Submitted by Holly

It is almost criminal to choose one piece of crap from this collection, as it contains such a world of hurt as a group. However, there is one stream of tackorama on this site that has amused, attracted and sickened me the most. That would have to be the Christian AND patriotic merchandise that seems to scream: “USA Belongs to Jesus!” It also seems to be warning all us non-Americans that the USA, like Christ, will burn you as quick as look at you. My first reaction to the Icthus fish filled in with the red, white, and blue was a laugh, quickly followed by silence, finished off with near tears. (For those of you not boned-up on your Christian art motifs, the Icthus fish is that lame one-line fish we see everywhere, symbolizing both the promise to rise again and the image of Jesus as a provider. The letters in “Icthus” spell out “Jesus Christ, Son of G-d, Saviour” in Greek. There, that makes $20,000 of tuition worthwhile.) On this site, you can get this lovely piece of Americana in pin, magnet and bumper sticker varieties, and, if you act now, you can get all three and nauseate your neighbors in several different ways.

Announce Jesus king of your lapel, by wearing this Republican piece of tripe!

However, this fish doesn’t give you a complete story of this store’s (which we can safely identify as Evangelical, I think) relationship to America. In light of recent failures in a certain Texan president’s approval rating, as well as certain arguments over the role of religion in patriotism and government, this store is also clearly announcing itself as a victim of America, as well, in its “American AND Christian” car window display sign, as if the purchaser wants everyone to know that Christians are as American as anyone else.

Everyone else? Well, they can go straight to their homoerotic hell.