John 3:16, on the Lawn, on Holden

The sign above begins "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son...... "

Every Sunday, we try to post something spiritual and are open to interesting "Sacred Sunday" photos from any denomination in Greensboro. This Holden Road family has placed their larger-than-a-human placard, proclaiming their love of Jesus right outside in their front yard. Driving from Bryan Blvd. towards Benjamin Parkway, this large sign, up on a hill, is hard to miss!

........... that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 Jesus the way, the truth, the life, ask him to be your today. 

The people who nailed this sign to their tree have picked  Bible verse John 3:16 to share with passerbys. If you put a giant sign in your own yard for all to read, what would you pick to write on it? Finally, to see our previous "Sacred Sunday" photos from around Greensboro, click here.

 

Comments

[birdman]

I wouldn't deface a beautiful home with a stupid sign like this. I would tell them inside, I can live a wonderful life w/o this clutter. Ha! That's my rant today!

[Dina]

Well, I have to admit I don't approve of in-your-face religious signs like this.
Since I am so anti, I can't even imagine something to write IF I wanted to.

But it makes a good photo and a thought-provoking post.

[Dimple]

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: ...

[tapirgal]

If I put a blaring sign this big in my yard, I'm sure there would be some City ordinance that would ask me to take it down, and I think they would be right to do so. (I even have to get a permit to put a sign with the name of my store on a public street, so think about it). What I've noticed is that if you're proclaiming Jesus or God, and there are a number of illegally-placed signs that do this, they are overlooked. What if I proclaimed, "Stop Climate Change," or "Stop Overpopulating the World," or "Evolution is a Fact," or even "Go Green!" I wonder how long those signs would last? Not that there are no proponents, but it seems "the rest of us" are very hesitant or afraid to speak out about religious proclamations, even if they are illegally placed, and I expect this one is.

[Jacob]

This is rather sad, representing a fundamentalist Christian mindset that reveals almost no knowledge of the Bible or biblical scholarship over the past 300 years. For people like this the Bible is a "magical" book out of which they pick out passages that they think agrees with their beliefs and then toss it in the face of everyone who passes by signifying that those who disagree or see things differently will be consigned to an eternity of unimaginable torment by a "loving" God.

This is from the Gospel of John which was written several generations after Jesus supposed walked the earth, at about the turn of the century. Actually, I think it was written later than that! John paints a wholly different and contradictory picture of the Jesus described in the Synoptic Gospels. For example, John cares nothing for the birth of Jesus or the activities of Jesus as told in Mark, Matthew and Luke. In fact, 90% of John is not found in the Synoptics. For John, Jesus is God himself, the creator of the universe who now resides in the highest heaven, a concept derived from Platonism. Even more fascinating is that John quotes Jesus giving long, involved philosophical discourses, none of which appear in the other Gospels. Where did John (and "John" is an anonymous author--we have no idea who he was), who knew not any human Jesus, who never saw or heard any human Jesus, get his information?

There's another major problem here, also, because if Jesus was God, then he didn't really die or suffer as the Gospels proclaim for God cannot suffer or die; nor did he rise again.

Also of interest is that the Jesus of the Synoptics never speaks of himself as a "sacrifice" for sin. Jews had long given up human sacrifice or the concept that another person or being could atone for the sins of others. Jesus, being a good Jew, is quoted in Matthew as saying that he came to ensure the entire Jewish Law was fulfilled, not that he would die an atoning death!

And what kind of God would insist on a bloody human sacrifice anyway?

Okay, I quit. Just some thoughts prompted by this inane and hostile expression of fundamentalist Christianity.

[Greensboro Daily Photo]

Dear Readers:

WOW! As you know, every Sunday, on Greensboro Daily Photo, we post something that represents spirituality as it can be experienced in Greensboro. The religion is not always Christian. The photos are not always houses of worship, sometimes, as in the case today, they are other. It was not our intent to upset people or create controversy with today's post. We simply wanted to show a different way that faith is expressed in Greensboro!

Today's comments reaffirm the fact that everyone believes STRONGLY in his/her own faith path and can REACT strongly to the faith path of others.

Perhaps we need to stick to buildings!

[Jacob]

Hi Jan - No, not writing off the messenger...I post this stuff myself every once in awhile...it's interesting to see the responses. Sometimes, I get a little wound up and once I get going...well...

Have a great week!

[Lee Spangler]

if you want to see real suffering then put up a sign in your yard proclaiming the value of atheism and see how quickly those who choose "faith" as an excuse for lazy thinking cast stones. I see such a sign like the one in the picture and know that such people live in the Bronze or Stone Age. They know no Chemistry, Physics, Archeology, Paleontology, History. They have read only some Anti-Semitic version of the NT interpreted for them by some severly limited pastor, who provides them imbecilic quotes to keep them in the fold and insure the preservation of the lobodomy which was given to them to keep them dumb and to take their money.

[tapirgal]

Open discussion is not bad. Thank "god" we have a place we can react without fear of retribution. It's easier to put up the vanilla posts, but topics like this can get heated. I think having discussion is important.

[Kate]

I cannot imagine why people get so hot and bothered about religion. To each his/her own. I don't care who practices what or chooses not to practice anything at all **AS LONG AS they do not proselytize OR harm anyone else in the name of religion. Too much of that has happened in the past (and the present). Then again, perhaps that's why people do get hot and bothered. Spirituality and religion are two entirely different things. But, nonetheless, I see no point in criticizing people who chose to follow a certain sect or religion, esp if they do not proselytize or harm others.

[Wendy M]

You have to ask, why, in a country which values free speech and a host of other God-given and constitutionally sanctioned rights...this homemade sign would create such strong feelings...I don't know these home owners, but I believe the majority of people who go this far in the name of their faith do so out of love for their Creator and for the love of humanity.Geez...lighten up.Live and let live...
God bless America:)

[Angela]

Someone wrote:"What if I proclaimed, "Stop Climate Change," or "Stop Overpopulating the World," or "Evolution is a Fact," or even "Go Green!" I wonder how long those signs would last? Not that there are no proponents, but it seems "the rest of us" are very hesitant or afraid to speak out about religious proclamations,"

Here in Canada, there are signs like this all over the place..and even signs now 'NO SMOKING", in the parks (I just noticed this yesterday actually) And IF we are found smoking in the park, we will be fined a hefty ticket!
Like the first comment;"I wouldn't deface a beautiful home with a stupid sign like this."

that is THEIR opinion.

It doesn't make the one that CHOOSE to put this sign up WRONG...

Well that is my opinion..lol
Everyone has an opinion...

[Charlene]

To me the ultimate hypocrisy is intolerance and hostility towards another persons beliefs, especially when it is coming from those who so advanced in their education.

There are religious beliefs that I would rather die than proclaim as truth. However, unless those that hold those different beliefs as true affect my very life and my freedoms, I would die to give them the right to believe and proclaim in whatever they choose.

Would I put a sign like that in my front yard? No. I am a Christian, and am not ashamed to proclaim it or defend and engage in debate over my beliefs, but I just don't feel the need to put up a sign like that. I have formed the Christmas lights in my front shrubs to form the words JESUS at Christmas time, and this coming Sunday I will fly a decorative flag from my home that says "He is Risen", but I've never felt led to put up a sign like this one. I would rather be known for my faith by the life I lead: the forgiveness and compassion I strive to have for others, as well as my worship of God at a church and my willingness to help others and share my faith with them if they want to hear about it. I don't know this family, or any other person who has put such a sign up, but I imagine they are hoping that everyone who sees it is forced to make a choice, to agree or not to agree. If my Jewish neighbor or Muslim neighbor or agnostic neighbor put up dueling signs it would turn into quite a battle, so overall I tend to disagree with these ways of sharing your faith and appreciate home owners associations and ordinances who prohibit signs in general. For those that disagree with my beliefs, I don't need to figuratively beat them over the head with a sign, I can just simply pray for them...they don't even have to know about it unless they ask.