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Greg Smith

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Turning Your Vehicle Into a Religious Billboard (#2162)

2024/10/23 By Greg

It happened to me again last week. I found myself behind a vehicle with a religious message I couldn’t help but notice.

Honda Accord with Religious Message (photo by Greg Smith)

For whatever reason, the driver chose to pull over not long after I’d determined to snap a picture of the message, which reads, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

You don’t need to be a religion scholar to figure out that this is a quote from the New Testament. A quick Google search would show any curious party that these words come from Romans 6:23. And, one need only dig a little deeper to see that this is one of four passages from Romans that some Evangelicals have called the Roman Road and used as a plan of salvation or, put more directly, a marketing tool aimed at securing converts.

Examples Abound

Since I live in Texas, I’m accustomed to encountering conservative Christian messaging at any time and through every channel imaginable. I’m also particularly intrigued with all sorts of religious messaging placed on vehicles. In recent years, I’ve blogged about my encounters with religious license plates and with religious messages placed directly on vehicles, including:

  • Lent, License Plates, & Christian Nationalism (February 2023) – includes a vehicle with a He Saves license plate
  • It’s Lent Again (March 2022) – includes a vehicle with a Repent license plate
  • Who is Jesus? (January 2022) – includes a truck bearing the words Jesus Christ is true God
  • Honk if You’re Holy!?!  (May 2019) – includes a bumper sticker inviting others to honk if they happen to be holy

So What?

I’m not inclined to turn my personal vehicle into a religious billboard. You won’t find a vanity license plate, bumper stickers, or any other attempts to engage in marketing on my SUV. It looks a lot like it did the day I drove it off the dealership lot.

On the other hand, I’m open to conversation. I’d welcome the opportunity to hear more about your journey of faith and, if you are interested, I’d be glad to share mine.

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Greg Smith

Greg is a follower of the Way of Jesus who strives to make the world a better place for all people. Currently, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of White Rock Center of Hope and as Interim Senior Pastor of Advent Lutheran Church. He has served ten congregations, taught religion to undergraduates for eight years, and helped three organizations provide quality healthcare to underserved populations. (Read More)

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