Update On The Crazy Car Dealer

Remember the crazy car dealer from California who felt that people who didn't agree with his spiritual beliefs should sit down and shut up, because they're not the majority? Seems he's had a "come to Jesus" moment:

“It’s just something that went by us,” said Kieffe, who does not attend church but considers himself “a Christian spirit.” “We’re obviously sorry that it offends a given segment who identifies themselves as atheist.”

Car dealer regrets ads urging non-Christians to 'sit down and shut up'

Anna Lemma, who called attention to this ad at her blog The Underground Unbeliever, wrote this yesterday:

Perhaps they will review the ads that they pay for in the future. They ended up with a lot of egg on their faces this time. I emailed them weeks ago about how the ad was offensive to nonbelievers, especially atheists. The portion of the ad that offended me was the "shut up and sit down" portion. The arrogance and condescension I can put up with, but not being told to give up my right to free speech.

Kieffe & Sons Ford Apologizes for Offending Nonbelievers

The part about them feeling aggrieved because they can't have publicly led prayers in government institutions and can't be sure they're going to get their way on the question of whether we openly declare ourselves "One Nation, Under God" is rather tiring, too. They seem to feel that they're entitled to a level of forbearance that they've never engaged in themselves - which is to see someone else's spiritual beliefs represented as the beliefs of all of our country's citizens.

But the shear intolerance of the "sit down and shut up" comment was the issue for most of us. As numerous commenters had observed, it went well beyond stating a point of view, however narrow-minded, and turned into the worst form of intolerance. It was a clear implication that the rest of us are just second-class citizens, and that our views are not deserving of any consideration.

For a little while, they learned what that really feels like.