Sooner or later, there had to be a backlash against the largely American phenomenon of preempting political debate by injecting "Jesus" into whatever social or political argument happened to dominate the hour. The fad started several years ago and quickly found favor among a surprisingly broad swath of the U.S. population, young and old, men and women, right and left.
Religiously minded, but at the same time sheeplike in their simplicity, these people were soon sporting bracelets, pins and other accessories emblazoned with the question "What Would Jesus Do?" or its shorthand version, "WWJD?" Others, perhaps more cynical than simple, went along with what they perceived as a mainstream movement. Then-U.S. Vice President Al Gore, for one, declared that, if elected president in 2000, he would be guided by that question in his policymaking.
Last year, the all-purpose slogan got a bit more specific, and quite a bit more risible, with the launch of a campaign (complete with a Web site) urging people to ask themselves, "What Would Jesus Drive?"