…and this is a 
The Easter War: I didn't do it.
Category: Humor
Posted on: March 24, 2006 4:28 PM, by PZ Myers
Really…I was only joking about the war on Easter. The wingnuts didn't have to take it seriously.
What's worse is that Minnesota may be Ground Zero: this is a real fake sign, so I'm a little concerned that someone is going to find a reason to blame me. While a little plagiarism gets one fired, I'm not sure what the penalty is for starting a culture war.
In related news, property values in St. Paul have just shot upwards.
Comments
PZ, Did you mean that it was a real sign as in "an actual church posted this message" or as in "This is surely an indicator of our current social climate?"
Check out www.churchsigngenerator.com you can have all sorts of fun.
Posted by: Steak Eatin' Catholic | March 24, 2006 4:35 PM
PZ, is that actually a real sign. It does say www.churchsigngenerator.com at the foot of the sign.
Posted by: James Taylor | March 24, 2006 4:35 PM
Look at the bottom of the sign: churchsigngenerator.com.
I'm pretty sure it's NOT an actual sign.
Posted by: Nick | March 24, 2006 4:36 PM
Umm... you're joking, right PZ? You know that's not a real sign, right?
Posted by: dr. dave | March 24, 2006 4:36 PM
http://www.churchsigngenerator.com ;)
Posted by: caerbannog | March 24, 2006 4:37 PM
Just to confirm, that's not a real sign. MNObserver wanted to use a real sign but I wouldn't let her because the church sign in question gave the names, home phone numbers and DHS ID#s of all the atheistic Easter Bunny haters in St. Paul, which, as I'm sure you all know, has been renamed to Paul, MN. [link]
Posted by: The Wege | March 24, 2006 4:41 PM
The real horror is yet to come, when the inhabitants discover it was renamed after me.
Posted by: PZ Myers | March 24, 2006 4:54 PM
In case you missed it, this article preceded your 'War on Easter' blog post:
St. Paul City Office Boots Easter Bunny
Posted by: wamba | March 24, 2006 5:18 PM
Ya, I've had my share of fun at churchsigngenerator.com. I did a similar thing by making a few fake signs with their tool, and sending them to friends.
They couldn't believe those signs were real until I told them they in fact were not.
Posted by: BlueIndependent | March 24, 2006 6:01 PM
You can't just rename the city Paul. Just not enough syllables, especially being right next to that syllable-flashing Minneapolis. I think. How about Myers. Besides, it alliterates. Minneapolis-Myers. Has a nice ring, doesn't it?
Posted by: Karen | March 24, 2006 7:11 PM
That site is so cool. I recently drove in I 475 in Ohio ans saw a real church signs that said "How stupid is the one who does not believe" I wish I could have taken a picture
Posted by: Dr. Marco | March 24, 2006 7:12 PM
Hmmm. How Rumsfeldian: the not-real real and the real not-real. Kind of like the "Genuine Ersatz Spanish Fly" ads in the back of old comic books.
Posted by: idlemind | March 24, 2006 7:12 PM
Dr. Myers! I cannot believe you let out the war on Easter secret! The war on Christmas was a public one, but we atheists had hoped to carry out clandestine attacks on Easter, bringing the holiday down before anyone even realized we were out to kill it. And now you've let the hat out of the bag. Our agents have been compromised. You're now a threat to atheist national security.
Posted by: Chris | March 24, 2006 7:59 PM
Heh. Somewhere in Los Angeles I vividly remember a billboard for a church that advertised itself as "A Church on Fire!"
Posted by: Azkyroth | March 24, 2006 8:27 PM
The story linked by wamba has been picked up by Fox News! Video at BradBlog.
Posted by: Dr. X | March 24, 2006 9:44 PM
Speaking of church signs...
Posted by: Dan | March 24, 2006 9:49 PM
The penalty for starting a culture war? A syndicated talk show.
Posted by: Rey | March 24, 2006 10:24 PM
Oh, cool. The Church Sign Generator has a new sign.
Also, political correctness demands that Easter be destroyed. Think of all the poor lactose intolerant people.
Posted by: Aesmael | March 25, 2006 4:19 AM
This is serious; I need help. Thirty-five years ago, as a joke, my mother and I started sending one of those small, yellow, sugar Easter chickens called “peeps” back and forth. The challenge was to mail it from the strangest places. The “peep” has been mailed from Rome (after an appropriate crowd blessing by the Pope) ; from China, Mongolia and places in the Amazon. Seriously, it is the same “peep” 35 years later (we don’t have much of a life and are starved for humor.) My question: While it is rock hard it is still the same “peep.” What are those things made out of and should we be feeding them to our children?
Posted by: Shyster | March 25, 2006 5:32 AM
I just don't understand how people can attack these venerable christian symbols like bunnies, chickies and eggs. What would jesus say?
Posted by: Ron | March 25, 2006 5:55 AM
Also, political correctness demands that Easter be destroyed. Think of all the poor lactose intolerant people.
Chocolate-based holidays in no way discriminate against the lactase-challenged. *Real* chocolate != milk chocolate.
Posted by: Theo Bromine | March 25, 2006 8:22 AM
War on Easter, eh?......
I'm thinking barbecue bunny, served on a platter garnished with painted eggs and Peeps.
Posted by: MJ Memphis | March 25, 2006 4:51 PM
Oh, Theo. If I were to admit to the existence of such things my pretext for war would vanish. That can't be allowed to happen; there must be war.
Posted by: Aesmael | March 26, 2006 9:24 AM
Posted by: wamba | March 26, 2006 4:25 PM
Wamba, Thank you, but I'm not sure it answers my questions: What are they made of and should we be feeding them to our children? Besides, it looks like all of the "tested" peeps were blue. My peep was/is yellow and I don't even want to think about the pink peeps. All I can say is — keep on testing. Can I get a Ramen?
Posted by: Shyster | March 26, 2006 5:21 PM