Meditation 234
On Kittens and Ponies and Immaturity
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Perhaps I write too often about church signs. But the one nearest to my home has a habit of posting messages that, when carefully considered, seem to undermine the Christian teachings. And I feel obliged to point this out.
A couple of weeks ago, the church had the following posted:
IF YOU WANT A
KITTEN
ASK FOR A
HORSE.
It's an old joke - advice to a four-year old on how to negotiate with parents. But is it appropriate on a church sign, particularly on a sign which a month earlier asked people not to make their preacher lie at their funerals?
By putting this message on a church sign, it seems to be a suggestion about how to pray. Don't ask God for what you want, ask for a whole lot more - because he's not going to give you what you ask for. God does not answer prayers.
Perhaps there is some unintentional honesty in the sign after all.
That sign did not last long. Perhaps the theological implications of the message became apparent. In any event it was replaced with:
YOU ARE ONLY YOUNG
ONCE
BUT YOU CAN STAY
IMMATURE
INDEFINITELY.
I was tempted to take this personally. Perhaps the message was targeted specifically at me. After all, on my daily walk. I do occasionally wear a T-shirt displaying the words "I may be getting older, but I refuse to grow up."
But of course, even if I am truly immature, I cannot stay that way indefinitely. I am mortal, and when I die, immature will have no meaning applied to me.
The only one who can remain immature indefinitely is an immortal.
And to sentence people to an eternity of torment solely for a failure to believe really is a sign of immaturity. So clearly this message on a church sign is addressed to their god.