That's nothing new. "Jesus Junk" (as it is called in Christian retailing) is a staple and the bane of those who work in Christian bookstores.
Though I would have loved to get the "Let My People Go" toilet seat...That's funny, I don't care who you are. On Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 10:15 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > > Christian Post > > Jesus Saves, But Does He Shave? Christian Kitsch Becoming More Popular > > Thu, Dec. 29, 2011 Posted: 05:27 PM EDT > > ________________________________ > > Show your electronics that Jesus saves and ring in the New Year with a piece > of Jesus toast; freshen your breath with one of the famous Testa-Mints > (found in your nearest Christian bookstore) before slapping on your Jesus > Save sandals to go buy a bobblehead football Jesus. > > Are these items harmless, or humorless and offensive? Christian kitsch is > becoming a mainstream commodity, making waves in Christian retail on > Internet sites featuring odd items. > > “There are some disconcerting side effects to watch out for in the world of > Christian advertising,” noted James Beverley, in an interview with The > Christian Post. “Any promotion that uses Gospel symbols to sell > non-spiritual products increases the chances of non-Christians thinking that > all Christians are interested in is money. > > “There is also the danger of cheapening the value of Christian symbols by > direct connection with various products of modern capitalism,” said > Beverley, professor of Christian thought and ethics at Tyndale University in > Toronto, Canada. > > Creators of the kitsch argue that some products were created for > functionality, such as the Higher Power surge protector, a cross-shaped > power strip to maximize outlet space. > > “It’s a much more efficient way of using all your outlets … it’s also a > visual metaphor; the cross is a ‘higher power,’” Rob Howell, the > entrepreneur behind the idea, told CP. > > While Howell is not himself a Christian – he said he is “more of a searcher” > – he saw the popularity of other Christian products, namely the Jesus > toaster featured in a previous CP article. He and his partner, architect > Alex Pincus, have posted the surge protector on kickstart.com to raise the > funding needed to launch the project. Howell said they plan to donate 10 > percent of the profits to Project Host, a soup kitchen in Greenville, S.C. > > “The feedback has been positive – we haven’t heard any negative comments so > far,” Howell said, stating that several churches have expressed an interest > in the surge protector, using the logo itself to create T-shirts, or selling > the items as a youth group fundraiser. > > “We’re inclusive and we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. The design is > functionally inclusive, not exclusive,” Howell said. > > But how should a Christian view all the religious kitsch? Is it taking the > Lord’s name in vain, trivializing the Gospel, and an affront to God? > > “On the bottom line, Christians will have differences of opinion about the > trappings of the Christian consumer world,” Beverley said. > > Some Christian-themed items are blatantly for fun and humor – such as Jesus > action figures or the “Jesus Shaves” shaving mugs – and could be taken with > a grain of salt. A previous CP story on the Jesus toaster, sparked hundreds > of comments, mainly positive, on the item. > > Some Christians may feel that items like Testa-Mints, sandals imprinted with > “Jesus Loves You” or Evangi-Cubes, are witnessing tools. But how would a > believer feel about a toilet-seat cover emblazoned with the words “Let My > People Go” in a Hebrew-like font? > > Beverley said these things are purely distasteful. “While Christians have > liberty in a free market economy, we should set our ideals at a high level > when presenting the Gospel,” he said. “Can we picture these modern trinkets > in the Sistene Chapel?” > > “Here is a good question, ‘what cultural message are we communicating by the > mediums that we use as vehicles to present the Christian message?’” asked > Matt Capp, associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in the Winston-Salem > area of North Carolina, in a recent blog post. > > “The commodification of the Christian message not only exploits the faith to > consumer capitalism, but it also sentimentalizes and trivializes the Gospel. > We can’t just slap a Bible verse on something and call it “Christian” > because that item itself has a message attached to it within the context of > our culture,” Capp wrote. > > It’s hard to imagine Christians getting rid of the Jesus fish on their cars, > or closeting their “Lord’s Gym” T-shirts, but maybe Christians should think > twice before purchasing any cross-shaped trinket or item emblazoned with a > Bible verse. > > "There is no need to question the motives of the sellers but if a product > cheapens the deep, sacred realities of the Christian faith then the > Christian community should resist buying those items,” Beverley advised. > > Gabrielle Devenish > > ________________________________ > > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community > <[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
