Bumper Stickers and Jesus 'Fishes'

[LeaderNotFollower]

What is the first thing you think when you see a car with a Jesus fish on it? I usually think "Who cares?!"

It has always been a big mystery to me why people need to tarnish their belief system with a big plastic fish or a corny bumper sticker signifying that they follow Jesus. I only use Christianity as the example because I have never seen another religion do this. Can they possibly think that I'm going to have a revelation right there in my car, and convert the second I get home? Do they think that God is watching them via satellite and checking off their names; making sure they are turning their vans into religious billboards? Do they think Jesus handed out bumper stickers at his speeches, and people stuck them to their wagons and horse-drawn carts? Let's at least try to understand the train of thought of the 21st century individual. The last thing most people care about is the religion of the guy in the car next to them.

Just to counter the effect of these ridiculous bumper stickers, I have applied both a Darwin fish and a Gefilte fish (the Jew's fish of choice) to my car. This is just so that if anyone with a Jesus fish passes me on the highway, they will know not to waste their time showing me their religious car ornaments; my beliefs don't sway on the whims of a piece of plastic in the shape of a fish.

Anyone else have any opinions?

If you are interested in purchasing a Darwin fish or a Gefilte fish, you can get them at Hot Topic, or most stores that sell skateboard equipment. Here is a nice website as well: http://www.evolvefish.com.

 

[Sunstone]

How, where and when did those car stickers get started? Anyone know?

 

[Pah]

Maybe as a response to the Roman Catholic "Mary on the dashboard"?

 

[LeaderNotFollower]

In reguards to the flat bumper stickers, if one can think of a catchy slogan, they are very easy to make money off of.

As for all the fishies. The original symbol of the Jesus fish came from a time when Christianity was still new, and Christians were being persecuted for their beliefs. If one Christian wanted to know whether a person they met was also Christian, they would draw a bent line in the sand, like this: ) . If the other person was indeed Christian, they would draw a similar, counter line, ( , starting from a tip of the original line. These two lines together formed a fish shape. The shape was also used to mark Christian meeting places, safehouses and such, and keep the Romans in the dark.

About 80 years after the invention of cars, one of these bumper sticker geniuses thought that a fish sticker would sell really well. The Jesus fishes range from very plain, just the two curved lines, to ones with a cross for an eye, to ones that actually say Jesus in them.

I believe the Darwin fish was next. It was inevitable that the pretentiousness of the Jesus fish would spawn a similar but opposite symbol for non-Christians. The Jews didn't want to be left out, so someone came up with the extremely clever Gefilte fish.

The most nonsensical of them all, however, is when the Christians tried to get back at non-Christians for the Darwin fish. I don't know if they were angry because we were making fun of them or what, but they came out with another duo-fish. It's got a little Darwin fish being eaten by a 'truth' fish. I always laugh when I see one of these because it is truly hypocritical of one of the most fundamental Christian teachings; Love Thy Neighbor. To love, you must accept; and accepting includes recognizing thy neighbor's beliefs, even if you yourself do not hold them true. Anyone who puts one of these 'truth' fishes on their car is missing one of the biggest points of their own religion.

 

[Pah]

A bit of additional information:

http://www.atheists.org/church/fish.html

For many pop-culture Christians, the "fish" decal on the back car bumper, or attached to a key chain or door is a symbol of their religion, and a feel-good statement about Jesus Christ. Early Christians used the fish as a recognition sign of their religion. It is also identified as the "Ichthus," an acronym from the Greek, "Lesous Christos Theou Uios Soter," or "Jesus Christ the Son of God, Saviour." Oxford English Dictionary (C.E.) defines "Ichthyic" as "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of fishes; the fish world in all its orders."

But contemporary Jesus worshippers might be surprised, even outraged, to learn that one of their preeminent religious symbols antedated the Christian religion, and has its roots in pagan fertility awareness and sexuality. Barbara G. Walker writes in "The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects," that the acronym pertaining to Jesus Christ was a "rationale invented after the fact... Christians simply copied this pagan symbol along with many others." Ichthys was the offspring son of the ancient Sea goddess Atargatis, and was known in various mythic systems as Tirgata, Aphrodite, Pelagia or Delphine. The word also meant "womb" and "dolphin" in some tongues, and representations of this appeared in the depiction of mermaids. The fish also a central element in other stories, including the Goddess of Ephesus (who has a fish amulet covering her genital region), as well as the tale of the fish that swallowed the penis of Osiris, and was also considered a symbol of the vulva of Isis.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

LeaderNotFollower-- Let me get this straight: you poke fun at those who put Christian fish symbols on their cars, then go out and get Darwin and Gefilte fish symbols to put on your car, in retaliation. Then you say that the Christian retaliatory anti-Darwin symbols are "nonsensical". Anyone else find this a little hypocritical?

When I see a Jesus fish on the back of a car, I think "Hey, that person has a belief or conviction which they want to express--good for them!" I see the little fish symbols all the time where I live, but I certainly do not find them threatening....freedom of speech, right?

One thing I did see on a drive one day: a bumper sticker with a gravestone and "RIP" written on it. In big, bold letters next to the gravestone, the bumper sticker read "EVEN NOW, DARWIN BELIEVES". That bit of propoganda just made me burst into laughter. :roll: :lol:

 

[Ardhanariswar]

i like expressing what i believe in. i wear coins depicting indian gods and goddesses all the time. I like it because it reminds me that goodness and God is all around me and it makes me feel safe.

if people want bumperstickers, go ahead. but if they start knocking on your front door, giving out pamphlets, thats when they have crossed the line.

big difference.

JESUS FISH woohooot. we were bisecting lines in geometry and we got jesus fishes! from the compass lines. ... hehe. ya im wierd.

 

[LeaderNotFollower]

"you poke fun at those who put Christian fish symbols on their cars, then go out and get Darwin and Gefilte fish symbols to put on your car, in retaliation. Then you say that the Christian retaliatory anti-Darwin symbols are "nonsensical". Anyone else find this a little hypocritical? "

Mr_Sprinkles,

This misunderstanding was because I was not clear enough. I am not poking fun at anyone. In terms of rights and laws, someone has just as much right to put a Jesus fish on their car as I do to put a Darwin fish on mine. The point is that if I had never seen a Jesus fish, I would have felt no need to voice my evolutionary beliefs by posting a Darwin fish. I just think that the whole thing is overkill. Shouldn't just believing be enough to satisfy God?

Keychains, coins and maybe even a bible on your bedside table is fine, but I think that bumper stickers and fishes hold the 'in your face' attitude. If you get stuck in traffic and you've got a car in front of you with a fish on it, it's every time you look up it yells "Hey! Look over here, I'm Christian!" I just don't see a need to play it up that much. Almost as if it were something to envy.

 

[Ardhanariswar]

ya, only the best worshippers of God do it in secrecy. never to brag, yet they are not ashamed.

 

[Runt]

People put the Jesus fish and similar religious items on their cars for the same reason that other people put "Doing my part of **** off the religious right", "keep your butt in the car; the earth is not your ash tray!", and "Darwin loves you" bumper stickers on their cars-- simply to express their personalities and opinions. I see no problem with such passive forms of expression... as long as people are not putting Jesus bumper stickers on MY car!

 

[Lightkeeper]

Sometimes these symbols are used to keep the car and the driver safe. The feeling I get when I see the fish symbol is that here are people who have beliefs and care.

 

[LeaderNotFollower]

"Sometimes these symbols are used to keep the car and the driver safe. The feeling I get when I see the fish symbol is that here are people who have beliefs and care."

Lightkeeper,

I'm interested to know what the fishes are keeping the driver safe from.

Also, you say that the fishes tell you the other driver has beliefs and cares. Now that you know this, what can you do with this knowledge? To me, posting your beliefs on your car is like posting your destination, or how many other people are in the car. "Look over here, I'm going to the grocery store!""Hey! I'm listening to 92.3 FM!" It's a moot point for anyone who sees the sticker.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

Then why do you have a Darwin symbol on your car? Seems like you are similarly shouting "Hey, look! I am not a Christian like you!" Maybe some Christians with fish symbols on their cars see your and say to themselves "Who cares?"

 

[Runt]

Yeah, Mr_Spinkles brings up a good point. People put bumper stickers on their cars for one of two reasons: because the symbol/saying brings them special pleasure, or because they want to get a reaction out of other people. With your Darwin fish, you sound like the latter.

 

[LeaderNotFollower]

Even though I do agree with evolution, the fish on my car is most certainly to get a reaction out of people. The reason I display one is because everyone needs to be represented. What fun would a baseball game be if only one team showed up?

 

[Tualha]

Honestly, before I started to read this topic, I think I felt that the people who put the fishes on their car were doing so because they think it will bring you closer to heaven. I still think, in some cases, that people do have it on their car and really don't follow the religion like you're supposed to. But, really, bumper stickers are used to express the person who drives the car. So, I guess my feelings are that while it may sometimes annoy me, let one person express christianity with the fish, and the other their dislike of it with the darwen fish.

 

[Sunstone]

Is it possible that (at least for some people) the Darwin fish doesn't so much express a dislike of Christianity as a like of Darwin? I don't have a Darwin fish on my car, but if I put one on it it would be because I liked Darwin -- and not because I disliked Christianity.

 

[Sir Monks]

Thought I would read this thread for my first topic on this forum. After I finished I thought to myself WHY? Who cares what someone puts on their car? Whether it be a fish or a sh.t happens or my daughter and all my money go to Duke University. Who freakin cares? Bumper stickers are just a way people express themselves. Gays put their little rainbows, soccer moms put the balls with number etc. Why would any of you get worked up on what someone puts on their car?

 

[Runt]

Is it possible that (at least for some people) the Darwin fish doesn't so much express a dislike of Christianity as a like of Darwin? I don't have a Darwin fish on my car, but if I put one on it it would be because I liked Darwin -- and not because I disliked Christianity.

I personally don't think so... the Darwin fish is designed specifically to mock the Christian symbol of the fish, and any ideas connected to it (in particular Creationism). If someone liked Darwin so much that they wanted to show it off, I think it more likely that they'd show off one of those ape-to-man posters (the one starting on the left with apes who, as it progresses left, steadily grow taller and more manlike, until you get the modern human) or something similar; a genuine EVOLUTION bumpersticker rather than a "Darwin Fish" sticker.

 

[Sunstone]

Excellent question. Thumbs up!