Do you remember that “faith” poster at my work? I haven’t complained and it’s still up.
I was so annoyed I made another poster after considering all of your suggestions.
Beer and weed weren’t an option since many of the people we help at my organization are dealing with addiction. I thought the ice cream was cute!
I am so tempted to post this next to the original poster, but I chicken out every time! Will I get in trouble? Maybe people will just think it’s cute? Does it get the point across?
I think one would have to be rather dim to miss the point. 🙂
(The smiley on the cone is genius! Of course it’s cute)
I like the ice cream, but were I still a believer, I would feel a greater sting at your leaving in the phrase “Amen!” I would either trade it out for “Certainly” or equivalent synonym, or drop it altogether. This is just my off-the-cuff reaction. Others will differ.
More than likely though, I just wouldn’t have the pluck required to pull off the deed.
😉
Good point.
Of course, one could subvert it.
Amen! → Yum!
Well I think I’d have thought it was funny in my born again days, and I definitely think it’s funny now I’m unborn. But I’ve never gone for that sort of trite simplifying of complex situations, eg I hated the ‘Love is . . ‘ series, my brain is more comfortable all the convoluted messiness of reality so I don’t know that my reaction is at all typical.
I think that those who are not fond of the poster will likely not have strong opinions about your poster one way or another but those who do like the faith poster may be offended by something making fun of what they consider important (either sincerely or through virtue signaling) regardless of how funny you or others may find your poster to be.
Just me own biased opinion but I would not post it even though I find the original poster to be totally stupid and inappropriate for a work place.
I’ve been working (post-college) for forty years, and not one office had religious posters. Several had those infuriating “motivational” posters, though. Is this something you could bring up with HR? It’s quite presumptuous of the bible thumpers to assume this is OK, welcome, or their right to stick it in the face of the godless heathens.
Post it on a similar but different wall. It’s more subtle.
I think putting “Yum!” is perfect!
I just looked it up: “amen” is “certainly” in Hebrew. Fun fact: hallelujah is also Hebrew, and the first part is “halal” (for “good” or “praiseworthy”–the Semitic word that also describes food that is safe for devout Muslims to eat) and -jah, meaning “lord”.
Another fun fact: in my days on Prodigy and AOL chat boards, I ran across so, so many fundies who were sure “amen” and “hallelujah” were English. You know, because they were in the bible. And Middle East Jesus in roughly 35 A.D. spoke the 1600s Early Modern English that King James ordered for the KJV bible.
Great point that none of us live and work where you do. While my first instinct would be to rip down the religious poster, and my second to counter it with the brilliant ice cream poster, I don’t know your environment. Certain parts of the USA are beginning to look like a particularly violent theocracy (Oklahoma and the mandatory bible teaching in every class comes to mind). Since you live there, you’re the best judge over whether you should post that great answer to the religious poster.
I love John Morales suggestion of ‘Yum!’ instead of ‘Amen’. I also think Callinectes suggestion of putting your poster on a different wall is a good idea, it’s less directly confrontational.
I like the “yum” suggestion as well.
😉
James 2:14-17 New International Version
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.