Jesus Cares
October 10th, 2008About what, I can’t be certain. Who can?
(Note: if you are christian, I appreciate it and all, but yeah. This isn’t a call to action. I’m sure you’ll be tempted. Don’t listen. That’s just satan talking.)
o
EXIF
- make: Canon
- model: Canon PowerShot G9
- exposureTime: 0.001 s (1/1250) (1/1250)
- fnumber: f/4.0
- isoEquiv: 80
- exifVersion: 0220
- flashUsed: No
- focalLength: 10.67 (10673/1000)
Tags: architecture, church, cross, G9, jesus, knoxville, tennessee, xpro
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October 10th, 2008 at 4:11 am
I understand Jon, that you are frustrated with organized religion. Really, I get it. What is a tad annoying to me though is that while you live in one of the whitest states in the country, whose media has consistently profiled innocent persons of color as criminals or gang members, and whose only form of diversity exists in dance and food festivals, I have NEVER seen a post about racial bigotry in the state of Utah. I believe it’s because you like many in Utah are complicit; since you’ve not had the experience of being a person of color, then racial bigotry is invisible. This is the one annoyance I had when I lived in Sugar House for six fabulous years. “How can you be LDS when you’re such a liberal?” they would say. “I can hold these paradoxes because people of color have had to for centuries,” was always my reply.
It would do you good to as Maxine Hong Kingston wrote, “make [your] mind large as the universe is large, so that there is room for contradictions.”
In the meantime, http://www.thefutureisbrown.blogspot.com will give you some insight into the minds of at least one cultural/ethnic minority group living in salt lake city.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:36 am
This picture reminds me a that weirdly coloured (yes I’m Canadian!) sherbert we used to get as a kid…I loved that sherbert. mmmm…tastey tastey Jesus..oh crap am I going to hell now?
October 10th, 2008 at 10:51 am
You know Jon, I have been a big fan of your site and your wife’s for a long time - years in fact. I disagree with both of you on a lot of stuff but I have always respected your opinion as an educated one.
That is why this post really pissed me off. You act like all Christians are uneducated ass hats. I don’t diss your decision to not believe, why do you have to make fun of my decision to believe?
October 10th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I love you guys, I do. And I know you’ve got strong opinions on faith–and just about everything else. We are very like minded in many respects, and I’m even a Christian! Who da thunk. And the only reason I’m bothering to write this comment is that even though I’m not a Muslim, when I write it, I capitalize it. I’m not Buddhist, Hindu…you get the idea. I see you capitalize Mormon and other religions, but make it a point to go lowercase on god and christian. You certainly have a right to do whatever, but your subtle jabbing seems mean-spirited. I think you’re better than that.
I am WELL aware of how ironic Christians and so-called Christians can be, and it is very frustrating and saddening to me. I know we have a LOT of work to do to undo the un-Christlike things that Christians do. But it doesn’t make us all idiots or a-holes. Please keep that in mind.
This wasn’t Satan working through me…hope you can see that.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Go(o)d to know.
Angie (from over at [no self links in the comments please-Ed.])
October 10th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Wow, I didn’t know that publishing a picture of a textured cross would incite so many.
I NEVER CALLED ANYBODY ANYTHING STOP THE FUCKING PROJECTION.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I see 5 posts at the time I’m writing this–maybe my computer’s goofy? But I don’t think that’s inciting “so many.” And none of those that I see are crazy mean or anything…so why go F bomb? And…it wasn’t the picture of the cross–it was your little comment–I know you’re not obtuse.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
@dolphy36, email. email. email.
My little remark was a joke that appears to have ruffled some feathers.
F-Bomb=Because people are projecting their insecurities about being christian onto me. If you know what Jesus cares about here’s an open comment thread. GO FOR IT.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Wow. you project a lot of anger and bitterness.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Simple answer: me, you…all of us–every single one of us.
I can see a follow up question: then why does He allow suffering? There is free will. There is Satan. There is us not knowing everything.
There is the concept of faith–of believing in the unseen. There is grace. Mercy. Hope. But the greatest is love.
I’m sorry you’re receiving hateful messages from imperfect Christians. The goal is to reflect and be God’s love–but we fall short. Sometimes a little, sometimes a LOT. And that’s why there’s one other key to all of this…forgiveness. I need it every day. Though I don’t spout hateful things, I, too, am imperfect. But I have hope and grace. And I thank God every day for them.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Not sure how my post or my comment was “hateful”.
Post: jokey
Comment: tired of the pervasive projection online. I didn’t project anything on anyone. Here’s a picture of a cool cross. That it has made people upset?
Give me a break.
Preach it. I’m not going to buy, but you can try to sell all you want.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
So where was this cross? Knoxville?
I like the photo.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Who pee’d in your cheerios this morning, jon?
October 10th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Jon,
I just wanted to say that I completely understand your sense of humor. Maybe it’s because I too am a recovering mormon and grew up in Utah. Maybe it’s because I eschew all organized religion after reaching the age of reason. Maybe it’s because I think, and history backs me up, that major atrocities were/are committed in the name of god. Yep, that’s right uncapitalized. If christians are always supposed to turn the other cheek why do they get so worked up over those of us who don’t believe?
BTW, excellent photo, where was it taken?
October 10th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
@meg, Republicans peed in my cheerios.
@Salt City Girl, Knoxville, TN. I need to add that to the tags. Oops. I blame Republicans. JOKE, PEOPLE, JOKE.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Wow, these comments have been pure entertainment.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
your choice jon, you didn’t have to eat them.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Everybody: it’s passive aggressive friday! Yay!
October 10th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Jon,
The Republican’s have made all of us upset recently. I am Christian/Mormon and I am sick of all of the crap that has been going on recently with the Republican party. The video on youtube that Heather posted really made me mad. NOT that she posted it but that people are so heartless and unexcepting of anyone that believes different from them. And they do it in the name of religion. I have read yours and Heather’s sites for long enough that I knew you where just joking and implying… ” I am not posting this picture, so everyone can come try to convert and/or change my mind about religion.”
I really like the photo.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I understand the humor and irreverence of your comment. I appreciate your photographic talents and the comments sometimes are great.
Today… I think you put out some bait and some readers snagged it up. You almost dared them to do so.
I’m a UU so we live and let live. I think religion is a personal choice and try to be respectful of others beliefs. However I was raised without a religion, so I don’t have the view point of someone who has been harmed in some way by a church or religion.
October 10th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I know bait when I see it, too. And honestly, there’s nothing really wrong with it. Jon can do whatever he likes with his blog…and everyone has a right to take that bait. How boring this blog would be if everyone was in agreement with Jon.
Personally, I like the photo…it’s neat. But I *love* the title and innocently snarky comment. Right up my alley.
October 10th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
This is my biggest problem with religion. All religion. There is no possible way that humans know what, if anything, god(s) care(s) about, even assuming they even exist.
I’m told that jesus hates me because I’m a fag, or that he loves me but doesn’t want me to have the same rights as straight people, or that those who believe in him love me, but they just don’t want to treat me like an equal because god told them that I don’t deserve it. and people wonder why I don’t like religion or christianity or especially mormonism in particular.
@salt lake city girl,
exactly.
@meg
They (meaning SOME - or maybe most - republicans/conservatives/bigoted assholes) are often not giving us much of a choice. too often those “cheerios” are being forced down our throat, whether we like it or not.
@happydog
I love the colours in this too. and yeah, that does look like the sherbet you can get in Canada. Though personally I always preferred the “tiger” flavour of ice cream.
@jodie
I agree with you that religion is a personal choice, and i respect those who can keep their religion to themselves and not try to make other people live it or punish them for not living it. I respect religions like uuism or quakerism a lot more than other denominations that can’t seem to handle living in a pluralistic society.
@dolphy36
are you that afraid of the word “fuck”? its just a word like any other.
@jon
I don’t think you were being impolite to christians by questioning some of their beliefs any more than a christian is impolite to me for doing the same.
it goes both ways people.
ok. I’m done.
October 10th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Afraid of the word “fuck”? Fuck no. I was just trying to figure out why Jon was that irritated. Then he reminded me that he was referencing the emails he was receiving. No biggie. Look…I can type it even more: fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…Thanks for worrying about me, though, Craig. Glad to see you are as open minded as you want others to be.
October 10th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Was I not being open minded in my comment to you? I’m so, I’m fucking sorry.
October 10th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Just for clarification, that was a joke. It was unclear to me why you had a problem with Jon’s usage of “fuck”, so I simply asked for clarification. Thanks for giving it.