Well, this is the first official post on the new blog, so I wanted to come up with something extremely profound, but actually this is not so much. But I figure, even though this is the first post, it will soon be lost in the long stream of history and thought and no one will ever see it again. So there.
So, this past week I took my first trip to a Christian book store in a long time. I was actually fairly pleasantly surprised. Sure there were the requisite piles of bad fiction, but I think I saw more actual works from Christian history than the usual Lewis and Lucado stock, though there was definitely a post-Reformation slant, which was a little disappointing. And Josh McDowell's "More than a Carpenter" is still in the top-five on the apologetics best-seller list. But, on the other hand, I did see a book called "Mary for Evangelicals" and the first copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that I have ever seen in an Evangelical book store.
So all was going fairly well until my mom called me over to help her look for the gifts she was buying for a couple weddings she was going to this past weekend. Then, the trouble started. The issue, I'm discovering, that I have with Evangelicals is usually not so much an issue of doctrine as it is of culture. In what way does printing a bible verse on a plate, a coffee cup, a pad of paper make it a more appropriate gift or possession for a Christian than one that doesn't. Seriously, someone explain this connection to me. Why would anyone have said some day, over morning coffee, "Hey, I would feel more spiritual drinking this if I had a bible verse on the cup!" Talk about proof-texting. Actually, I don't know whatever inspirational effect these little bits are supposed to offer, but I think being surrounded by plates and angel statues that either have the verse about "the two shall become one" or "as for me and my house we will serve the Lord" on them really, really makes me want to never touch the Bible again, except perhaps to throw it across the room. Way to butcher the word of God, guys.
On a related note, lately I have had the great privilege to be exposed to both the excellent programming of TBN and the fine work of Joel Osteen. We are arch nemesis...nemeses? I didn't watch very far because my sister thought it was boring. But in that time I got to see Mr. Osteen have everyone raise their Bibles high and recite some kind of bizarre mantra of self-actualization about how they are about to recieve the almighty word of God and never, never, never, never be the same. (I am not even joking, he repeated that many nevers). The almighty word of Osteen is more like it.
Hmmm...maybe I'm becoming too cynical, too bitter. Ho hum, I don't know that I am ready to reform right now. The shudder factor is still too strong. Maybe I'll just become a Buddhist for a while until this settles down.
S.
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6 comments:
I came to see a beautiful blogspot... and your blogspot does not disappoint.
I love the layout. and you.
Isn't the esteemed Mr. Osteen even grammatically incorrect? Wouldn't it be never, followed by the necessary number of 'evers'? But, I too love the fact that as long as the object is labeled as "Christian", it instantly appeals to the religious right, regardless of the object itself. I feel like its my Christian duty to exploit this to no end.
Love the layout and the top quote :) Counter-question in your objection to the verse-plastering on Jesus-junk: what's the difference between that particular evangelical marketing practice and, say, the commands in Torah for the Israelites to wear tassels to remind them of the Word?
Counter points to the counter question:
--Proof texting for inspirational purposes. Why is it the same five sappy verses?
--how many people actually really look at/think about/meditate on the verses on their coffee cups?
--why do the verses have to be illustrated with sappy little angel and heart illustrations?
You haven't responded to the principle of my counterpoint, just raised (valid) objections about practicalities. At heart, verse-emblazoned Jesus-junk COULD serve the same purpose as Torah-tassles, if we used it that way. I can't believe I'm sticking up for Christian merchandising. Ugh.
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