I assumed that this sign was a fake when I saw it, but no. It’s real.
It’s also both shocking and refreshing. As a person who would like to believe in God and an afterlife but has been unable to do so, a logical, sensible, rational message like this makes religion seem so much more accessible.
Bravo, Tom Tate and company.
I’m also a fan of the Rose City Park United Methodist Church’s mission statement (even though I despise the notion of mission statements):
The Rose City Park United Methodist Church …
“Where we share God’s love Compassionately and Inclusively
… through Radical Hospitality.”
I could do without the ellipses (of course), but they aren’t egregious enough to ruin the spirit of the message.
But it’s close.
I also find it amusing that Rose City Park refers to itself as both a city and a park when it’s neither. It’s actually a small, overpriced (Forbes, 2009) neighborhood in northeast Portland, Oregon.
As a person who has read the Bible cover to cover three times, I might also suggest changing the word God to Jesus on their sign. Based upon Biblical text, I am quite certain that Jesus would prefer kind atheists over hateful Christians.
The God of the Bible (and particularly the Old Testament) wasn’t nearly as reasonable or rational.
