Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

Yesterday I saw this painted on the back of a pick-up truck.  ”Heaven or hell the choice is yours.” 

My question is do these signs, or bumper stickers or billboards or church signs ever work?  If you have a story of one that has, I would like to hear about it.  I’m curious if these kind of signs ever have a positive affect on those they are meant for–or do they turn people off?

My experience is it is a turn off.  If I see a sign or bumper sticker or anything that goes against my beliefs it doesn’t make me want to investigate what they are pushing–it makes me angry.

What do you think?

[News4Jax]

“God Loves You, Allah Hates,” reads a sign posted outside a Mandarin church. The marquee has grabbed the attention of some and offended others. One woman said the sign in front of First Conservative Baptist Church is a display of hatred right in her neighborhood. 

Channel 4 tried to talk with the pastor to get his side of the story, but reporter Karin Hirschey said he basically hung up on her. The Muslim community said it too is being shut out.  The sign has raised controversy in the Muslim community, especially for one mother who asked not to be identified.

“What have I done? What have I done to deserve that kind of hatred in my neighborhood?” she asked.

The woman said she was driving down Old St. Augustine Road with her children when the sign immediately grabbed her attention.

“The thing that bothers me so much is that this is in my neighborhood, where I live with my children. To know that people that feel this way are in my neighborhood is scary,” the woman said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the sign is offensive and wrong.

Read more here.

[From me]

What does the church hope to gain from this sign? What person who is not a believer would actually be attracted to this church or any church for that matter?  I’m no fan of Islam and know that is a false religion. However, I don’t think you can have good dialogue when you offend on purpose.  All the more reason that church signs should be limited to advertising service times and events.  Church signs that try to be cute, funny and preachy only turn off those who they are trying to reach.

What do you think?

[The Voice News]

A recent signboard on the front lawn of the First Baptist Church on Main Street in Memphis is sparking controversy around the community.

While one side of the board declared, “Only a few people will find Heaven, the rest will find Hell”; the other side proclaimed in bold uppercase letters, “Every preacher or priest in Memphis deserves to be in Hell!” And that is the message that has folks talking.

The signboard messages, contrived by The Rev. Greg Ross, pastor of First Baptist, are changed at will. For years they have been used by the minister as a communication tool.

Whether or not one agrees with the message, there can be little doubt that they create conversation.

Read more here.

[From me]

It isn’t a matter if the pastor can do these signs or if they are even accurate.  Romans 3:23 says we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The question is this–Is it wise to use your church sign to alienate people on purpose? Does that sign bring unchurched people into their church in order to hear the life changing story of Jesus and salvation?  I doubt it.  Most church signs try to be cute and controversial but they usually only speak to Christians. 

Why not use the signs to advertise ministries and offer hope instead of being witty and mean spirited.  

What do you think?

[firstcoastnews.com]

Mixed feelings. That’s the best way to describe how people feel about a controversial church sign that was seen in Blacklick this past week. For 24 hours, the message board outside Havens Corners Church, read, “I kissed a girl and I liked it, then I went to Hell.” The message refers to the chart-topping song by pop artist Katy Perry “I Kissed A Girl.” Pastor David Allison said he didn’t put up the sign to draw attention to the church.

“We didn’t intend to get into all this, but it’s become a bigger thing,” Allison said.

He was just very concerned about the implications of the song for teenagers and what he called a music video so suggestive it borders on pornography.

“If anyone’s seen the video and understands how lewd and suggestive the video is for this song, that is not something young people should go toward,” Allison said.

He thought the message would be a loving way to remind teenagers that the Bible denounces homosexuality. Taking a look at the other side of this story, some people can’t believe the church displayed that message so publicly. A viewer sent us a picture of the sign with the subject title “Worst Church Sign Ever.”

The sign was removed Thursday.

Read more here.

[From me]

I’m not a fan of any church signs unless they just advertise about services.  The Bible is clear that homosexuality it a sin but so is drunkenness, fornication, lying and gossip.  This church and other churches that place signs like this are blowing opportunities to minister to the people they are blasting.  Sad.

What do you think?

[WYFF]

The sign in front of a small church in a small town is causing a big controversy in Jonesville, S.C. Pastor Roger Byrd said that he just wanted to get people thinking. So last Thursday, he put a new message on the sign at the Jonesville Church of God. 

It reads: “Obama, Osama, hmm, are they brothers?”

Byrd said that the message wasn’t meant to be racial or political. 

“It’s simply to cause people to realize and to see what possibly could happen if we were to get someone in there that does not believe in Jesus Christ,” he said.

Read about it here.

[From me]

Why?  I think every church sign should be taken down unless they are posting information about upcoming events.  Usually the signs have stupid sayings that unbelievers don’t understand or offends them.  This sign is way beyond acceptable.   Sad, tragic, & sounds unChrstian!

What do you think?

[HT] Chris Knight

{Edit}  Bret is correct and although I think the sign is wrong, I have judged and have changed the title accordingly.  Sorry Bret and Pastor Byrd.