It comes from an Anglican vicar rather than Richard Dawkins. The ‘What The F*** Would Jesus Do?’ bumper sticker is a creation of the Reverend Alice Goodman.
Goodman pointed out that she gave Rowan Williams a ride in her car and he didn’t raise an eyebrow. How could she tell – surely they don’t move?
The Venerable John Beer, Archdeacon of Cambridge, reckons ‘Christianity has a long tradition of open debate where people can bring their differing views and share their perspectives.’ I reckon that a vicar who thinks she will stimulate open debate by resorting to a vulgarity, whose overuse has rendered it meaningless, is unhinged.
Rev Goodman: if you really wants to stimulate – not necessarily open – debate, try WTFWMD. M=Mohammed.
From here:
A female vicar yesterday insisted she has not sinned against God by putting an obscene bumper sticker reading ‘WTFWJD’ on the back of her car.
The Reverend Alice Goodman stuck the sticker, standing for ‘What The F*** Would Jesus Do?’, on the back of her red Subaru Legacy – sparking outrage from members of her parish.
But the Reverend insists the sticker is harmless and even the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams was happy to accept a lift in her car in the past.
The sign – a play on the Christian motto ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ – has offended some of the worshippers in the Fulbourn and Wilbrahams parish in Cambridgeshire where Dr. Goodman is the rector.
But the American-born vicar, 54, claimed she was simply using an Old English word.
She said: ‘F*** is not a blasphemy, it’s a vulgarity, an Old English word.
I wonder if Rev. Goodman has read Colossians 3:8 recently: “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”
Just what I was thinking….
So is the word gay, but I expect she subscribes to the new meaning. I am gay but by no means Gay.
Has she not realized that her Surname (oops, I should have said “Family name”) is sexist and should be changed to Goodperson?
And she probably wonders why some people oppose the ordination of women. Her bumper sticker and subsequent apologia do nothing to give women clergy any credibility. (Our rector is a gifted woman priest, BTW.)
Absolutely disgusting. My contempt for these people can fathom no depths and can be no larger magnified. What a disgraceful witness for the world; what self-indulgent, publicity-seeking, self-congratulatory garbage this woman spouts. What a certain method to bring contempt upon Christianity and to doom people to remain in their sins and not seek its life-giving Lord.
Well did the prophets and the apostles speak of spiritual “prostitutes” and “adultery”. Well did St. John describe the “Great Prostitute” riding a beast in luxuriant and wanton pleasure when these holy men and women wrote of the godlessness and the corruption of that which is holy that is coming upon the world.
And yet, this so-called priest of Christ (although she and many like her worship only a god whose name is the same as that of the Lord of Christians) is not the worst. And somehow that is an even more depressing thought. Yet, God knew this would happen, long before it has manifested itself in our generation and time.
“For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
…In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings… Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.” (Jude 1:4-16)
If you REALLY want to see the F-word (no, not Fundamentalist)as the “mainspring” of theological language, read Francis Spufford’s UNAPOLOGETIC – a taster is in my review: http://www.affirmingthefaith.com/more/bookshelf
What would Jesus do? Bang the dust off his sandals and leave the lady to her own sad devices.
Curious what a sense of entitlementment these “wimmin” priestesses have. She may believe she is being vulgar, not blasphemous; but the wimmin priestess is both. They never lack for arrogance, I notice.
I recently received a prayer request through our prayer line from a wonderful and faithful sister, who just in the gentle and loving language she used in her note, reflected the love and gentleness of our Lord. In that alone I was blessed. This gentle disciple radiates the presence of Christ in a way, this ill-educated vulgar Vicar does not understand.
What would Jesus say about this coarse lady’s bumper sticker?
Perhaps he would say; “Take the coarseness off your car, and from your heart. Go in peace, and sin no more.” Just maybe.
No, Terry… Certainly: after all, He even forgave me!
C’mon, folks, aren’t you all going a bit OTT here? This is a wry tribute to WWJD in a world where He would undoubtedly be scratching His head and wondering how and why, 2000 years after He came and told us how to live our lives so as to bring about the Kingdom of God, we are still so very far away (maybe even further than we were 200 years ago). The vitriol in some of the above posts isn’t very Christian.
Hello Jenny,
I do not think that Jesus would be scratching his head and wondering why so many of us are still so far away from the True Faith. Remember the sower of the seeds parable? If anything He is teaching us that there will always be people who don’t get it. Perhaps Miss Goodman is one of those people.