Should I Remove My Bumpersticker?

[Michael Schubert]

I have a bumper sticker on my car that says "There's a sucker born again every minute". I bought it from the Freedom From Religion Foundation a while ago because I think the foundation is great and I wanted to help spread their word. I also plan on buying another bumper sticker from the foundation that has a picture of an angry dog bearing its teeth, and a sign next to it says "Beware of Dogma".

But now that I think more about it, it is not so much religious people per se that I oppose; it's the dogmatic fundamentalist ones that live their daily lives according to their bigoted religion's doctrinaire scriptures. This is precisely why I ask for your opinion, fellow atheists. With the former bumper sticker, I am starting to feel that I am being a bit gratuitously disrespectful. People who pray in their church and do not force their religion on others are decent people in my book. Just because I disagree with them does not necessarily mean I should defecate on them. Here is a good example of the dogmatic screwballs that I oppose:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC0mus9252M

So what do you think? Should I buy the new bumper sticker and discard my current one, or both keep the current one and buy the new one?

[Minimalist]

As Hitchens has pointed out - it is the "moderates" who provide cover for the crazies.

[Captain Colostomy]

Is smashing windows and flattening tires considered the lord's work in your neighborhood? If so, you have my answer. Otherwise, it's a free country...if you like it, keep it. Hell, if you wanna confuse future vandals for Christ, try adding a rebel flag vanity plate, a USMC sniper clingy and a sheriff dept. supporter sticker as insurance.

[pineapplebunnybounce]

Religions are really incredulous things that if there weren't so many of them, believers would be considered crazy. One bumper sticker is the least they should expect, regardless if they're nice people or not. If you choose to do stupid things, you have deal with people thinking you're stupid. And it's not all that bad, it just says sucker. Not like you're saying they're horrible people.

If your purpose is to reduce the amount of dogma, a bumper sticker, as you know, wouldn't achieve that. But I kinda like it, holds people accountable to the things they choose to believe in.

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

I got my drivers license at age 20 (finally). My parents had several creationist stickers on their car. I hated those stickers so much even though at the time I was Christian. Couldn't stand what people were assuming about me especially when driving to college. Within a month of getting my driver's license, I couldn't stand it anymore and ripped them off. That felt so good.

[Walking Void]

"Riding my ass is sinful."

The bumper sticker.

[Michael Schubert]

"Riding my ass is sinful."

The bumper sticker.

Even when you're going 20 miles below the posted minimum speed?

[Walking Void]

Then You have to accompany that sticker with this sticker:

"Taking your time are you?"

[Clueless Morgan]

I have a bumper sticker on my car that says "There's a sucker born again every minute". I bought it from the Freedom From Religion Foundation a while ago because I think the foundation is great and I wanted to help spread their word. I also plan on buying another bumper sticker from the foundation that has a picture of an angry dog bearing its teeth, and a sign next to it says "Beware of Dogma".

But now that I think more about it, it is not so much religious people per se that I oppose; it's the dogmatic fundamentalist ones that live their daily lives according to their bigoted religion's doctrinaire scriptures.

Question:

Do you view the Born Again sticker as being related to dogma? Isn't the dogma the Born Again are being taught as much as the root of them becoming born again as is the fact that they are, arguably, being suckered?

I suppose a fundamental question to ask yourself is why are these people being suckered? For what it's worth, I think dogma is at the root of both of the bumper stickers; one is just way more explicit than the other. If anyone asks you about the Born Again sticker, you could explain to them why you believe (if you believe) that dogma is at the root of the blackmail being perpetrated.

Plus, I personally just find the Born Again sticker to be funny; I'd keep it just for that. That is, if I were the type to put bumper stickers on my car, which I'm not. (It ruins the paint and you can't take them off!) I'm a window clingy person. If you've got links to atheist window clings pass 'em along!

[downbeatplumb]

I am disappointed, I thought he had the sticker jammed in an embarrassing place and required tweasers.