Sunday morning I sat down to read the newspaper. I was searching through the ads looking for things we need for the new house. I was treated to a nice surprise as I came across an ad for the local Christian bookstore. I began to read it, and it continues to be a source of entertainment for me. I thought I would share a few of the items I found.
There was a book entitled The Case for Christ. The ad says: “Lee Strobel was a textbook atheist.....he now helps those who are attracted to Jesus but are stopped by formidable intellectual barriers...” Yes, this is indeed the problem, “formidable intellectual barriers”. Darn these nonbelievers and their intellectual barriers! If only they would throw away their intelligence and stop thinking for themselves, they could then accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and be happier people. After all, ignorance is bliss.
In a blatant attempt to appeal to current popular culture and to the younger generation, there are the following titles: Extreme for Jesus, Extreme Days, Extreme Encounters, Extreme Teen Bible, Extreme Answers to Extreme Questions, Extreme Truth, Extreme Faith and Extreme Word Bible. All of which are said to be “extremely” good....I’m sure. I see these titles and I get images of Jesus dressed in baggy jeans and a oversized t-shirt doing the “bible rap” with his gang on the street corner. Jesus be one cool dude.
Another book in the ad was the Life Application Study Bible. The ad reads “because you can’t have your pastor with you every time you read the Bible.” Once again this shows how Christians cannot be trusted to think for themselves. If your Pastor can’t be there to help you read the Bible “correctly” then you need this book so you don’t make any mistakes. Can you imagine what would happen if people started interpreting the Bible for themselves? We might have people disagreeing and splitting off to start their own religions!
In a continued attempt to claim pagan rituals as their own, we bring you the Christian Resurrection Egg. The ad describes these as “brightly colored eggs containing miniature objects that tell the Easter story.” Yes, imagine the joy your child will feel when he finds in his Easter basket, not chocolate, but little eggs filled with the love of Jesus Christ.
On a final note. After being here just two weeks, we have had our first Christians come to our door. They were hanging fliers inviting us to the local church. I might have attended if not for all of my formidable intellectual barriers.
Hello. My name is Angela Christine Byers (yes, my mother actually named me “Angel of Christ”), and I am an atheist.
Copyright © 1996 - 2002 Angela C. Byers
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Angela C. Byers