I was behind a car today and noticed the bumper sticker. It said: "No Jesus = No Peace. Know Jesus = Know Peace".

Now, I don't have a problem with the second part. I can understand how knowing Jesus can bring you peace, but I do have problems with the first part. Besides disagreeing with it, I have a problem understand how someone can be promoting peace with a bumper sticker that's clearly offensive to those who don't follow Jesus. After all, if you feel you need to make such a challenge, where's the peace in that?

While I extracted only some paragraphs that cover the "emerging church"concept, this article (registration required but free) goes into much more detail about it as well as some opposing views.

[Brian] McLaren has emerged as one of the most prominent voices in an increasingly active group of progressive evangelicals who are challenging the theological orthodoxy and political dominance of the religious right. He also is an intellectual guru of "emerging church," a grass-roots movement among young evangelicals exploring new models of living out their Christian faith.

McLaren, 50, offers an evangelical vision that emphasizes tolerance and social justice. He contends that people can follow Jesus's way without becoming Christian. In the latest of his eight books, "The Secret Message of Jesus," which has sold 55,000 copies since its April release, he argues that Christians should be more concerned about creating a just "Kingdom of God" on earth than about getting into heaven... "When we present Jesus as a pro-war, anti-poor, anti-homosexual, anti-environment, pro-nuclear weapons authority figure draped in an American flag, I think we are making a travesty of the portrait of Jesus we find in the gospels," McLaren said in a recent interview

"Emerging church" is a loose network of mostly young evangelicals who believe the Christian message needs to be made more relevant in a time of rapid technological and societal change, particularly to those who've never been part of any church.

McLaren said the name "emerging church" came out of a 2001 discussion he had with Doug Pagitt, pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis, about "why the megachurches were not attracting young people." The reasons, experts said, were becoming evident in the 1990s: dissatisfaction with the rightward drift in evangelical politics; worship styles so contemporary and casual they had no spiritual uplift; a lack of emphasis on social justice; and a theology that some say reduced Christianity to a recipe.

Will emerging churches serve to alter the continuing trend away from religion in the USA? I doubt it. It will appeal to some, for sure, and focusing on social justice rather than political power is a good thing, but the rift between progressive church goers and the vast legions aligned with the christian right will only serve to highlight what many non-believers attribute for their disenchantment with religion today: the hypocritical stances of both sides going at each other with "I'm right. No, I'm right" about their recipes.

This rift between these groups only serves to justify what I'll crudely refer to as a common atheist mantra: if these assholes are going to heaven, to hell with paradise; I'll take my chances with the unknown.

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Full story here:

MANOPPELLO, Italy -- Pope Benedict XVI on Friday prayed at a sanctuary in this village in central Italy that holds a veil some Christians believe was used to wipe blood and sweat from Jesus' face on his way to his crucifixion and bears his image on the cloth... The veil is not as famous as the Holy Shroud of Turin, held to be Christ's burial cloth, but some experts say the images on the two cloths can be perfectly superimposed and that they were formed at the same time. Skeptics say it appears to have been painted. According to Christian tradition, Veronica was one of the holy women who accompanied Jesus to Calvary. She offered him a veil or cloth to wipe his face, and the image of Christ's face was imprinted on it. Although the story is not in the Bible, it became one of the most popular in Christian lore... Benedict did not address the veil's origins, as is usual with the Vatican, which is generally very cautious... To many in Manoppello, the visit by Benedict reinforced their beliefs about the veil. "We've been worshipping the Holy Face for five centuries," said resident Gina Virgilio, a retiree. "The pope's visit has confirmed the veil is authentic."

What? The Pope's visit didn't confirm anything -- the Pope didn't even address the veil's origin -- but that won't stop others from repeating the mantra that the veil is authentic. And that's how legends are created, from the imagination of those who want to believe.

So, do you think this veil is authentic?