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1

If they are going to offer so many selections, perhaps they should also add "pretend."

Posted by Justy | June 22, 2007 12:37 PM
2

Hey, if the content's not there, the grammar hardly matters. But that's some sweet-ass alliteration!

Posted by Sara | June 22, 2007 12:40 PM
3

I believe this saying comes from C.S. Lewis.

Posted by Chris | June 22, 2007 12:45 PM
4

Isn't that a bastardization of a C.S. Lewis quote? His "trilemma" I think.

Posted by dirge | June 22, 2007 12:45 PM
5

Yes, that is exactly correct: Jesus is a lying, lunatic lord.

Posted by Just Me | June 22, 2007 12:46 PM
6

Where to begin? First off, Denny Park Lutherans, a colon can't go anywhere where a period wouldn't make sense (colons must follow independent clauses). Pull the colon off. (2) Buy some goddamn commas! (3) Pop "the" in before "Lord" to make that structure parallel and more rhythmic. (4) Adding an exclamation point never improves a fucked-up sentence. Are you emphatically proclaiming this statement? This exclamation point is totally out of place.

Posted by Amy Kate Horn | June 22, 2007 12:47 PM
7

mommy is one of god's chosen people and daddy thinks jesus is magic

Posted by dna | June 22, 2007 12:47 PM
8

C. S. Lewis said it better:

(From Mere Christianity "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."

Posted by Amy Kate Horn | June 22, 2007 12:54 PM
9

On the bus the other day, I saw an ad for a tutorial service... it misspelled the word 'tutorial'. Thereby continues the vicious cycle of ignorance.

Posted by Katelyn | June 22, 2007 1:01 PM
10

Jesus is either
A liar, a lunatic.
Worship ten o'clock

Posted by Haiku Guy | June 22, 2007 1:03 PM
11

he could also be legend or lore.

and why can't a lunatic say great things? i had some pretty crazy teachers growing up.

Posted by infrequent | June 22, 2007 1:33 PM
12

I think the error Dan was referring to is that "either" can only reference two things: "Either this or that." You can't have either this, that, or the other thing.

Posted by ECB | June 22, 2007 1:43 PM
13

If they wish to spice up their tagline while continuing with the lovely alliteration they've established, I'd like to suggest the following "L" words:
"Luscious."
"Lemon-scented."
"Lumberjack!"

Am I missing any other good "L" words?

Posted by flamingbanjo | June 22, 2007 1:44 PM
14

Is the "copyeditors" reference about the use of "either" with multiple alternatives? Because barring the lack of commas in the alternatives, I believe it is accepted to use "either" to introduce multiple "either...or" comparisons. But I think the construct could only be taken to mean (with commas):

  • Jesus is either a liar or Lord.
  • Jesus is either a lunatic or Lord.
and never:
  • Jesus is either a liar or a lunatic.
Posted by Nick | June 22, 2007 1:46 PM
15

Poor grammar is something up with which I shall not put.

Posted by W. Churchill | June 22, 2007 2:00 PM
16

jesus was clearly a lesbian.

Posted by jameyb | June 22, 2007 2:03 PM
17

Amy Kate Horn @ 8,

I made C.S. Lewis write that because I control the Universe, including the past, present and future, with my mind! It’s very Outer Limits.

THE SECRET!!!!!

Posted by Original Andrew | June 22, 2007 2:07 PM
18

"Jesus is either: a liar a lunatic or lord!"...

Bad grammar aside, I might add "fictitious" to the list of possibilities.

Posted by SDA in SEA | June 22, 2007 2:08 PM
19

I'm starting to think Kelly O should take her camera into The Stranger's copy edit meetings. They sound fascinating. Or maybe do a "How Was It?" after one wraps up.

Posted by PA Native | June 22, 2007 2:49 PM
20

jesus was a capricorn

Posted by duncan | June 22, 2007 3:23 PM
21

@13,

Lickable

Posted by keshmeshi | June 22, 2007 3:41 PM
22

nothing beats ritual cannibalism in the morning!

catholic flashback: mom, why does jesus taste like stale crackers?

I am recovering nicely, thank you

Posted by war pigs | June 22, 2007 3:45 PM
23

Copy editors = 2 words

And on first read, I thought the sign read, "JESUS IS ETHER," which blew my mind like it was hiding in the Volunteer Park bushes in its best leather chaps. Z-zang!!

Posted by horatiosanzserif | June 22, 2007 4:35 PM
24

I think it's telling us to worship loam. Loam is just soil, so not as much complicated debate.. or is there supposed to be an "at" there?

Posted by sepiolida | June 22, 2007 5:10 PM
25

I guess they didn't have "bullets" or list-numbers available to stick into the sign...

Besides, that particular topic of discussion is really old. It's been brought up for decades by people who don't really know how to discuss things...

Posted by Karen | June 22, 2007 5:23 PM
26

The entire congregation of Denny Park is octogenarians so i don't really think they can read that sign with out glasses

Posted by Vooodooo84 | June 22, 2007 9:49 PM
27

Drop the colon and add the word "and" between "liar" and "a lunatic". The grammatical issues will be corrected and the statement will be correct english. (Was that a run-on sentence?)Please excuse me now, I must go tell GW what must be done to solve the world's problems.

Posted by lawrence clark | June 22, 2007 11:54 PM
28

@27, Add the word "for" between "now," and "I". The grammatical issue will be corrected and the sentence will be correct. Thank you, Lawrence.

Posted by lawrence clark | June 23, 2007 12:02 AM
29

@27, Lawrence, while your response is correct, another possible correction would be to eliminate "either:" and add a comma between "liar" and "a lunatic". ( I think I need to relax now).

Posted by anal retentive | June 23, 2007 12:59 AM
30

I believe the signer was tryiing to summarize the day's assigned scripture reading: "For if [you use Old testament to judge people] then Christ died iin vain.Galatians 2:11-20

O Geeze, look at me quoting scripture. AAAAAARGH

Posted by Bob in Rochester | June 23, 2007 6:44 AM
31

The CS Lewis quote is one of the least logically defensible arguments in favor of Jesus Christ being divine, ever. Begging the question, false trichotomies; holding this up as the high water mark in Christian theo-logic is just embarassing.

Just for example: how do we know that Jesus claimed, himself, personally, to be Divine (something CS Lewis assumes in context of this quote)? What we have are accounts of what Jesus said written by his followers long after he was dead. You don't have to make the assumption that Jesus himself was a liar to think that those who wrote ABOUT him could be lying.

Posted by Fooey | June 23, 2007 7:40 AM

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