What would Jesus do?

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The phrase "What would Jesus do?" (often abbreviated to WWJD) became popular in the United States in the 1990s as a personal motto for thousands of Christians who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief that Jesus is the supreme model for morality, and to act in a manner of which Jesus would approve. The initialism WWJD is sometimes also used by Christians to mean "Walk with Jesus daily".

Contents

[edit] History

Though variations of this phrase have been used by Christians for centuries as a form of imitatio dei, the imitation of God, it gained much greater currency following Charles Sheldon's 1896 book, In His Steps. Sheldon's novel grew out of a series of sermons he delivered in his Congregationalist church in Topeka, Kansas. Unlike the previous nuances mentioned above, Sheldon's theology was shaped by a commitment to Christian Socialism. The ethos of Sheldon's approach to the Christian life was expressed in this phrase "What Would Jesus Do", with Jesus being a moral example rather than a Saviour figure. Sheldon's ideas coalesced with those that formed into the Social Gospel espoused by Walter Rauschenbusch. Indeed Rauschenbusch acknowledged that his Social Gospel owed its inspiration directly to Sheldon's novel, and Sheldon himself identified his own theology with the Social Gospel.

In this popular novel (it had been translated into 21 languages by 1935), Rev. Henry Maxwell encounters a homeless man who challenges him to take seriously the imitation of Christ. The homeless man has difficulty understanding why, in his view, so many Christians ignore the poor:

"I heard some people singing at a church prayer meeting the other night,
'All for Jesus, all for Jesus,
All my being's ransomed powers,
All my thoughts, and all my doings,
All my days, and all my hours.'
"and I kept wondering as I sat on the steps outside just what they meant by it. It seems to me there's an awful lot of trouble in the world that somehow wouldn't exist if all the people who sing such songs went and lived them out. I suppose I don't understand. But what would Jesus do? Is that what you mean by following His steps? It seems to me sometimes as if the people in the big churches had good clothes and nice houses to live in, and money to spend for luxuries, and could go away on summer vacations and all that, while the people outside the churches, thousands of them, I mean, die in tenements, and walk the streets for jobs, and never have a piano or a picture in the house, and grow up in misery and drunkenness and sin."

This leads to many of the novel's characters asking, "What would Jesus do?" when faced with decisions of some importance. This has the effect of making the characters embrace more seriously Christianity and to focus on what they see as that religion's core—the life of Christ.

In 2005, Garry Wills wrote "What Jesus Meant," in which he examined "What Would Jesus Really Do" (also a book review in Esquire Magazine).

[edit] Accessories

In the late 1980s, several youth ministers at churches in Holland, Michigan began putting the "W.W.J.D." inscription on buttons and bracelets, and the theme was picked up by locally-based merchandisers. These bracelets and others like them became popular, especially among young people, including Christians of both liberal and conservative varieties. They were occasionally worn as a fashion statement by people who did not necessarily take the question to heart. The inscription has also appeared on mugs, rings, bumper stickers, bookmarks, key rings, etc. with some variants featuring the letters in the shape of the Christian ichthys symbol. This contemporary cultural form of consumption is part of a wider sociological phenomenon, which sociologists of religion have emphasized frequently occurs when an item or idea is decontextualized from its original setting and reshaped as a product in consumer culture. The original socialist ethos of Sheldon's slogan has metamorphosed into a product for consumption.

[edit] Derivatives and Satirical Variations

The expression has inspired countless variations, usually for humorous effect. For example, a parody was sparked within the past year by the song "Craig" on Stephen Lynch's latest album, The Craig Machine, released October 4, 2005. The song is a comical biography of a man named Craig, invented by Lynch, who is Jesus Christ's oft-neglected, hugely jealous, wild child of a brother--instead of wine, Craig turns water into beer. The line, "And now the question for you is not 'What would Jesus do?' but 'Where will you be when the Craig Machine comes partyin' through?' " sparked Lynch fans everywhere to state WWCD? or "What would Craig do?" Lynch's personal photographer Cara Waugaman, who doubles as webmaster for Lynch's largest unofficial fansite, reportedly has a line of WWCD? bracelets in the works.[1]

In an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Crow T. Robot wore a WWBSMD bracelet - "What would Buffy St. Marie do?" Apparently, the answer was always "Write a folk song about it!" Tom Servo wore a WWWWWFWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWD bracelet - "What Would the World Wide Wrestling Federation, Woodrow Wilson, Wet Willie, Wesley Willis, Wade Wilson, William Wyler, Wendy Wasserstein, Walt Whitman, Willy Wonka, Wim Wenders do?"

Another parody is What Would Thor Do? (WWTD?) in the popular gaming webcomic The Order of the Stick. The comic can be found here: [1]. In this case, Thor would "use his power of the thunders to destroy his enemies, then return to Asgard to woo goddesses and drink an ocean's worth of beer. Huzzah!" The phrase is considered to never be as applicable as it is supposed to be, given the fact that most of Thor's worshipers lack his aforementioned power of the thunders.

  • "What Would John Denver Do?" was used in a Denver public school by students protesting overt endorsements of Christianity by school officials.
  • During the Red Sox 2004 World Series title run, center fielder Johnny Damon sported a large beard and shoulder-length hair, causing him to visually resemble the Christ figure. Fans held signs and produced t-shirts asking "WWJDD? - What Would Johnny Damon Do?"
  • "What Would Yoda Do?" is used by Star Wars fans
  • "What Would Mal Do?" is used by Firefly fans.
  • A book What Would Buddha Do? used Buddhist answers to everyday problems.
  • After George W. Bush's (underage, at the time) daughter Jenna was seen drinking, the slogan was parodied with the phrase "What Would Jenna Drink?"
  • On the animated program the Simpsons, Homer was surprised to hear that the “J” stood for Jesus, thinking it stood for Jeppetto.
  • Also on the Simpsons, Rod Flanders shows Homer a movie guide put out by his church, titled "What Would Jesus View?"
  • On the animated program Family Guy in the episode North by North Quahog, Jesus drove a car with a front license plate reading "WWID?"
  • WWJDFAKB, or "What would Jesus do for a Klondike Bar?" has been part of Klondike Bar's advertising, appearing on T-shirts, etc.
  • "What Would Scooby Doo?" --bumpersticker
  • "What Would Jack Do?" references the quick-reacting character Jack Bauer on television action-drama 24
  • WTFWJD for "What The Fuck Would Jesus Do".
  • WWJD is engraved on bracelets sold at Marilyn Manson concerts, meaning "We Want Jesus Dead"
  • "What Would Jesus Drive?" (part of an environmental campaign)
  • "We Want Jack Daniel's."
  • "Who Wants Jelly Donuts?"
  • "Who would Jesus do?"
  • "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" -- Anti war criticism used regarding the Iraq war
  • "What Would Tyler Durden Do?" An entertainment blog (http://www.wwtdd.com)
  • WWCRD, "What would Christopher Reeve do?" -- stem cell research advocates.
  • WWFSMD, "What Would the Flying Spaghetti Monster Do?" A slogan for a parody religion appearing on clothing and promotional images offered at the religion's website. [2]
  • What Would Lizzie Do? -- a board game based on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire
  • WWJD? JWRTFM! -- popular among IT staffers
  • WWMD, "What Would Marx Do"
  • WWJD "We Won Jesus Died" -- a popular parody among Satanists and other Christian opponents.
  • WWCND "What would Chuck Norris Do?"
  • 'What Would Cthulhu Do?' (Drive people insane and kill them) or (Eat 1d3 investigators per round)
  • WWLD "What Would Leeroy Do" -- refers to Leeroy Jenkins
  • WWJD " What would Jaina (Proudmore) Do" --From World of Warcraft
  • "What would Jared do?" -- Subway (restaurant) advertising referring to Jared Fogle
  • WWJK "Who Would Jesus Kill?" -- Anti war criticism targeted toward evangelicals and the Bush Administration. (http://www.whowouldjesuskill.net)
  • WWYHWHD "What would Jehovah do?"

[edit] Song Parodies

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lynch-mob.net
  2. ^ Venganza.org

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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