by Paula Neal Mooney
Jesus was wrong...or at least that's what was written on the t-shirt worn by Paul Dano's character in the movie Little Miss Sunshine that I watched last night.
It's a funny movie, but with lots of cursing and raw emotion. Still, I couldn't get that t-shirt out of my mind. At least I got that DVD out of my house, which you won't see me trying to hawk to get the Amazon revenue for here.
I just can't believe someone would create a t-shirt so blatantly blasphemous and wrong in and of itself. But I keep praying for Hollywood, which seems by and large anti-Christian.
But maybe God prefers the type of folks who slap His face over the ones who enjoy fence-sitting. After all, Revelation 3:16 does say:
"So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
Jesus was wrong...or at least that's what was written on the t-shirt worn by Paul Dano's character in the movie Little Miss Sunshine that I watched last night.
It's a funny movie, but with lots of cursing and raw emotion. Still, I couldn't get that t-shirt out of my mind. At least I got that DVD out of my house, which you won't see me trying to hawk to get the Amazon revenue for here.
I just can't believe someone would create a t-shirt so blatantly blasphemous and wrong in and of itself. But I keep praying for Hollywood, which seems by and large anti-Christian.
But maybe God prefers the type of folks who slap His face over the ones who enjoy fence-sitting. After all, Revelation 3:16 does say:
"So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
Comments
It was costume design, not his fault.
I don't think that shirt was a big deal. And I'm catholic, I think people are overreacting. It's websites like these that give Catholics bad names.
Good day,
Kelsey Kennedy.
But the t-shirt makes no sense. "Jesus was wrong"... about what? There's plenty of room left on the t-shirt for a secondary message, if in smaller print. But there is none. Why not? Because they have none.
They don't understand Jesus, and they don't know anything about him, because they never bother to study him. So, they have nothing intelligent to say about him, except the child's pathetic "no, YOU'RE a wrong poopyhead!".
The people who espouse this kind of non-thinking, reactionary bile, whether jokingly or philosophically, are in reality lashing out at a caricature of Jesus that resides only in their own minds, spurred by their own bitter resentment of being told by unsympathetic, fundamentalist bible-thumpers how to live and how to think.
The feeling is understandable, but the reaction is, well, WRONG. Jesus was not a bible-thumper, and if you miss out on his teachings because you resent some self-righteous people, not endorsed by Jesus, claiming to represent him, then the problem lies with YOU, not with the bible-thumpers, and certainly not with Jesus. This is not religion; this is common logical sense.
But unlike the anti-Christians who clearly know not what they do, I have given a clear, cogent argument for what they are wrong about, and why. It may not fit on a t-shirt, but those people who buy and/or wear negative or hateful t-shirts as their form of personal expression either don't know how to write anything of their own, don't know how to think for themselves, or, most likely, don't even know enough to know what it is that they don't know.
When you really love someone, you suffer when they suffer. There is no real love without suffering, without sacrifice. Jesus demonstrated that like no one else ever has or will. To say he was wrong about ANYthing is a little like saying that the moon is wrong to orbit the earth.
Unsympathetic, fundamentalist bible-thumpers like you?
Also, to the person who commented second. Is it ideally Catholic to criticize someone's religion so harshly? Shouldn't you welcome them in with open arms and an accepting heart?
Some who don't believe in Christianity act that way because it doesn't work for them. Not everyone needs religion. Stop forcing it down the throats of those who don't want it. Some of the greatest thinkers in history have been atheist or agnostic. Their thoughts and ideas are no less truthful or knowledgeable because of their lack of faith.
Here's a list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_atheists#Science_and_technology
A number of nonbelievers may be unconvincing in their arguments of why they don't believe, but look at two of the comments on this page. Those are blatantly ignorant and hypocritical comments by "believers."
I only wish I had asked for a "Jesus was wrong" shirt for Christmas...
*A shirt worn by a teenager in a movie does not speak for all anti-Christians, and it wasn't intended to be a complete argument.
"...those people who buy and/or wear negative or hateful t-shirts as their form of personal expression either don't know how to write anything of their own, don't know how to think for themselves, or, most likely, don't even know enough to know what it is that they don't know."
...does anyone know what they don't know? And wait, what the.. ?! Please think before you speak.
"Some who don't believe in Christianity act that way because it doesn't work for them. Not everyone needs religion. Stop forcing it down the throats of those who don't want it. Some of the greatest thinkers in history have been atheist or agnostic. Their thoughts and ideas are no less truthful or knowledgeable because of their lack of faith."
You are my hero.
Got a problem with that? Email me at XxmyzareexX@aol.com
Paula Neal Mooney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot
How can you make a wild accusation like that? There is absolutely nothing to be sacrificed by loving. To degrade love by roping it in with suffering and sacrifice is a terrible thing to do, and it's surely something that Jesus would frown upon. Love is the opposite of suffering. To love and be loved is complete protection from suffering, and from pain of any kind.
There is nothing proud or honourable to be gained from suffering or from sacrifice. If you're living your life properly, you'll never have to sacrifice. You may give charitably, but unless you're selfish, it won't be a sacrifice at all. Suffering is a sign of disapproval. If there's a god, which truly loves and cares for its creation, then surely it would want its creation to avoid pain and suffering.
This is one thing I've never understood about the religious. They (you?) seem to regard misery as noble, as opposed to degrading, which is what it truly is. Pain and suffering are humiliating. There is a reason we don't enjoy pain. We're not supposed to endure it so often. Pleasure is nature's sign of approval (and I don't see why your belief in a deity should alter that simple notion of common sense).
I've trailed off somewhat. Excuse me.
not everyone is Christian.
Christianity isn't the only way to get 'saved'.
Christianity is the only way to learn intolerance, injustice, hatred, racism, homophobia, and generally just being a total arrogant idiot.
Take your ignorant left-wing republican christian views and shove them right up your self righteous asses.
You're uptight, judgmental, and you use God as an excuse to harass others.
The shirt should really say "Jesus was wrong and so are all the dumbfucks in his fanclub"
"Christianity is the only way to learn intolerance, injustice, hatred, racism, homophobia, and generally just being a total arrogant idiot."
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot"
"stupid Americans all the way..."
I love you all in a totally homoerotic unchristian manner.
I personally cannot wait until I can get my hands on a copy of this shirt. Jesus was wrong, and so are all of you single minded religious nutjobs.
My name is Craig and I am proud to be an atheist Canadian.
If I say that Jesus was an asshole, and/or didn't exist, how does that effect the way you feel about him?
It sure as fuck shouldn't. Unless you're such a control freak that you need everyone to think and feel the way you do.
If I told you that I don't like chocolate flavored ice cream, would you force-feed spoonfuls down my throat?
Go fuck yourself, you stupid over-religious piece of shit.
If I say that Jesus was an asshole, and/or didn't exist, how does that effect the way you feel about him?
It sure as fuck shouldn't. Unless you're such a control freak that you need everyone to think and feel the way you do.
If I told you that I don't like chocolate flavored ice cream, would you force-feed spoonfuls down my throat?
Go fuck yourself, you stupid over-religious piece of shit.
First off, Russell’s teapot no further proves that there is in fact no God than the Bible proves that there is.
Second, those part of the religious community seem to be the only ones actively needing to 'prove' their views - as the atheist community simply don't give a damn and wish to have no part in it.
For the sake of argument, let's turn your statement back around unto you and see how well you fare.
Since you're so certain that your invisible superbeing is a reality and that the atheist has the burden of proving, let's put you into the atheist's position.
Please, by all means disprove the existence of the all mighty Invisible Pink Unicorn.
Not unlike your God, she's invisible and there is yet to be any physical evidence as to her actual existence, yet many claim to be aware of her exact appearance - that being a pink unicorn - and are willing to testify to that, no matter how ludicrous their claims of her nonexistence may appear.
I do understand the Christian need to continually reaffirm that he or she is right about God and Jesus, because without their own affirmation, what would he or she really have to base their belief on? There isn't a shred of objective evidence to firmly establish any of their beliefs.
The bible is a collection of unassociated stories written by various authors - that's all it is. Some of the stories are partially based upon actual events, while others are purely fictional contrivances drafted with the intention of persuading the masses to follow a particular code of ethics.
Christians simply CHOOSE to ascribe a deeper meaning to the text (like Jews do with the Torah). That choice is theirs to make, but opting to believe in something that you have no bases in which to believe is not evidence of the validity of the belief. For the most part, Christians today believe what they do simply because they have been taught to.
The character of Wayne in LMS was intended to be understood as a free thinker, intentionally disconnected from all artificial social constructs. His t-shirt was just a way to quickly establish his character's motivation. Anyone stupid enough to contend his shirt was chosen by the film-makers to show their hatred of Christians should jump off a bridge.
Comments in blogs like these truly show how malicious Christians can be, even to fellow Christians.
"No big deal, huh. Clearly, you are not a "practicing" Catholic, or you wouldn't even think the way you do. Your last name says it all."
I'm in no way Christian, and I would never say something so ignorant as that. You should be ashamed!
The shirt doesn't need a deeper meaning. It's meant to cause controversy and make online bloggers rave and rant about how noble they are in comparison to others.
Let's say that I was wearing the shirt in public. By people's reactions, I'd be able to tell who is open-minded and unbiased. Those who would have disgust for it would be the militant Christians who feel that everyone should believe exactly as they do. Those with no reaction, or even a positive reaction, would be the truly intelligent (and of course the idiots who worship Satan, etc. for shock value, but they're just as bad as Christians, I think) who like having a free mind.
Honestly, I don't see why religious people have to impend their beliefs so harshly on others; if you believe in God, praise and worship him, and live free from sin, then awesome; I have the utmost respect for you for doing what you believe in, but if you do that, there's no point unless you're humble in your actions. What's the use of being virtuous if you're doing it and bragging about doing it?