the musings of a quasi-badass son of a preacher man
Dear God,
Brandon here.
Please have mercy on us for this “Christian-wear”:
And this:
Not to mention this:
Or this:
And who could forget this:
Or this:
Oh heavens there’s more, here:
And here:
Or here:
Or even here:
I’d like to make a joke here, but this shit’s got me so positively depressed that I don’t know if I can bring myself to make the appropriate “sackcloth and ashes” joke. What a sad display.
Dear God,
Brandon here.
Please have mercy on us for this “Christian-wear”:
And this:
Not to mention this:
Or this:
And who could forget this:
Or this:
Oh heavens there’s more, here:
And here:
Or here:
Or even here:
I’d like to make a joke here, but this shit’s got me so positively depressed that I don’t know if I can bring myself to make the appropriate “sackcloth and ashes” joke. What a sad display.
you forgot one of my personal favorites
Frank said,
January 19, 2006 at 12:37 am
you forgot one of my personal favorites
Frank said,
January 19, 2006 at 12:38 am
Abortion is like MAGIC
Kitty Boo said,
January 19, 2006 at 12:53 am
I just threw up in my mouth a little.
Jason said,
January 19, 2006 at 1:41 am
A truly frightening and fascinating experience… I found myself reading in disbelief, but then again when a faith becomes a religion becomes an industry becomes a catchphrase, then what more can you expect than the utter trivialization of its call and meaning…
grace and peace
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 2:22 am
Someone’s been visiting rightwingstuff.com
I love that site. Bought my dad a couple T-shirts from it for Christmas.
I don’t have a problem with that stuff at all. In fact, I’m encouraged when I see people wearing it.
God bless the Christians who are not afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 2:25 am
Oops. My bad.
It’s not rightwingstuff, it’s christianshirts.net
I still like most of ‘em though.
Steve J said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:50 am
How did you manage to find successively worse phrases. I thought it was unforgivable by the third one but no.
The sad thing is there are enough people out there buying these things to make this a profitable marketing ploy.
Ugggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
horrible horrible things
Black Sheep said,
January 19, 2006 at 6:53 am
It’s kinda like the “Christian Flag” offered here:
http://www.uschristianflag.com/yes.htm
Is it constitutional to burn this?
wildwest said,
January 19, 2006 at 9:02 am
awfertheluvuvgawd!!!
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dougb said,
January 19, 2006 at 11:14 am
wow. It really, you know, takes guts to condemn people to hell - but real balls, and i mean Balls (note the capital letter) to do it in a t-shirt medium as well.
just another moment when i feel much more at home with non-christians than these “christians”. If you need me, i’ll be dipping my head in bleach.
Angel said,
January 19, 2006 at 11:47 am
I am appalled. Just when I think the so-called “Christians” hit an all-time low, they go even lower.
Random Ravings said,
January 19, 2006 at 11:49 am
Scary……
These are scary.
Very, very scary….
Logan Bennett said,
January 19, 2006 at 12:38 pm
Wow, man that is such typical judgemental christians,
Shteevie These Christians are not christians who are not afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. They are christians who think that the rest of the world is going to swallow them whole they are christians who are afraid to get close to anybody who is not like them, they are christians who are not helping God out any. As christians it is not our job to condemn people it is our job to lovingly help people. How are any of those T-shirts lovingly helping anybody at all?
I am a college age minister at my church, and now I am the leader of a friday night service for the young adults. When I first started doing it, we had kids who wore those types of t-shirts because they thought that they were doing a good thing. Thank the Lord that my teachings and Gods word have helped them realize that those t-shirts do more harm then they do good.
Logan Bennett said,
January 19, 2006 at 12:46 pm
I might also state that most of the other Students in our College group lovingly told these other students the damage that they were doing. all in all I just wish that Christians would stop giving the world more stuff for them to prove that we are actually judgemental and hypocritical
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 1:03 pm
I doubt they do more harm than good. I was in a bar the other day and someone was wearing a shirt that said “If this shirt is on your floor then we totally fucked. Now make me some breakfast, bitch.”
I figure that if someone can wear a shirt that says that and feel good about it, I can wear one of my two Christian shirts and feel good about it too.
Speaking of judgemental, don’t you think it’s a little judgemental to issue blanket statements like “they are christians who are afraid to get close to anybody who is not like them, they are christians who are not helping God out any”?
Personally, I’d let this be a matter of conscience. If your Holy Spirit driven conscience tells you not to wear a shirt like that, then don’t wear it. My conscience doesn’t bother me when I wear my shirt in public.
benjamin said,
January 19, 2006 at 2:04 pm
But Shteevie - do you wear any of the shirts shown above? There’s a big difference between a shirt that says “My Boss Is A Jewish Carpenter” and one that says “My God’s Got A Bigger Dick Than Yours So SUCK IT” - which is what most of the above imply….
benjamin said,
January 19, 2006 at 2:05 pm
Well, that and that God makes shitty fries and nasty nasty burgers…..
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 2:23 pm
One shirt says THE LAKE OF FIRE HAS NO WAVES. Another one defends traditional marriage.
But I’d happily wear most of the shirts from that site.
wildwest said,
January 19, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Kill a commie for Christ!
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!!
My Four Walls » shoot me now… said,
January 19, 2006 at 2:50 pm
[…] i posted a link to badchristian which shared a few of the worst shirts from christianshirts.net this one was the most horrific. […]
Tom said,
January 19, 2006 at 3:33 pm
Yet another example of why I don’t want to go to heaven - I’ll have to hang out with idiots who bought stuff like this.
benjamin said,
January 19, 2006 at 3:53 pm
Schteevie -
And what do you exactly hope to accomplish by wearing shirts like this? The purpose of the “We totally fucked” shirt is pretty straightforward - to make someone laugh. The purpose of “THE LAKE OF FIRE HAS NO WAVES” is?
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:01 pm
No one ever comments on the Lake of Fire shirt. I bought it, at the age of 15, because it had a cool looking surfer dude clutching his surfboard in a big flaming lake. It was only after I got it home and saw the Bible verses on it that I realized it’s a Christian shirt. I’m 33 and it still fits. God has blessed me with a groovy metabolism.
Seriously though, I think a shirt like that can be a great way to initiate a conversation about faith. If it doesn’t, at least it’s a reminder.
Brandon said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:09 pm
But shteevie,
There’s a big difference between wearing a Lake of Fire t-shirt (though I still think it’s tacky and poor theology to do so) and a t-shirt that features a message claiming that there aren’t any real Christians who are pro-life. Yet, you’re arguing that these shirts aren’t incredibly offensive to you.
Here’s my thing. Everybody would be rip roaring offended if I walked out in public with a t-shirt that said “Jesus sucks” or something. And, you know, people should be offended, because the shirt is proclaiming an untruth. What gets me so riled is that nobody bats an eyelash when shit like this hits the streets.
If you really want to initiate a conversation about faith, why not try being friends with non-christians. If you need a t-shirt to do your evangelism for you, you need to figure out a new way to evangelise.
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:14 pm
“If you really want to initiate a conversation about faith, why not try being friends with non-christians. If you need a t-shirt to do your evangelism for you, you need to figure out a new way to evangelise.”
Why not do both?
If you don’t want to wear a Christian shirt, fine. I’ve no problems with your decision and I’m not interested in guilt tripping you. (”You don’t want to wear that shirt? Okay, fine. I thought you were an upstanding Christian who’s not afraid to show his love for Jesus. I guess I was wrong.”)
Personally, I’m fond of anything that will help me initiate a conversation on faith. If that includes a T-shirt, so be it.
Brandon said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:20 pm
Well, then, Shteevie.
I’ve got a t-shirt for you:
“Jesus Christ is a fucking fraud.”
I mean, it’s a lie just like the no pro-choice Christians t-shirts. And, if you’re fine with wearing a t-shirt that uses rhetoric (or worse yet…outright statements) that are untrue in order to start a conversation about faith…I can’t think of a shirt that would better start a conversation about faith than:
“Jesus Christ is a fucking fraud.”
Right?
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:32 pm
Well, the statement contained on that T-shirt is an opinion, not a fact and I’m not sure how an opinion can be considered a lie.
I think it’s an incorrect opinion and if I saw someone wearing that shirt, I’d probably ask them why they believe it’s so. That would be quite the conversation.
Brandon said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:40 pm
Here’s my thing. Those t-shirts are gimmicks, they’re dumb. Some of them are downright offensive.
Now, I think you’re kind of messing with some minds here–playing the devil’s advocate, but I’ll humor your argument for the sake of discussion.
How in the world could one possibly think that a t-shirt with an offensive phrase like “There’s no such thing as a Pro-Choice Christian” or something like that would actually ENCOURAGE people who consider themselves to be pro-Choice to talk to the t-shirt wearer.
The theoretically grounded fact of the matter is that people tend to seek information from those with whom they feel more similar. (Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Berger, 1974 (ish)). While there may be some outlying cases, more often than not, wearing such offensive clothing slogans will do two things: (1) it will enforce a heuristic judgement (rather than a systematic judgement) of a person–probably a negative one and (2) it will be likely to DISCOURAGE dialogue.
Now, I’m not farmiliar with any research that explains this phenomena explicitly–but URT tends to back my position. (If anyone out there’s a social scientist and would like to do this study, it’d be a pretty cool one to do.)
Phil said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:42 pm
How about if we just agree not to wear anything unless it’s mentioned in the Bible?
Then everything’s cool.
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 4:46 pm
I guess my argument is based on the scriptural maxim that the word of God will not return to him void. I think the same thing applies to Biblical principles.
I don’t know. Maybe there’s someone out there who’s weighing the abortion issue in his mind and wondering if it’s compatible with being a Christian. Maybe he’ll see a shirt like that that would prompt him to do some research somewhere down the line.
Actually, I’ve seen a few discussions generated by bumper stickers. I imagine T-shirts would play the same role somewhere down the line.
Logan Bennett said,
January 19, 2006 at 5:30 pm
well, hmm let me see shteevie so you think that by wearing that t-shirt it strikes up a conversation? Well maybe it does work for you….. but shirts like that, that are that offensive, I have never seen work that well to make friends or even start conversations I think most of the time they would be set back rather then something that will help you evangilize, I agree with brandon it would work better to try to be their friend and love them….. since that is what we were called to do. We were never called by Jesus to tell everybody how all of the horrible things that they are doing will send them to hell. “let him without sin cast the first stone” Shteevie you are not without sin and neither is anybody else including me, so we should not throw stones at others. I don’t think Jesus would approve of that
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 5:42 pm
Logan:
You can spare me the “you’re no better than anyone else” speech. I’m Catholic. I’m an admirer of St. Augustine. You’d be hard pressed to find someone more mindful of his own sinfulness than me.
The whole “cast the first stone” argument is a bit of a red herring, I’m afraid. People forget that in that story, the people were holding ACTUAL LITERAL STONES, not metaphorical ones. It bemuses me when I speak out against evil and I am admonished to shut my mouth because, after all, I am not without sin and therefore I should not be casting any stones. Not that I think you’re doing that, Logan, but your response sparked something in me that made me wanna vocalize a pet peeve.
As for “We were never called by Jesus to tell everybody how all of the horrible things that they are doing will send them to hell,” I’d point out that Jesus spoke a lot about hell. Jude tells us to have compassion on some and on others, to save with fear.
The trick, for me, is figuring out which approach works best in a given situation.
Brandon said,
January 19, 2006 at 6:23 pm
I think, Shteevie, where your argument is weakest is in your implication that some of the sayings on these t-shirts have anything to do with Biblical principle. And, I’m pretty sure that equating any of these t-shirts with the word of God…well, I’m just not buying that.
I would point out that worse than just being stupid, many of the t-shirts on that site seem distinctly A-BIBLICAL, that is, somewhat heretical. Personally, I don’t give two shits if someone’s nancing around in a t-shirt that says “Got Jesus?” or “Abortion Stops a Beating Heart”, in those cases, I agree with you, wear what you like. What I’m not okay with is the association of Christianity with a particular nationality, brand-name, or political perspective…because at their core (though you can argue they’re opinions all you like) they’re not true.
I’m not sure anybody’s telling you to shut your mouth, here. Frankly, I think you make some interesting points, some of them are even good points. I just think that overall you’re wrong and your main thesis–that these shirts are not offensive and could even be helpful–is dumb.
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 8:13 pm
And I think that wearing a shirt like that can be a way for an otherwise shy Christian to show his/her allegiance.
I don’t find anything heretical about the shirts, but I’d hardly expect Christians to wear them 24/7 as some kind of uniform.
Steve C said,
January 19, 2006 at 9:56 pm
OK… can we just agree that the shirts at this sight suck on the principle of layout and art alone. They are hideous to look at… regardless of what you think about what they say. Plus the only way you can purchase them is on a white t-shirt which is absolutely so out of style… seriously. Hate to play the fashion and design police here but someone has to speak up…. the art, the design, the layout, the creativity is completely lacking from these shirts. Typical of most Christian stuff. Knock offs of the culture and they suck to boot. Almost more than the message they display (which I think is stupid) the above mentioned reasons are enough not to wear them… for anyone.
Now to pimp some cool shirts, go to Organic Church. They have some cool stuff as you scroll down the page.
Dan Lewis said,
January 19, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Some of these T-shirts are inoffensive or cute. I like the one that says “agape” in Greek particularly (although it has no breathing marks and accents). But no, the balance of the shirts are not just about innocently waving some Christian colors. I will not be talking about the innocent ones.
Apart from the idea that the offensive shirts might not be effective because they provide less “evangelism opportunities” than “alienations from religion”, which is a big enough problem with them, let’s ask whether the end justifies the means.
“Satan is pro-choice” in particular demonizes, literally, Christians and others who’ve made a certain agonizing political choice. [digression: Personally, I think Abortion Prohibition, which is what the Christian Right in politics is agitating for, would be completely unworkable. They have not thought this through. Maybe you see some political solution, but I don’t.] “Onward Christian Soldiers” drapes an assault rifle over the Christian cross.
Now, when Paul said “we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles”, he wasn’t just talking about being shocking and offensive in order to get under people’s skins. He was talking about an inversion of the normal state of things: not by strength, but by weakness; not by debater’s philosophies, but by exposing this man Jesus. Those T-shirts are shouts in an argument, not a gentle answer turning away wrath. They are, in a word, ungraceful.
Paul also said “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” In the context, he was ordering a group of believers not to defame the Christian witness by following cultural practices that tended to offend and lead to misunderstandings with people who were weak Christians or not Christians at all. The parallel should be obvious.
He continues, “So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.”
Shteevie, don’t defend the shirts in theory when a lot of people are telling you they are offensive in fact (destructive, sins against Christ, divisive to Christian unity, ungraceful, unloving, causing misunderstandings).
I’ve told a number of friends they’re going to hell in my day. But I did it in such an unloving way that I not only didn’t “bring any sinners to God”, I ruined my relationships, permanently. There are abstract beliefs, and then there are beliefs you live. So here’s my belief: if my Christian message of judgment causes others to fall into sin, I will never tell them they’re going to hell again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
Dan Lewis said,
January 19, 2006 at 10:25 pm
And by the way, the “All Your Church Are Belong To Us” shirt at Organic Church is great.
Allison said,
January 19, 2006 at 10:47 pm
*sigh* I’m so going to have to find the old video that the “All Your Church…” tshirt rips on. It’s stuck in my head now.
Brandon, I looked at these, and just shook my head. How entirely hateful. What a bad representation of the love Jesus said we were to show for each other.
Shteevie, I wish you’d understand how these read to the unchurched/unchristian. If your goal is to ID yourself to other hardcore rightwing Christians, I suppose you succeed. If your goal is to represent Jesus, these do a piss-poor job.
Shteevie said,
January 19, 2006 at 11:05 pm
I discussed this issue at length with some Christian friends over dinner. One of them is my father, who, like Brandon’s father, is also a preacher.
Get this: I’m in the minority. Everyone else at the table agreed with everyone on this board. They don’t like shirts like that and think they do a disservice to the Christian community rather than an effective one.
In retrospect, I guess I wear my shirt cathartically. I don’t like the direction in which society is heading and wearing my shirt in public is a not-so-subtle way of saying I’m not going along with the zeitgeist.
Josh said,
January 20, 2006 at 2:00 pm
I have a homemade T-shirt that says JESUS KICKS ASS. It’s started some conversations.
Kevin said,
January 20, 2006 at 2:50 pm
Flannery O’Connor once wrote, “We reflect the Church in everything we do, and those who can see clearly that our judgement is false in matters of art cannot be blamed for suspecting our judgement in matters of religion.” I think that very much applies here.
Dave - The Cubicle Reverend said,
January 20, 2006 at 5:10 pm
How can we go from the renaissance to this? We created some of the finest art, music, and literature that still lasts the test of time even to non christians. How can this happen?
Chuck said,
January 20, 2006 at 8:51 pm
I think the most legitimate one is the one that wasn’t there. I propose one that says “God is pro-choice, He just wants you to make the right one” He did give us free will, didn’t He?
Scott said,
January 21, 2006 at 4:55 pm
I think I might get that Christian from Texas one just because I think it’s about the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
J. Stephen Conn said,
January 21, 2006 at 5:47 pm
Hey, give the T-shirt makers a break. There are worse ways to make a living - and there aren’t enough fig leaves for everyone to wear.
goingape said,
January 22, 2006 at 4:13 pm
What I find interesting is that I truly think that only in American culture is this conversation taking place. In all other places in the world, even Western Europe, the philosophy of revealing who you are by what you wear on your t-shirt seems absurd. Those Tshirts you see in the markets are for the tourists from the States.
What is it about us that makes us feel as if we have to convey who we are by what we wear on a stinkin’ tshirt? What our tshirts, bumperstickers, and the like say is so closely tied to our identity in this country, and I don’t think that is healthy or helpful.
What I think would be truly shocking would be if Christians made it a point NOT to wear logos, Christianisms, or whatever on our clothing. Who gives a rip, ya know. Wearing or not wearing any particular slogan on your person or on your car is a pretty empty gesture, and a half-assed way to try to circumvent actually knowing and judging people by who they are and how they live.
Skyknight said,
January 22, 2006 at 8:13 pm
Also, in their “About Us” page, the webmasters actually refer to how other Christian T-shirt companies are fearful about alienating the pro-choice Christian base.
Now, given what some of these pro-life logos are like, I have to wonder if, privately, the webmasters put the word “Christian” in quotation marks…
And then there’s the “Jesus the tough guy” elements…
http://www.christianshirts.net/designs.php?id=105
http://www.christianshirts.net/designs.php?id=197
http://www.christianshirts.net/designs.php?id=103 (okay, so this one’s a little oblique…)
This–http://www.christianshirts.net/designs.php?id=201–is curious, since I seem to remember something akin to Schiavo NOT wanting to be kept on life support…
The ultimate in pro-choice demonization? http://www.christianshirts.net/designs.php?id=121
http://www.christianshirts.net/designs.php?id=152. ATHANASIUS contra mundum? What, has Arianism gained popularity lately?
The Green Knight said,
January 23, 2006 at 11:47 am
Bluuurrrrggghhhhh…..
Jill said,
January 24, 2006 at 8:23 am
I found this cool website with t-shirts speaking in tongues. You gotta check this out!!!
www.HolyGhostTees.com
Leighton said,
January 24, 2006 at 12:24 pm
Most of the time, people only advocate dialogue or conversation because they’re pissed off about something and want to vent their rage and frustration at the people who for whatever reason make them angry. This is sort of where I see these T-shirts as coming from–not a position of having found peace or strength from a connection with the divine, but rather a kind of protesting anger–”You’ve pushed me and mine too hard, but for the last time–by God we’re not going to take it anymore, you dirty sons of bitches. We’re Christians, proud and unashamed, and if you don’t like it you can stuff it.”
This is their right to say, of course, just like everyone else under the sun is free to do the same, and in fact does. The problem is, in a world where everyone is angry, it’s not clear to me that this approach is helpful in resolving our manifold difficulties. It guarantees that even amicable conversations will be high-risk, high-demand endeavors.
But the alternative–letting go of power, resigning oneself to less control over the direction of society than one would like, focusing on the needs of people, abandoning frustration and the sense of personal and social entitlement that leads to grief over a world gone mad–must be chosen voluntarily by each person; it cannot be coerced by dragging out scripture or principles in front of people’s faces.
wildwest said,
January 24, 2006 at 1:28 pm
“The alternative,” Leighton, is a definition of faith, no?
Leighton said,
January 24, 2006 at 2:40 pm
It can be; it can also be a negation of faith (Buddhists might say the point isn’t to find the right thing to have faith in so much as it is to realize that there is no self with which to have faith). In either case, practicing is much more important than the label you give it, particularly when the label is so loaded as to give many people the wrong idea about what you’re talking about.
chris said,
January 24, 2006 at 5:53 pm
so on the money post… it’s so sad what “the christian marketplace” can come up with! yikes!!!
Healing Hagar » Onward Christian tshirts said,
January 25, 2006 at 1:53 am
[…] Thanks to Badchristian Blog for pointing out some of the most banal Christian tshirts I’ve ever seen. Here are some of my favorites: […]
Maria said,
January 25, 2006 at 5:26 pm
If I were going to wear a christian shirt it would be this one.
Brandon said,
January 25, 2006 at 5:37 pm
Regarding those speaking in tongues t-shirts:
HOLY SHIT, those things cost 37 bucks plus 8.95 s&h. ALL THAT AND IT DOESN’T MAKE A FUCKING BIT OF SENSE!
And, another thing. Am I just a pervert or is there a subliminal message here:
benjamin said,
January 25, 2006 at 6:52 pm
Are those mutually exclusive?
Christiana said,
January 25, 2006 at 11:20 pm
I love this blog!! I haven’t laughed this hard in ages!
Philbs said,
January 30, 2006 at 1:32 pm
You all have talked at great length about t-shirts, but a few have hinted at the bigger picture- the arts in general, more so, as it pertains to this Christian subculture. The subculture is the problem, not the Christian t-shirt companies. We’ve got a frontier mentality- circle up the wagons, so no one get in, and the gospel never gets out. And the fact that too many Christians love the whole subculture is what scares me.
Altarboy said,
January 30, 2006 at 10:35 pm
And they will know we are Christians by our love… I mean by our t-shirts.
Charlie said,
January 30, 2006 at 10:41 pm
There’s a real danger when the Christian looks at everything that God has made and sees it as a tool to co-op for the cause of God. The very best way to communicate the gospel, always, is through personal relationships. Most people are looking for some other tool–music, theater, drama, and yes, even t-shirts–to be the substitute for what they’re not willing to do themselves. Maybe it is a good tool, but are we loving our neighbors? Are we starting at the right starting place? We think we can take our friend to a Christian concert and maybe THAT will be why they accept Christ. It’s really a lack of belief in the gospel. It is denigrating to what God has allowed for in his creation, and in the gifts and talents of individuals. It’s also a way of saying “The Gospel isn’t good enough. It has to be attached to something that people are interested in.”
bananie said,
February 2, 2006 at 9:50 am
my favorite bit of joy taken from the site is the fact that i, too, can buy my baby one of the tees. i was thinking the “i’m straight” (coming out of the closet against gay marriage) would be perfect.
(babies: accessories for Jesus)
Ravening Wolf said,
February 15, 2006 at 7:26 am
Transfiguration T-Shirts brings the “in your face” Gospel message delivery medium to the UK!
Jackson said,
February 15, 2006 at 1:10 pm
I gotta admit, that burger king shirt is pretty slick, for the sheer fact that it’s actually witty. I can’t say any of the other shirts catch my eye, though.
X-Evolutionist said,
March 17, 2006 at 9:04 am
I disagree with you. I wear Christian Tshirts. I’ve only been a Christian for nine years and I am over fifty. I was brought up without a belief in God.
Before I got saved, I would often ask Christians why they believed in God. Now that I’m a Christian, I want people to know I’m a Christian where ever I go. I love people to ask me why I believe in God.
X
http://spaces.msn.com/X-Evolutionist
Terry said,
April 20, 2006 at 8:19 am
My wife and I own Christianwear.net it is a Christian T Shirt Company.
They are one of our competitors but they are not being disrespectful to Christ. When some one wears a shirt advertizing who or even what they stand for there is nothing wrong with that. So even if it is a stupid catch fraze. It can still help start a conversation with a person that dont really know Jesus. So Brandon maybee you are so spiritual that you win souls every day and you can stand people that call themselves Christians if they wear a T Shirt that causes a giggle, but you should never cast your stone because you might be wrong. I did not mean to bash you. I agree with the brother you attacted. Terry
S.P. said,
May 10, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Some of those shirts like the “abortion is like magic” shirt I would not wear because I feel abortion is serious and it seems to be making light of it in a way. However, if I wear a shirt that you might find offensive and it causes me to get in a conversation with someone about christ, then I really don’t care about your opinion. Honestly, everything we do should be to point others to christ and if someone chooses to wear a t-shirt to do that, let them instead of being religious. And maybe to be like christ you could, oh I don’t know, not curse on your blog.
a badchristian blog » conversations said,
May 11, 2006 at 8:34 am
[…] Since I wrote my Christian t-shirt post, a number of you have voiced the concern that if you’re causing people to have conversations with you about God, it’s okay to wear “Witness wear.” My response follows. […]
shelly said,
May 11, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Some of those shirts? Are total bullshit.
~ A pro-choice–ergo, “bad”–Christian.
MimiThinks said,
May 12, 2006 at 12:47 am
We may never fully divorce the blatant advertising nature of our consumer culture out of the ways in which we Americans feel compelled to express ourselves but it would really be nice if we at least could have the sensitivity to see that enough is enough and Christian T-Shirts are really the least effective way of telling people the Good News. I really truly understand that folks think these t-shirts are fun and can help in opening up communication and also can be a source of pride. However, if you ask your non-X-tian friends what they think and they will tell you that the message is loud and clear: judgemental religious nut-case on aisle two - avoid avoid avoid! What is that I hear? You have no non X-tian friends? Folks, this is the real trouble. Get your head out of the cushy fellowship hall and out into Jerusalem, Judea and Galilee and into the world where all those dratted sinners are and start making friends and sharing the power and love of Jesus with people through the way Jesus did it: It is all about relationship - not a t-shirt or a bumper-sticker. Stop preaching to the choir!
Terry said,
May 12, 2006 at 9:31 am
I guess most do see me as some kind of religious freak, but I thank God that he sees me as a son. I would rather heal the sick raise the dead to get the attention of a lost world and I have been involved in some of the awsome things like that. God has performed. But in between these things I use any thing and every thing I can to try and wake up the lost and also to wake up those that are suppose to be on the same side I am on. So religious freek I can live with that the Appostels did.
Terry said,
May 12, 2006 at 9:32 am
P.S. sorry about my spelling its the best I can do.
S.P. said,
May 14, 2006 at 9:58 pm
The truth is everyone pretty much has made good points from each side of this argument. But really we need to let the Holy Spirit led people as they will. If you see a shirt and find it offensive and full of blasphemy don’t buy it. I do agree that a lot of people buy these shirts just because they look cool and not as much for the message. The shirts I choose to wear are ones I pick not because that’s the cool thing, but because I want put out there what I believe. Let’s instead of arguing about the t-shirts we are wearing, get together and take the message out to others. I hope that people who wear these shirts are doing it to stand for what they believe rather than to make a fashion statement.
Helen said,
May 18, 2006 at 6:10 pm
Yikes! When I read your later post on “witness wear” I thought you were a little harsh. Now I see why!! It’s not all bad, though - I’ve a friend who dearly wants a t-shirt with “wtfwjd?” on it… And I saw some nice shirts on the theme of “God hates…” with my personal favourite “God hates greed”. I wouldn’t wear it unless I got a sudden invitation to join the 700 club or whatever it’s called.
Diggadee said,
May 18, 2006 at 11:19 pm
Now that’s a good one, Helen! WTFWJD is perfect.
Remember seven or eight years ago when the WWJD bracelets were all the rage among the fundies? A friend’s early elementary school-age children noticed that everyone they saw wearing a WWJD bracelet was mean to kids and snooty to adults.
My friend decided to explain to her kids that “WWJD” stood for “We Want Jelly Donuts.” Which went a long way toward helping the kids understand why those bracelet-wearing folks were so nasty. The anguish of donut deprivation is easily understood by six year-olds.
The alternative was to try to help their young minds grasp the concept that people who feel compelled to advertise about christianism are usually anything but Christians. Judging from a lot of the posts here, there are adults who don’t get it, either.
To paraphrase what I’ve said elsewhere, it’s much easier to wear a “Christian” bracelet (or t-shirt) than to be a Christian.
Do you t-shirt wearing people really believe that when someone humors you by asking about the story behind your “Christian” t-shirt that they give a rip about your “testimony”? Of course they don’t.
They’re just curious to find out how deranged you actually are.
But I could go for a “God hates…” t-shirt. How about “God hates people who kill abortionists” or “God hates men who beat women” or “God hates theocrats”?
Terry said,
May 21, 2006 at 11:24 pm
God said if they are for me they are not against me, I started talking about this just to defend someone who also sells Christian T Shirts but some of you that are ripping them apart really sadens me if you are my brothers or sisters. How can you love the Father in heaven which you can’t see and not love your brother that you can see. God dont hate people he hates sin. I dont hate you but I cant stand the rocks you through. You got some things corect in a twisted way. Many do were Jesus on their shirt but not in their actions. I am sorry they hurt you, they do make my job of winning the world harder. Nothing though hurts as bad as when the persecution comes from the ones that claim to be in Christ with me. I realize not every one that is speaking on this topic is walking in the spirit of the Lord but some have led me to wonder about their salvation. Only by their choice of language and the spirit of rebellion that they show to have, The bible says this is a sin as of whitch craft you may not notice it but when we are led by a demonic spirit we are usually the last to notice. A rebelious person that clings to their way will attack me for speaking out, but I am not meaning to harm you. Instead I am meaning to sharpen you. So you will be able to fight the devil as well as you fight us Christian T Shirt wearing no good use less people.
Brandon said,
May 22, 2006 at 12:14 am
If I’m being judged to not be Christian because of my rebellious spirit that rebels against corporate, money grubbing, offensive t-shirt wearing Churchians, then so be it. While I’m a bit more reticent than you, Terry, to claim that anyone’s being run crazy by a demonic spirit, it seems to me that you haven’t really listened to anything anyone here was saying. You’re taking the arrogant posture that we sinful heathens couldn’t possibly have anything to offer such an upright, holy Christian retail artist such as yourself. Unfortunately, you completely miss what those of us here are saying about xian t-shirts and what’s wrong with them.
So, anyway, I’m sorry you think I’m going to hell.
Terry said,
May 26, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Brandon thankyou for calling me a “holy Christian retail artist such as yourself” even though it was in sarcazim. I have been reading this for some time now. I never said you did not follow Jesus but you lead me to believe it by saying “we sinful heathens couldn’t possibly have anything to offer” I said I dont hate you. The quotes I used in my previous statement “if they are for me they are not against me, How can you love the Father in heaven which you can’t see and not love your brother that you can see, this is a sin as of whitch craft ” were not my comments but they are from the Bible thats how I thought I was to base my life. And as far as “corporate, money grubbing, offensive t-shirt wearing Churchians” Ispend more money keeping my site running than I take in. So get the chip off your shoulder and see that God is trying to reach you. I am not sorry for the things I have commented to this time and I expect to be bashed by you for talking again but if you would like to email me privately to talk with a less defensive conversation my door is open to you. I do not condemn you its not my job.
Brandon said,
May 26, 2006 at 7:56 pm
So, let me get this straight. You get to publicly be a dick on my blog, infer that you’re God’s personal archangel (”God is trying to reach you”), then tell me that if I want to continue the conversation privately?
If you make so little money on your t-shirt website, perhaps it’s God telling you to stop. Have you ever thought about that?
Recovering said,
May 26, 2006 at 8:14 pm
I would just like to encourage us all to wear this t-shirt? It says everything Terry wants to say in a way that is palatable for the rest of us…
ahhh, Biblical conflict resolution…it’s my “gift.”
Terry said,
May 26, 2006 at 10:01 pm
I just offered
diggadee said,
May 27, 2006 at 8:47 pm
Recovering, you are quite the mediator!
So many people (like our dear Mr. Terry T-Shirt) seem to favor theologies that make their gods small enough to fit on a t-shirt or bumper sticker…
In that spirit, I recommend this one:
Jesus loves you.
Everybody else knows you’re an asshole.
Dan Lewis said,
May 30, 2006 at 12:11 am
You inspired me, diggadee.
“I have a truly marvelous God which this bumper sticker is too narrow to contain.”
(after the most famous mathematical proof that never was)
Mysty said,
May 31, 2006 at 8:22 pm
I see nothing wrong with the “proud to be a Christian from Texas”
How is that offensive?
The rest are just…sad. As a Christian it’s shirts like these that make me sympathize with people who think Christian’s are judgemental.
and the “king of king’s one” I’m sure this is just me, but as a vegan that’s really annoying that Christianity is always associated with meat eating.
diggadee said,
June 2, 2006 at 7:47 pm
Christianity is always associated with meat eating?
Dang! No wonder I’m a bad Christian.
seth said,
June 10, 2006 at 11:21 am
ummmmmm…. I am going to have to say that, these shirts shouldn’t even be made. Christianity is not a business!
Christian: def. to be christ like……
would jesus make shitty t-shirts? no! I think “christians” should stop making money off of the bible or whatever.
TERRY: all of your t-shirt designs are rip offs of other peoples, just different colors. stop taking peoples ideas. God made us all unique, so use that to make better shirts, or actually don’t make shirts, go and tell people about jesus! I think that is what jesus wants us to do. …. and also, the post you made about getting the sarcasm of Brandon calling you a holy Christian retail artist…. its sad that you didn’t get the following sarcastic comment….“we sinful heathens couldn’t possibly have anything to offer”……. wow!
SHTEEVIE: I think that wearing your shirts are ridiculous, I want to know personally what the gay marriage shirt says…….. I am going to offer a comment to you, and others can back me up, wearing those shirts is not going to make people come up to you and ask you about jesus and faith and whatever, from a non-christian point of view they will just walk away thinking that “christians” keep on being assholes! your sufing shirt, is ridiculous, do you know for a fact that there are no waves in the lake of fire??????? do you???? noone knows! And the whole gay marriage thing, if you don’t think it is a good thing, don’t wear a t-shirt…… vote for a president who will keep that from happening, I know I won’t! so please comment on here what your gay marriage t-shirt says…….. I hope you bought these shirts and didn’t know that you are just feeding the “christian” subculture. making money off of faith……
if there is anyone out there that wants to back me up, that would be great, if there are people who want to protest what I am saying, that would be great as well.
My only thing here is, STOP MAKING MONEY FOR SHITTY DESIGNS AND SLOGANS!!!!!!!!! AND STOP MAKING MONEY THAT YOU PROBABLY WON’T PUT TOWARDS TITHE!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND ALSO STOP SPENDING MONEY ON CRAP THAT WON’T BENEFIT ANYONE!!!!!!!! JUST STOP!!!!!! JUST STOP!!!!!!!!!!!
I know I have been harsh on some people, but you guys need to realize that this is all ridiculous!
Terry: there is probably a lot of sarcasm in this post, so I hope you catch it all!
http://www.vivalarevolution.org
talk to me now im older said,
June 12, 2006 at 7:00 pm
the only “conversations” that will ever start with shirts like that will be arguments and most likely end with the one wearing the “take the rainbow back” shirt getting the shit kicked out of them. i mean honestly who would want to have a serious conversation with someone who held such ideals anyways, if they’re so intense about their beleif that they would wear an INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE t-shirt into public then no one is going to change their minds anyways….they have no conception of tolerance and diversity and clearly enjoy flaunting it. so go ahead if you wanna wear that shirt, get some balls and try wearing it somewhere else than church and see how long you have any friends.
JayBird said,
June 17, 2006 at 2:35 pm
wow……this is great….these t-shirts must really convict a lot of nonbelievers…..don’t you know that this is why they were made in the first place?…..praise God
carm.org
Shteevie said,
June 19, 2006 at 5:08 am
My T-shirt doesn’t have any words. It has pictures. There is a picture of a stickman. Then there is a plus sign. Then there is a picture of a stickwoman. Then there is an equal sign. Then there is a picture of a married couple.
Subtle but it gets the point across.
And why can’t I vote for a politician I approve of and wear the T-shirt at the same time. It seems to me that if the gay community is going to have big parades and wear pink triangles and wear shirts that say “No one knows that I’m a lesbian,” then I should be allowed to wear my shirt too. And I do wear it in public. I’m not afraid.
As for people who think I’m an asshole for wearing an “incredibly offensive” T-shirt, I say “Oooh.” I live in a country that has legalized gay marriage, something which I believe to be morally and Biblically repugnant. I wear my T-shirt as a form of catharsis and a means of separating myself from the evil zeitgeist that so dominates this nation.
Ben said,
June 19, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Though some of these t-shirts are childishly silly and some disgusting, they’re much less so than the attitude and use of language by the author of this blog. I pray he’ll grow up and learn to speak with respect for all of his readers–especially those of the household of faith.
JayBird said,
June 19, 2006 at 1:28 pm
are you really offended by a t-shirt that reads…JESUS SAVES? what about the pair of balls that hang off the back of peoples cars….now I think that is what is really offensive. how can something that is about love be offensive? these t-shirts were made for a reason, if they convict you maybe the problem is in you and not the t-shirts.
john 7:7 Jesus said “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.”
christian t-shirt are simply witnessing tools. christians are not judgemental …but God is..Isaiah 33:22
carm.org
Lisse said,
June 23, 2006 at 10:01 pm
Wow, just found this blog. How refreshing!
I just encountered someone wearing a t-shirt much like this a few days ago. Instead of encouraging a conversation, I wanted to walk the other way.
There are some exceptions, of course, but for the most part when I see shirts and slogans such as you have posted, I don’t see Jesus, I see human hatred and self-righteous finger-pointing using religion as a tool.
Sadly, you will know they are Christians by the way they treat one another, and the way they shit all over everyone else.
seth said,
July 5, 2006 at 5:42 pm
AMEN!!!!! (to the comment above) The last statement!
fiender said,
August 3, 2006 at 3:52 am
how can you associate the US being a devoute christian place, when it is the country responsible for producing the most fake idols in the world. (remember the golden cow from the 10 commandments, charlton heston- does that jog your memory)
but seriously come one those shirts are rediculous why would a christian need to parade around in a shirt that says your a christian(does it make you a better person telling others that your a christian and there filth).
also wearing a shirt saying that theres no pro choice christians is gonna create a rift between the christians that are indeed pro choice.
If you ask me you should all go and read the part with the walrus in alice in wonderland and look for the symbolism about religion that lewis carrol is presenting.
GOD HATES US ALL
fiender said,
August 3, 2006 at 3:57 am
by the way i was a former christian and i lost my faith. since then i havent been happier in my whole life
Farennikov said,
September 9, 2006 at 11:36 am
You’re right there’s a lot of tshirts out there (especially on christianshirts.com which I hate) that we don’t agree with. The biggest thing that gets me though is not the message (you can always agree or disagree with it) but the design quality and mocking major well known brand logos in their designs.
Here’s a link to what I think about it:
Farennikov Apparel
JOHNNY SMITH said,
December 11, 2006 at 7:30 pm
YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!! dats whut im talking about………………. WE ALL NEED TO REP AND WEAR FINE CHRISTIAN T-SHIRTS…….esp shirts
from www.ChristianTz.com
did you get that? …here it is……………………….
woohooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo yeah baby—-
Christian T’z has the best designs ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff said,
June 24, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Not all Christian t-shirts are offensive. I think it is ok to express your faith with the clothes you wear, the trick is, not being offensive about it.