In light of my last post, I wanted to highlight an interesting religious meme that’s making its way around the web.
From Radical Congruency.
Here’s a new photomeme on Flickr, to re:mix what the way many Americans apologized to the world that Bush was reelected (regardless of how you felt about that).
I think most people will agree that Christians have, at various times throughout history and throughout our own lives, been jerks. Time to own up to that and apologize, for what it’s worth. Hopefully it will be worth something to someone.
Here’s what you can do:
1. Check out the photos
2. Download and print the Sorry We Christians Have Been Jerks PDF
3. Write your name or city (or whatever) on the sign and take a picture of yourself holding it
4. Upload your picture to Flickr and tag it with these tags: sorry sorryeverybody sorrychristians (three separate tags – this is essential for the meme to work)
5. Tell all your friends and get them to do the same thing (hint: just write your city on the sign and pass it around when you’re with a bunch of people, and take pictures of each of them holding the sign)
6. Most importantly, mean it, and contribute to a global, lived-out apology to the world for the way Christians have acted (or failed to act)
Not being a Christian, I can’t really participate, but I thought it was interesting and worth talking about. Anyone, have any thought’s about this? It seems to me that he people most likely to participate—progressive Christians—are the ones who have the least to apologize for.
I would participate — I read all the blogs who do — and I certainly have the necessary facial hair. But looking at the photos I’m clearly too old to run with such a contrite bunch. And too fat.
Thanks for the link – I got your trackback. I forgot to include the goatee requirement in the directions for the meme
Thanks for pointing that out.
I’m not sure I understand the value of this action. I’ll pay close attention to it, and maybe even join in later, but right now I put it in the same value category as an online petition asking Tom DeLay to behave or Bill Frist not to go nuclear. Well meaning? Perhaps. Of value? Much more doubtful.
I’m the sort of person they’re hoping to have participate, I read lots of blogs that are, and I think I see the basic goal behind it. Those of us who are both Christian and progressive have been too quiet and allowed the rabid conservatives to be the public face of Christianity, despite the fact that their attitudes and actions are antithetical to the teachings of the Gospel. This meme gives us a flag of sorts to wave while we find our voice. That said, I haven’t participated yet and probably won’t, for various reasons.