By Ben Carlson

Staff Writer

Comedian Demetri Martin once told a joke concerning bumper stickers, “A lot of people don’t like bumper stickers. I don’t mind bumper stickers. To me a bumper sticker is a shortcut. It’s like a little sign that says, ‘Hey, let’s never hang out.’”

Labels carry baggage, but bumper stickers carry irritating statements that are obviously unnecessary.

There are many bumper stickers I find annoying. First is the one that is normally blue and has a bunch of religious symbols that resemble the letters that spell out “Coexist”. Aren’t we already coexisting? Do they mean we should coexist and get along? Yes, and that’s why someone else thought up the sticker of the same religious symbols design that spells out “Tolerance.”

Other times I come upon an “SDSU Mom” or “USC Mom” and get a peculiar feeling like I pity those sad moms who live their lives through their children’s accomplishments. “My son or daughter is a honor student at this or that middle school” is another example.

Despite these, there is one that is winner of ultimate smugness. It is one that dresses itself in humility, while insulting everyone else who doesn’t share that particular worldview. I’m writing of course of the ‘Not Of This World’ stickers.

Christians who put these stickers on their cars are reminding you, the sad creature stuck in traffic, that although you both inhabit this small planet and must tolerate each other, they are destined for another world, one much better than the one we both live in now. They believe, to borrow from the Bible, that they are “in the world but not of the world.” In their view, making the world better now is a fool’s errand and it doesn’t matter what happens to the earth because for them, it is only temporary. Needless to say, there is a sinister aura surrounding these things that I find contemptuous.

In fact, I can actually smile now when I see a “Coexist” sticker. At least coexistence has a sort of unity or compromise in its definition. These NOTW stickers are not only annoying, but they show the level of pride and stupidity it takes to believe the whole world revolves around you, and that you are destined to greater things beyond this world. It shows a lack of humanity and is based in ultra egocentricity. It is the ultimate statement of “I’m better than you.” So, to those who have these stickers on their cars, I will tolerate you but do me a favor and “let’s never hang out.”