Roman Emperor took the name of three prophets of that time, created one name out of em (Jesus Christ), you did the right thing. Jesus is a made up figure. He's not even written about by any historians of his time. He's only talked about in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and a little in Paul, and a little in Corrinthians. And the earliest he was written about was 40 years after his death. But then, he couldn't have died, because he never existed.

[theivoryqueen]

6. jeebus

thanks you!!! Me too. It's always an adventure being an atheist.

[grannylib]

3. I understand your dilemma

Hey - don't let it get ya down too much. I understand the feeling; while I am Christian, I am not currently involved with any denomination/congregation, as I am thoroughly disgusted by the actions of most folks who claim to "love Jesus." (I was even considering attending Seminary myself for a while - just can't get hyped up to be that hypocritical.)
I have really begun to understand what Ghandi meant when he said that he might have become a Christian had he not met so many of them.
Seems that so few people who loudly and publicly proclaim Christianity (and who want to cram it down the throats of everyone else) really have any grasp of what it's all about.
Love, not judgment.

"Go this day and preach the Gospel; if necessary, use words."
Henri Noewen
Anyone remember the old song, "And they'll know we are Christians by our Love"? I don't remember the lyrics being, "And they'll know we are Christians by our bigotry, hatred, judgmentalism, moralism, double standards and hypocrisy..."

Conservative Christians are truly the Pharisees of the 21st century.

[ronnykmarshall]

4. Welcome to the real world, kids.

Not everyone is in lock step with their (parents) beliefs.

[Nihil]

5. Alternatively,

Your feelings of consideration for the poor s*d driving a school bus
overcame your undoubted desire to show solidarity with the little
angels on board it ...

Can you imagine how bad it is to drive a bus full of insufferable
brats first thing in the morning, every morning, THEN to get every
SOB on the road honking his horn at you?

You might not have made the kids day but at least you didn't wreck
the driver's!

Nihil

[TrogL]

7. Honking has a single purpose

to alert other drivers to danger or otherwise get their attention for a damn good reason.

The Second Coming of Christ will likely not involve automobiles hence "honking for Jesus" is an unnecessary distraction to other drivers.

[Speck Tater]

8. You did them a big favor.

The worst thing that could happen is that they grow up like those who honestly believe that EVERY normal person believes what they believe and only a few radical pinko perverts disagree with them.

The sooner they realize that the whole world does NOT agree with them the sooner they will begin to get in touch with reality.

[felonious thunk]

11. Well to be fair

I am a radical pinko prevert.

[Az]

14. But only the best kind of

radical pinko prevery. Been practicing them prevertions haven't you?

[felonious thunk]

15. I'm organizing some kind of mutiny of preverts

Don't tell General Ripper.

[Az]

16. Your gonna owe a letter of explanation to the cocacola company

if you don't get the president on the line.

[Az]

9. I have encountered many people

that had no idea that there were people that believed things in ways other than how they did. It is a tremendous opportunity for them to expand their horizons. Living in an echo chamber is not good for anyone. Life has more to offer than the limited scope presented by one group.

[geniph]

10. Did you know you can get a ticket for honking

when it's not for the purpose of an actual traffic emergency? Found that out from a cop friend of mine; she said in reality, they rarely ticket except for people who keep doing it or people who lean on the horn, but they actually can ticket you in most municipalities for honking when there's no imminent emergency. Even some dumbass who doesn't go at a green light, you're actually not supposed to honk at them. I asked her if that meant I was supposed to just sit there through three light cycles, and that's when she said most cops won't ticket for one quick beep to wake someone up. But inciting honking for no more reason than noise is not actually legal.

And think about this for a minute - how many Christians would honk if kids held up a sign that said, "Honk if you love Mohammed" or "Honk if you love Buddha" or "Honk if you love reason"? Damn few, I'd bet. So why should you honk for THEIR religion?

[felonious thunk]

13. Ha

Well a "Honk if you love Buddha" would really be a philosophical dilemma, no?

Funny thing about that is, if some motorist had spotted a white kid in a school bus with a "Honk if you love Mohammed" sign, there would be outrage. Outrage I tell you. The world's going to hell!