We only have what we remember

From Stuff Fundies Like: “The Witness Stick“

Billed as “a walking stick … specifically designed for Christians,” it comes with the colors of The Wordless Book painted on.

The marketers of Witness Sticks provide a precise summary/example of the “witnessing tool” concept:

Witness Sticks have been very effective just by leaning against a wall in a cubical or office or against a store counter where people see it and ask you, “What is this stick all about?” … That question opens the door for you to say, “It’s my Witness Stick. Would you like me to explain it to you?” At that point, you have just been invited to share your faith. It is so simple. …

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The invisibility of privilege to the privileged, as explained by xkcd:

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“Eager Happy Stalkers for Jesus”

At Jesus Needs New PR, Jay Adams shares my discomfort with aggressively friendly church-greeters:

Admittedly, I’m a jerk. But I’m an observant jerk, and for every family that responds warmly to being smilingly assaulted ten feet inside the door of a strange new place, there are five families who (like me) send off radioactive “leave me alone” vibes.

Just do church. Worship. Discuss Christ. Wrestle with the God of Scripture. Openly discuss our failings and successes. Be actual people, not a synthetic sales staff for Jesus. The power of that authentic experience is what will make people return. Or not. …

The five-to-one ratio there is probably backwards, but I share the sentiment.

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“What does it feel like to get bitten by a ground hornbill?”

I had never thought to ask, but just hearing the question phrased makes you curious about the answer, doesn’t it? Darren Naish can tell you. And he has the picture to prove it.

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Sunnydale: Less frightening and safer than Christian bookstores.

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Amanda Marcotte on fundamentalists and cool:

The only thing fundamentalists don’t have is cool.  Of course, the social capital of cool is often complicated, since so much of cool comes from subcultures that have no social capital outside of cool.  Cool is a very real threat to fundamentalist communities and their ability to pass on their beliefs to their young, which is why they spend so much time trying to keep their young separated from pop music and youth fashion.

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The title of this post comes from the song “Wooden Heart” by Listener, who sometimes does a kind of Tom Waits Step Right Up thing, but on this song is closer to a Craig Finn Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night kind of thing. I like it.