The Rapture?

[loinburger]

Because I just told you that I have a sinful nature? Nice logic.

"I'm a sinful person who is going straight to heaven at the start of the end times."

"I understand the plight of poor people, despite having inherited my fortune."

"I'd be nothing without the rest of the team, but that being said, I the greatest quarterback in the world and I want you to triple my salary."

"Everybody is beautiful on the inside, I just happen to be beautiful on the outside as well."

These are all examples of what I like to call "bull****."

[Kidlicious]

"I'm a sinful person who is going straight to heaven at the start of the end times."

"I'm a poor person who just happens to have a billion dollars in assets."

"I'd be nothing without the rest of the team, but that being said, I the greatest quarterback in the world and I want you to triple my salary."

"Everybody is beautiful on the inside, I just happen to be beautiful on the outside as well."

These are all examples of what I like to call "bull****."

You don't seem to know what a contradiction is. If I say I'm poor and I'm rich that's a contradiction. If I say I have a sinful nature and I'm going to heaven, that is not a contradiction.

[loinburger]

Granted - saying "I'm going straight to heaven and I'm not self-righteous" is a contradiction. Saying "I'm going to straight to heaven, but despite my saying this I'm not self-righteous by virtue of the fact that I said that I have a sinful nature" is bull****.

[Kidlicious]

Granted - saying "I'm going straight to heaven and I'm not self-righteous" is a contradiction. Saying "I'm going to straight to heaven, but despite my saying this I'm not self-righteous by virtue of the fact that I said that I have a sinful nature" is bull****.

No and no.

[regexcellent]

The one I see around here:

"Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign."

It's distributed by the autoworkers. Last time I checked GM and Ford were US companies.

Also, the closest car plant to me is a Toyota plant...

I want a bumper sticker that says "Screw your job, I like my cheap Chinese goods." I'm just worried people would think it's ironic.

(Okay, so I don't actually want a bumper sticker, but if I did get one it would say something like that)

[Hauldren Collider]

I have a Romney/Ryan bumper sticker on my car and a little button on my backpack. I like the button because when I get accosted five times a day by people asking me if I've registered to vote, I can say "Yep!", point to the button, and watch them invariably scowl and grumble. Yes folks, that's your nonpartisan get out the vote effort.

[kentonio]

You don't seem to know what a contradiction is. If I say I'm poor and I'm rich that's a contradiction. If I say I have a sinful nature and I'm going to heaven, that is not a contradiction.

It's amazing how utterly un-Christ-like it sounds when people declare they are definitely going to heaven. Do any of you christians ever actually read the bible?

I have a Romney/Ryan bumper sticker on my car and a little button on my backpack. I like the button because when I get accosted five times a day by people asking me if I've registered to vote, I can say "Yep!", point to the button, and watch them invariably scowl and grumble. Yes folks, that's your nonpartisan get out the vote effort.

Why on earth would GOTV be non-partisan?

[Dr Strangelove]

Look, a good surgeon can install a bit of mesh and fix that rapture. You'll be back on your feet in days.

[Elok]

The bumper sticker thing actually isn't that arrogant, provided the driver subscribes to a particular (ludicrous) doctrine of soteriology. I don't really follow Protestant theology or anything, but I know there are those who believe in a very extreme form of sola fides paired with the Calvinist notion of "once saved, always saved." Under this interpretation, we are saved purely and permanently by faith, specifically by a statement of faith--generally just "Jesus, I accept you as my Personal Savior" or some such--in spite of anything done before, during or after said statement. It works, AFAICT, like a law of physics; you know with absolute certainty that you are saved. I think it's rubbish, but the view is out there.

Now, it's still a jerk thing to put on a bumper sticker: "have fun with the seas of blood, you heathen bastards!" But it might not be as bad as you think, if taken purely from the owner's POV.

[Wezil]

As an atheist such a sticker wouldn't bother me in the least.

Does it bother religious people more?

[Lorizael]

Under this interpretation, we are saved purely and permanently by faith, specifically by a statement of faith--generally just "Jesus, I accept you as my Personal Savior" or some such--in spite of anything done before, during or after said statement. It works, AFAICT, like a law of physics; you know with absolute certainty that you are saved.

Seriously? That's awesome.

Jesus, I accept you as my Personal Savior.

But, of course, I know this can't work. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle tell us that the more precisely you know one thing, the less precisely you know another. My guess as to the paired quantities in this case: the more certain you are of being saved, the less certain you are of your sanity.

[loinburger]

Under this interpretation, we are saved purely and permanently by faith, specifically by a statement of faith...in spite of anything done before, during or after said statement.

I was aware that some Protestants held a view like this (the "man is saved by faith and not works" passages), but now it makes sense why they get so pissed off when somebody says that you should try to be a good person ("you're going to hell for saying that we should try to behave like decent human beings - this contradicts the part of the bible that says that man is saved by faith alone"). It's one thing to say "I'm going to heaven even though I'm a douchebag", but it always mystified me that somebody could say (with a straight face) "you're going to hell for telling me that I shouldn't be a douchebag."

[Imran Siddiqui]

Those type of Protestants completely misread things however. We may be saved by grace and not our works, but after we accept the love of God, we are supposed to work for His purposes. Those good words are to honor God and help bring His vision to Earth, not to 'earn' salvation - but to act as if good works are wrong is just being silly (and I'd counsel them to read their James).

[loinburger]

(and I'd counsel them to read their James)

I can predict what they'd say in response: "even the devil can quote scripture for his purpose "

Bottom line, if somebody wants to justify their behavior then they can pervert any ethical system they want to that end

[dannubis]

As an atheist such a sticker wouldn't bother me in the least.

Does it bother religious people more?

I say it is a prime example of having a very good sense of humour.