God wants your change

Many church signs use double entendre to get their messages across. Do you like this message? Why or why not?

It’s a hyphenated, caffeinated world

I don’t think this was the name of the church congregation, but a descriptor of it. Anyone out there know for sure? I have to hand it to them…most people would have inadvertently omitted the hyphens. I congratulate them on their excellent grammar. If you care to see a larger version, here it is.

Say It in Neon

This is a fairly common sight in the U.S.—”Jesus Saves” in neon. This one is from a mission in Boise, Idaho. I would love to see others. The first electric cross was erected in the early 1910s, and, of course, neon came later.

Hello Dalai

Although the Dalai Lama has been exiled from his fellow Tibetans since 1959, he remains their religious leader. The official Web site of “The Office of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama,” is definitely worth a good look. For at least 25 years, he has leant his image to a variety of ads, including an advertisement for Apple computers. See a larger version of the photo at right. According to his site, the first two of the Dalai Lama’s 3 main commitments in life are:

(1) [O]n the level of a human being, His Holiness’ first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their life happier. His Holiness refers to these human values as secular ethics. He remains committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone he meets.

(2) [O]n the level of a religious practitioner, His Holiness’ second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other’s respective traditions. As far as one truth, one religion is concerned, this is relevant on an individual level. However, for the community at large, several truths, several religions are necessary.

How do you feel about this religious figure appearing on this billboard? Do you feel the same about him appearing in an Apple ad? Would it depend on the type of Apple ad? Explain.

Statue of Liberation Through Christ

On Independence Day of 2006, the congregation of Memphis’s 12,000-member World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church unveiled their version of the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty’s torch is replaced by a cross, and she holds the tablets of the Ten Commandments in her left arm and hand. “Jehovah” is inscribed on her crown. She is called the Statue of Liberation Through Christ, and stands 72 feet tall. The church’s pastor, Apostle Alton Williams, claims that the statue serves as a reminder to all that God is the foundation of our nation. Some people have said that there’s nothing wrong with the statue, especially in the Bible Belt. Some have complained that religion and the symbol of our country’s freedom have nothing to do with each other, and that this statue misconstrues the true meaning of the Statue of Liberty.

Pastor Williams has written a book titled, “The Meaning of the Statue of Liberation Through Christ: Reconnecting Patriotism with Christianity.” His church is predominantly black, and in another of his books, Williams says that the real Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, “was originally intended not to welcome immigrants but to celebrate the emancipation of slaves” (New York Times, 2006).

Dismissed by one man as a cheap publicity stunt, the monument was anything but cheap. The structure cost the church $260,000, and was erected on church property. Williams is quoted at the end of the article as saying, “This statue proves that Jesus Christ is Lord over America, he is Lord over Tennessee, he is Lord over Memphis.”

What does a symbol like this say to people of other religious faiths in America? Are you okay with taking an American icon and changing its appearance and meaning? Does this “work” as evangelism?

Broken church sign

This is an interesting twist on the church-sign sermon. You can’t simply drive by the church to catch the abbreviated version of the sermon. If you want the wisdom, you have to come in. I like it.

In the 50s, Americans went to church regularly

This is a billboard that ran in the 1950s. It was designed pro bono by the Advertising Council. I’m just curious…was this a more appropriate message for the 50s than for today or would this work today?