According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Gay-dar is now officially a word. It’s the ability of gay people to spot each other.
And now Christopher Hitchens said that as an atheist he can tell that Obama’s an atheist too. The Star reports:
“I suspect he is one of us,” he says of churchgoing U.S. President Barack Obama. “Us” being the forces of atheism.
So why does every group I don’t belong to have some kind of radar to spot like minded people but Christians have difficulty locating other Christians.
I want Pray-dar. I want the ability to spot fellow Christians.
You can’t base it on whether someone’s wearing a cross. That means nothing nowadays. Everyone says “Bless you” when you sneeze.
So, I’m asking you, dear readers, for some “tells” to base my Pray-dar on? Here’s a few that jump to mind:
A) The ol’ fish on back of car. Dead giveaway.
B) More than three car seats in the vehicle. (Except if you’re Madonna who’s adopted like thirteen kids.)]
C) Likes Carrie Prejean and didn’t go hunting around the internet for her racy photos.
D) They don’t work for Notre Dame (What? Just a little joke.)
E) They’re mysteriously not at home on Sunday mornings.
F) Their favorite Bible verse is not “Judge not lest ye be judged.”
G) They own the Narnia movies and Veggie-tales.
H) They’re the people at the party defending Sarah Palin.
Any others?
June 2, 2009 at 6:40 pm
* Gets ashes on Ash Wednesday — and doesn’t wipe them off right after Mass
* Has a son named John Paul and/or Benedict
Michelle, you made me laugh — we have three kids who are named Peter, James and Teresa. 🙂
June 2, 2009 at 8:36 pm
* Cross themselves when passing a cemetery.
* Can quote St. Thomas Aquinas, C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton.
* They have a right knee with dirt on it.
* All of their good shoes have scuffed toes.
* They smell of incense and beeswax.
* When you say “Pax vobiscum” their kids in unison say: “Et cum spiritus tuo” 🙂
June 2, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Thanks nightfly, I’ll study about that taking your words into consideration. Unfortuantely, although very little is objectively known about the american politicians by my classmates and so, people do talk about them thanking god (don’t ask me what god) obama rose into power with his “get rid of ideology” speech, and I often don’t know what to think or what to say about it.
June 3, 2009 at 1:51 am
Tithe!
June 3, 2009 at 2:53 am
I always felt a sure sign of spotting a Catholic in public was the hairshirt.
June 3, 2009 at 5:29 am
Prays when they hear a siren. (I love that my recent Catholic school kindergardener does this.)
June 3, 2009 at 6:02 am
-wears a rosary ring/scapular
-mysteriously muttering to himself while riding the bus/train while curiously rolling beads on one hand
-has a picture of the Divine Mercy and/or the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Sacred Heart of Jesus in the house.
June 4, 2009 at 12:59 am
Your list identifies a very specific kind of Christian… and it's not the kind I am. The faith is a lot bigger than just the American religious right, you know.
June 4, 2009 at 3:48 am
Gabriel, won't we know you by your love? 🙂
Just thinking of friends I've made since moving here, I'd add the following:
– Refreshingly – not brutally – honest. I knew an aquaintance was Christian when she found $20 in the automatic change-return at a store and brought it to the store manager. She had been cut to less than part-time at her job, so it might have been tempting to say "Finders, keepers".
– Charitable, especially in the old-fashioned sense of not assuming the worst about others.
– Apologizes and accepts apologies with goodwill, not as if saying "I'm sorry" means "Feel free to REALLY let me have it now."
June 4, 2009 at 5:40 am
Thank you so much! I needed to laugh tonight. Loved your post also about your 6 year old playing piano. Read it and turned the computer off right then and there. Thank you Holy Spirit! I just started reading your blog and appreciate your humor so much, especially when I start getting too wrapped up in how bad things appear to be. But we must always remember God's faithfulness and love for us. It is good to know there are so many other people out there who are also trying to live the truth and follow Jesus, even when the world is telling us otherwise.
June 5, 2009 at 8:33 am
They at some point say, "I'm really blessed that…." or "It was a blessing that…."
June 6, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Matt,
Your Praydar should go off whenever you see someone at work or at the store or where ever that is smiling & cleareyed with an open affect for longer than it takes to snap a picture.
My experience is that only folks who know Jesus' love can pull this off for more than a minute. Even harrassed parents, workers & taxpayers can confront the govt/antichurch complex with equinimity & peace knowing full well that their persecutors have lost and are the ones who, at the end of the day, need prayers.
June 27, 2010 at 9:39 pm
They hate gay people yet turn out to be gay themselves after some time!