The sign outside the church reads, "Try Jesus. If you don't like him, the Devil will always take you back."
(DIGRESSION: The sign had neither lower-case letters nor punctuation, so we're perhaps injecting our own editorializing through typography. EOD)
Try Jesus.
If you don't like him, the Devil will always take you back.
A surface reading of this sign suggests that Jesus is a warm, accepting figure--one who welcomes the most abject of sinners into his fold. But does this not also suggest that the Devil is equally welcoming? MORE welcoming, in fact: Not only is he open to new recruits, but he will also welcome people back even if they jilt him for his fiercest rival. Could you be so forgiving? Could Jesus?
Flip the participants: "Try the Devil. If you don't like him, Jesus will always take you back"? We would expect as much from the Prince of Peace. If that sentiment is not true, then Jesus is apparently less conciliatory, less accepting, less forgiving, than Satan. But if the statement is true, it suggests that--in the long run--there is little difference between choosing Jesus or the Devil, at least as it applies to one's final destination. Might as well choose the company that promises the most fun.
In this day and age, do these people REAY not realise the deeply insulting concept that, if you don't follow Jesus, you're conbdemned to Hell? If you're a Jew, you're condemened to Hell; If you're a Muslim, you're condemned to Hel; If you're a Hindu, a Shintoist, a member of any religion that is NOT Christian, indeed, if you're a fine, good, upstanding, Atheist, you're condemened to Hell. I don't think so! (Oh,and if you're a "Christian" child moester, apparently that's okay!)
ReplyDeleteHaving ranted, and exited on a good line, I am now forced to apologise for the fact that the "L" on my keyboard is tempremental and the first all-caps should, obviously, be REALLY.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra7_60iwpk8
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