Ignorance In Print: Getting Roasted By Bumperstickers

Bumperstickers are fascinating. Not because they are clever, or because they impact society in any conceivable way, but because the exact opposite is true. Bumperstickers are often stupid. I would argue that, next to anything George Lucas is a part of, bumperstickers are the lowest conceivable form of art (please argue that point below).

Quality art makes a statement in a way that effects those who receive it, it is showing the world from a different perspective than the recipient is accustomed to. Bumperstickers put statements right in everyones' faces without regard for the quality of said statement or its delivery system. In essence they are often brash and lack any sort of creativity.

Art is the film American History X, that comments on the empty hatred and ignorance that comes with racism, fully realizing its futility and consequences. It does so with a two hour running time that leaves the audience often feeling shocked, uncomfortable, and appalled.
A bumpersticker would just say "racism is stupid!" and that would be that.
See the difference?

Today I saw a gorgeous car that perked my interest. I'm not too into cars, I can't afford to have a nice one so I chose not to torture myself by lusting after them. But this one got my interest partly because it was a very slick looking automobile, but mostly because of how it was uglified (new word!) with stickers all over the rear of the car, not just on the bumper but covering the whole back end (rear window, trunk, and bumper). To add to the interest even further each sticker was more hateful towards religion than the last. There was a "Darwin Fish" that said "Evolve" in the middle and a plethora of others. I generally find people who despise what I stand for interesting, for the most part because I believe I am obligated to understand that hatred as a human being; if I'm not willing to hear their side with all respect than they won't hear mine. So I listen to people who attack my faith and me personally. And I try to respect their opinions as I would hope mine would be respected. But these bumperstickers were where I drew the line.

The bumpersticker that took the cake said "The Dark Ages were caused by religion."
Boom! Roasted! I was almost set to ditch my belief system that had impacted my entire life because of this bumpersticker* until I started actually thinking about it (it took all of three seconds.)

If this sticker is meant to just anger religious people than it might be a very bold form of art. But I doubt that this driver has that much knowledge of what it means to be subversive. I think they believe they were actually making a point. Which made me sad.

The writer of this bumpersticker and the person who bought it and decided to permanently fix it to their car were suggesting that religion was dominant during the Dark Ages therefore religion is bad.

This statement can only be really effective if its converse is pointed out too, such as explaining that it was something other than religion that brought the Dark Ages to an end. But it wasn't.
You can say "Tyler, religion is wrong because it was the reason for the Dark Ages." And I can respond "Religion did help in creating the Dark Ages, but religion also helped bring us out of the Dark Ages." You can't have it both ways cynical bumpersticker lover!

The Dark Ages were the result of an unequal class system, a disrespect for learning and education, financial crisis, a plague, and a myriad of other reasons. Certainly religious systems (not religion itself) helped perpetuate this class system that kept people poor, uneducated, and dependent on the upper class. I will concede to that.

[side note: what was happening in the east during all of this? Islam was thriving and having a golden age in philosophy and science. While most of the historical documents were disappearing in Europe many in the east were safely compiling and copying historical documents that came in handy to get us out of the Dark Ages. We wouldn't have any of Aristotle's writings if it wasn't for religious people cataloguing and maintaining them. Certainly I don't agree with Islam, but I have to give credit where credit is due. They saved a lot of literature during a time when Christian Europe was unable to. That in and of itself should debunk the brilliant bumpersticker.]

As there were many causes for the Dark Ages there were an equal number of reasons that it ended. One of them was the rise of the Protestant religion that both perpetuated and was impacted by the advent of the middle class. Protestantism encouraged learning for not only the clergy and elite but for all people. Now normal farmers, blacksmiths, housewives, etc. were learning how to read and write. They were becoming educated. With that the demand for learning increased. Now people were interested in what Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, etc. had to say. And it was being brought to them in their own language! That would have never happened if Luther hadn't begun writing in German rather than Latin in his addresses to the Church and the people.

Humanist thinking also helped pull Europe out of the dark ages (hand in hand with Protestantism), and who were the major humanist thinkers? Catholics and Protestants, religious people!

The Renaissance also brought an end to the dark ages with an increase in scientific thought and study, new writings and philosophical ideas, and high art that was accessible to the masses. And who did most of this art, or at least commissioned it? Religious thinkers and religious groups.

Now I don't want to be completely deconstructive. If you wanted to get a bumpersticker like this I don't want to take all the wind out of your sails. So here is the constructive part of this essay. Change the bumpersticker to say this:

"Religion caused the Dark Ages, but it also ended it. So I guess we're pretty much even."

*I hope you can pick up on sarcasm in written form, if you can't let me help you, this was sarcasm.