I just got blasted by some fundies for my fish on the back of the car

[rd_kent]

Granted, it was a jesus fish that had "N CHIPS" written inside the fish, but they told me I offended them. I responded by telling them that they offended me with their fish. They then proceeded to tell me how it was sacrilegious and that I would go to hell. I responded by telling them that as an Atheist, I didnt believe in fairly tales and make beleive places that I would have to spend eternity in. They said they would pray for me and I told them thanks.
Anyone have something like this happen with the stuff you put on your car?

[Jackpine Radical]

1. No, but the last time the Jehovah's Witneses came around, I told them

I was offering a special on cult deprogramming this week.

[rd_kent]

21. That reminds me of another time

Some mormons came to the house and I said I would listen to them if I could ask them one question first. The question was "If your religion believes that there is only room for 144000 souls, what are my chances of getting in to heaven if I join your group that has more than that number?" they had no answer so I told them to come back when they had an answer.

[MorningGlow]

2. My uber Catholic ultra conservative aunt pitched a fit

about my bumpersticker. It says "World Citizen". Yeahhhh, that one is just incendiary!

:wtf:

[JerseygirlCT]

55. Phew. Well, yeah, I mean I can see that one

Entirely offensive. Right up there with a wish for world peace.

[silverweb]

70. I had a similar experience.

My daughter and I were shopping with my uber-Catholic mother during one visit. I spotted a car that had a bumper sticker with that wonderful quote from Chief Seattle: "The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth."

I pointed it out to my daughter and made a positive comment, and I thought my mother was going to have a stroke on the spot. The look of pure hatred and the way she literally spit the words, "That's not true!" absolutely floored us.

My reaction at the time was the same as yours... :wtf:

[UndertheOcean]

3. "Fairy" not "fairly "., among other things , use spellchick for petes sake !

[rd_kent]

23. Really?

thats all you have to add to this conversation? I spll just fnie thnak yuo!

[UndertheOcean]

24. now , you know I am joking ! , don't get offended ,

[rd_kent]

26. Ok, sorry.

Its hard to read sarcasm in a post. My bad.

[Sukie]

27. Spellchick or spell check?

What is that saying about those in glass houses throwing stones? LOL

[LiberalFighter]

32. Spellcheck wouldn't work in that case. Fairy and fairly are both words.

[Tesha]

44. For reasons that are fairly obvious, "fairly" would pass the spell checker.

But the phrase you wanted was "for Pete's sake" (including that pesky
apostrophe).

Tesha

[UndertheOcean]

45. you missed "spellchick"

[Tesha]

47. I didn't use that word at all; I think you replied to the wrong post. (NT)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I have a Darwin fish on the back of my car...

And a long time ago, I came out from my workplace to find an angry note on my windshield. There's a religious store in the shopping center where I worked.

I was told I was going to hell and like that. Very angry.

I tossed it into the recycle bin.

I've never been confronted personally, the way you have. I'm not sure how I'd react.

[CTyankee]

11. Just cut to the chase, as it were.

Tell them "Well, why don't you pray for me then?" That's where the conversation is going to end up anyway. Saves you time...

[merwin]

5. Sounds like you were being just as insensitive about their religion as they were about your lack

thereof.

You both took the low road on this one :) Them for insisting on picking a fight, and you for stooping to thier level with your "fairy tale and make believe places" comment.

[Beartracks]

8. I'd have to agree. Even tho they started it...

In your defense, however, at least you thanked them when they said they would pray for you. :) I somehow doubt they would have been so gracious had you offered to do something for them.

But really -- they said it was sacrilege to deface the fish symbol? :eyes:

[WVRICK13]

22. NOPE

They started the confrontation. When you start shit be prepared to get shit.

[rd_kent]

25. Why do I have to be sensitive

to something that is not based in reality whatsoever? Its not like I come to their house and tell them they are going to a place where I will burn for all eternity. No, thats what THEY do!

[ComtesseDeSpair]

33. That's the truth, not an insult.

I'm sick of religious people thinking that the rest of us need to "respect" their beliefs. I don't need to show respect to people who believe that the earth is flat - how is this any different? They need to be called out on it more often. Only by pointing out the nonsensical and anti-reason nature of religion will people come to their senses and toss it aside. And only by people tossing religion aside will humanking make any true progess in this world.

[rd_kent]

35. AMEN! Now pass the cornbread!

[frogmarch]

48. Well said!

:thumbsup:

[merwin]

49. I'm not saying you have to respect their beliefs But why the need to insult them back?

You gave them the response they were looking for.

[Warpy]

6. No, but I'm the queen of the snappy comeback.

When somebody says I've mortally offended their religious sensibilities by being an atheist, I just tell them there is no constitutional right to go through life without ever being offended by somebody with a different take on how the universe runs.

When somebody tells me I'm going to hell, I just tell them I'm aware god is dead, but that I am surprised they got the job.

I do love it when one of them demands to know if I've been saved. I just say, "No, I'm recycled." and leave them scratching their heads. Being even a bad Buddhist has its good points.

[DesertFlower]

10. may me think about a guy on the subway

who asked me if i was "born again". i said "i've been born many, many times.". he didn't know how to answer.

[LiberalFighter]

38. Hmmmm... Maybe you should use the rain as part of your born again process. :)

And tell them that you are waiting for the next rain to be reborn again.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

12. Why have a snappy comeback...

When a simple obscene response, such as the NJ State Motto and Omnibus Greeting, "Go Fuck Yourself". is perfectly appropriate and entirely communicative of your mood and intent? ;-)

Any smart Buddhist will tell you that such a response is entirely in keeping with Buddhist Dharma, as they initiated the dialogue and thus, your response is their karma. :D

[Warpy]

16. I'd rather leave them slackjawed

than angry and defensive, thanks.

[LiberalFighter]

37. It should be pointed out to them that at least 76% of the US population

does not follow their belief. Roman Catholics having the highest percentage of followers at 23.9%.

All other religions would have even more people that do not believe as they do.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

50. I have a small Buddha statue

and a couple of Buddhist books on the shelf above my desk.
Only one person in 3.5 years has commented at all, and positively at that.

[JerseygirlCT]

56. I love that last line. nt

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

7. No but if they told you " you would go to hell" they are not being

true to their religion, they are judging you, thats something they can't do.

[hatrack]

13. Doesn't sound like they let their inability to judge get in their way . . .

:eyes:

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

20. Love for ALL our brothers and sisters worldwide, thats hard to do.

[PDJane]

9. no, but I've had a faith healing in a Georgia washroom....

[bpcmxr]

17. I still think Bill Hicks had the best reply ...

for Christians (fundie or not) who were offended by his lack of belief in their god: "So forgive me."

:)

Oops - meant to reply to the OP.

[rd_kent]

34. In the washroom?

Were you tapping your foot?

[PDJane]

36. Sigh..........

no. I was, in fact, attempting to dislodge a chunk of what Cracker Barrel (yes, there are many, many nascent jokes about a cracker barrel in Georgia, but I digress) calls "breakfast sausage." The Heimlich would, of course, have been more effective.

Have you ever tried to rid yourself of an evangelist when you are trying to deal with something that has more importance to you, personally, than faith??

[givemebackmycountry]

14. When you wake up Monday morning, your car will look like this...

You pissed the wrong people off.

:rofl:

[tularetom]

18. Obviously a VERY patriotic Amurkin

Why are they driving a rice burner?

[rd_kent]

30. Thas funny. I wonder if Florida offers "Choose Choice" plates

as an alternative to the "choose life" plates?

[LiberalFighter]

39. I'm wondering if that license plate could be a blending of "Jesus Sucks"

[Tangerine LaBamba]

46. I went around that one once myself,

when someone posted that picture here. It looks to me like a truncated version of Jesus Sucks.

I learned that it was probably the contraction of Jesu Christo, or something like that.

I like ours better.

:)

[tularetom]

15. My car is unadorned but my son's "FSM" sticker always gets attention

Like the dumshits somehow know it's somehow making fun of them but they aren't sure exactly how to approach it.

[Turbineguy]

19. A Friend got this:

Most, if not all problems on the planet earth are from people like you, people who reject Jesus Christ. Our prisons are filled with people, like you, who reject Jesus Christ. Most, if not all; rapes, murders, robberies and thefts are committed by people, like you, who reject Jesus Christ. AIDS is mainly spread by people who reject Jesus Christ and have sex outside of marriage. Children AIDS get it from people who reject Jesus Christ.
I hope you will turn from your sins and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and escape the fires of eternal hell. Turning from your sins and giving your life to Jesus Christ is the only way you can escape the fires of hell and receive everlasting life. If you persist in your sins and continue to turn your back on Jesus Christ, you will be lost forever.
SAY THIS PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner and am headed to eternal hell because of my sins. I believe you died on the cross to take away my sins and to take me to heaven. Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins and give me eternal life.

Rev. Donald Spitz

28 May 08 at 2:06 pm

Turns out Rev Spitz is from the Army of God

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Army_of_God

A bonafide terrorist organization.

[rd_kent]

31. We should bring the

Army of Darkness, led by our hero Bruce Campbell, to fight them!

[MikeE]

28. I don't have a car here, but....

There have been a couple times I've run into the Fundies and gotten into a discussion about belief systems. Once when asked about mine,(which includes shamanism), and they inevitably started talking about it badly, I remember my response being something along the lines of:

Let's see, you worship some guy that pissed off a bunch of Romans for preaching peace and love and got himself executed. Then you try to spread the whole peace/love message by waging wars and decimating indigenous populations. On top of all that, one of your main beliefs is that this dead guy came back to life to walk among the living. There is a word for that: it's called a zombie. Then, in one of your most sacred rituals, you gather together under an image of the dead body of the guy you worship, say some magical incantation over ordinary foodstuffs and believe they literally transform into the flesh and blood of your zombie lord, who you then ritualistically cannibalize.

:evilgrin:

[conscious evolution]

75. Here is something to work into

that rant.
Mention how one of their biggest icons is an execution device.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

29. Oh yes...

I used to have a "Darwin Fish" on my car - this was over a decade ago when they first came out. I lived in a small town in Northern California, and one day I was standing in line at the mini mart when an old man came up to me and said, "Is that your car out there? With the fish with 'Darwin' in it?" I replied, "Yes" and the rest of the conversation went like this:

"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, obviously it means that I am a supporter of Charles Darwin."
"Well, you know what a fish is supposed to stand for, right?"
"Of course. That's the point."
Pause with a disgusted look, then... "I feel sorry for you, young lady. I really do. You're going to burn in hell."
"Well, I feel sorry for you for believing that."

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

42. I saw this one once and had to laugh: the gefilte fish car plaque

Notice how it has the K with the circle around it, meaning it's kosher.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

43. ..and for the one about my God is a Jewish carpenter, here's this one...

Being a Bob Dylan fanatic, I found it particularly humorous.

[immoderate]

64. I drew this one a few years ago...

Notice that it's been sliced.


--imm

[geckosfeet]

40. fricking whack jobs

[rrneck]

41. If they don't like

the back of your car they can kiss your tailpipe.

[Dervill Crow]

51. Yes. I had a "who would Jesus bomb?" bumpersticker on my car.

I was waiting in the car for my daughter and a guy came up to the driver's side window and told me he was a Christian and was offended by my bumpersticker, as Jesus would not bomb anyone. I told him I agreed with him and I was offended by our then pResident claiming to be a Christian and wanting to bomb Iraq. He repeatedly reiterated that Jesus would not bomb anyone and he was offended by my bumpersticker because he was a Christian. I repeatedly reiterated that that was the point. I finally just asked him what in the world made him think I was NOT a Christian? My daughter, who had by then returned to the car, said, "Mom, you're not going to win. This guy's an idiot." So I just drove off and left him standing there in the driveway.

I am still frustrated when I think of that conversation! :banghead:

[hedgehog]

52. Wait - you put a version of the Jesus fish on the back of your car

that was designed to make fun of Jesus believers, and you offended some Jesus believers? and your point is? You remind me of the teenager with waist length purple hair and 20 piercings who complains that people stare at him.

[JerseygirlCT]

57. LOL - ok

I have to agree that you have a point.

But (even speaking as a believer), I don't get why people feel compelled to comment on the signs on someone else's car, you know? Just what did they hope to achieve, really?

[rd_kent]

58. I was just exercising the same right to display my point of view

on my car like "believers" do. I do not go up to them in a parking lot and tell them that I think their belief in a fairy tale offends me as a reasonable, rational and logical thinking human.

[rd_kent]

59. and who said "beleivers" have a monopoly on the fish?

[dmallind]

61. So only godbotherers get to place signs with their beliefs?

Is it OK for us to harass them for doing so?

[varkam]

53. I HAD THAT *SAME* FISH ON MY CAR!

I loved it too, that was until my car got vandalized because of it.

Oh, ye of little faith (and no sense of humor).

[JerseygirlCT]

54. No, but I don't have stuff on my car.

Their being such busybodies, though, is offensive.

I don't get why they'd find your opinions something they should be offended by - you're not attempting to restrict their beliefs, are you? Then they should feel free to walk by, shaking their heads at what they think is a stupid magnet, and otherwise mind their own. Sort of the way I shake my head when I see a McCain Paling sticker, lol.

[Occam Bandage]

60. Some people found an icon designed entirely to mock an icon of their faith

to be offensive? Wow. That's good to know. I suppose next that you'll be telling me that some Muslims might be offended by my window decal of Calvin peeing on a Star-and-Crescent.

[dmallind]

62. The fish is by no means iconic

It's a marketing idea based on a long outdated and possibly apocryphal man-invented symbol. There is no scripture that says to revere the fish symbol and not parody it. So only Jesus freaks get to put signs on cars without being harassed? Their "Truth" fish eating a Darwin fish makes them fair game? Their use of a torture implement as a symbol?

Or is it just their wittle feelings that are so damn special and can't be hurt?

[Occam Bandage]

63. Er, yeah, the Ichthys is indeed a Christian icon. It predates the Cross.

And the purpose of the "NCHIPS" fish is to mock the Ichthys. Which, of course, is perfectly legal and an expression of free religious thought, and I do not mind that in the slightest.

However, acting as if it was strange that anyone would be offended by that is disingenuous. If you want to offend, go for it, just don't act bewildered when people take offense. I would say the same to a hypothetical Christian complaining that someone took offense to their Truth fish eating a Darwin fish.

[GliderGuider]

65. My favourite has "IXNAY" inside it

It joins a Darwin fish, a yin-yang. a pentacle, and a Flying Spaghetti Monster plaques on the trunk of my Jetta. Up here in Canada, the only comment I've ever had was from a female liquor store employee who commented as she put my purchase in the trunk, "I love it! I'm a pagan myself!"

[Goblinmonger]

68. There is a pretty good discussion I read somewhere

that the symbol was co-opted (shock, I know) from a prior fertility symbol that was turned on it's side to represent the fish (psst, when put back upright again, it looks like a vagina, pass it on).

So, as is usually the case, the pagans are the ones that really get to be pissed because everyone takes their symbols and acts like Christianity was the first to think of them.

[Occam Bandage]

71. The symbol is called "vesica piscis," and I like the argument that

it originally comes from the Pythagoreans, as that ties in nicely with other Pythagorean links to other early Christian stories. It is, after all, the intersection of two identical circles, with the center of each on the circumference of the other.

The yonic interpretation you mention is, as far as I know, a somewhat modern one, though it is hard to escape by looking at it:

[Evoman]

66. Your lucky. I never get approached by anyone.

I'll walk right by mormons and JH's giving out their little pamplets and not get offered any. I never have cool fundie stories because they don't talk to me. The only fundie I have consistent access to is a friend of mine, and he doesn't want to talk god talk anymore (which is insane behaviour for a fundie, I agree).

[Goblinmonger]

69. It's because you're a Mexican

and they know there's no hope for you.


Calm down, everyone, we give each other crap. we kid. we kid.

[Evoman]

72. Ha! I'm Chilean you racist bastard.

:rofl:

How dare you call me Mexican! That said, I wouldn't doubt its one of the reasons. I scare white people.

Hehe.

[LittleClarkie]

67. Eh, isn't that the reaction you wanted?

You make a statement with your decal, satirizing a well known symbol. Someone reacts. Why else make the statement.

You wanted to offend a Fundy, and you did. Seems a tad weird to now act the victim. How DARE those Fundies react to my satirizing their fishie! The HORROR!

Pfft.

[rd_kent]

73. No one is acting like a victim

especially not me. I have the right to put whatever the fuck I want on my property, just like they do. I only shared this story because I find it interesting that someone would actually go out of their way to give me shit about it. The funny thing is, that if the fundie could have their way, it would be ILLEGAL for me to have said NCHIPS fish on my car or at all.

Pfft right back at ya.

[Occam Bandage]

74. Well, obviously you have the right to put it on your car.

And they have the right to speak their mind about it, just as you have the right to reply in kind. You think it's strange that someone would go out of their way to "give you shit about it," and I'm sure they thought it was strange that you would go out of your way to mock a religious icon that holds meaning to them.

Given the way you've relayed that conversation, it seems you have no problems with telling people what you think of both them and their beliefs. Given the fact that you have an NCHIPS fish on your car, it seems you have no problem with informing people you have never met that you find their beliefs laughable; your decal makes that point to anyone who happens to be behind your car on a street or in a lot. Both are courageous traits, to be sure, and I begrudge neither. However, why would you find it especially interesting that someone would, in reply, tell you what they think of you and your beliefs--regarding their own, no less?

Your NCHIPS fish is a statement. Someone replied to your statement. I'm not getting what's noteworthy here.

[rd_kent]

76. And I guess maybe you just wont.

Ive made my point several times in this post. I dont know another way to say how I was amazed that someone would approach a complete stranger and give them shit about something on their car. I guess its not so much that they approached a stranger, but the fact that approaching a stranger to give them shit about something on their car is the last thing on my mind when I see something I disagree with.
Anyway.....