There is a weird evangelical christian centre across the road from my office. They seem to entertain coachloads of teenagers on day trips and they have twee, down with it signs in the windows. They have various groups meeting regularly, the sort of thing you'd expect from any church, but they have such cool names like 'E-teens' or somesuch.
For several weeks now,they have had a sign in the window which has been irritating me profoundly. In a way I find it a bit offensive. I say 'in a way' because it isn't a visceral sense of being offended, and I'm not sure that an intellectual response is really about being offended.
I have been meaning to take a photo of it and keep forgetting in daylight. So I decided to search the internet, and not at all to my surprise found that it is possible to buy t-shirts and beenie hats with the exact same logo on it.
I understand what message they are trying to get over, and I understand that it is entirely consistent with the corny twee slogans that seem de rigeur throughout christianity.
I think what sticks in my gullet is that using this play on words they are just advertising their brand. For me, and I think probably for most people, the words 'blood donor' mean that voluntary activity where people act as close to altruism as is possible*. Yet there is nothing in this slogan, this poster that I pass most working days, that encourages anybody to go and give blood, or gives information on how to, or in anyway suggests to people that maybe they should consider doing something positive for the benefit of a random stranger. Just a smug claim about how 'I've been saved'.
And I suppose that's one of the things I dislike about particularly evangelical christians. Apart from their general hatred and their sex-obsessions, I really dislike the self-absorption. I don't think this is universal: I have known many people over the years who cite their christianity as the reason for their commitment to humanity and society. But I really despise this self-satisfied form of christianity which is all about demonstrating an imagined superiority and utter disregard to those who haven't been persuaded into their clique.
* I believe that pure altruism is almost non-existent. One could argue that the incentive to give blood is the hope that when one needs a blood transfusion, there will be enough blood available from other people's generosity, but actually, people who have never given blood are not refused transfusions**
** I know that there are many people who can't give blood ever and I am one who hasn't been able to for several years but would like to start doing so again
