Saturday, July 16, 2005
We Are Not A Demographic...
...I wish.
Much of the "rise" that evangelicalism has experienced in recent years is directly attributable to treating Christians as a demographic. You see, when you define a demographic, it is more than just a label, in our hyper-marketing age, people often choose to identifiy themselves with a demographic simply becasue they like the products and services marketed to that demographic. Thus rich white kids dress like poor black kids because they like rap music. No matter what those white kids do, they will never be black, and sometimes I wonder how much the parallel holds for many that have come to the church under parallel circumstances.
Christian book publishing has, of course, been around for quite a while. But for years it was a small business, truly motivated for ministry and not profit. I think it was the advent of modern Christian music publishing where things really started to go off the rails (though book publishing has rapidly followed suit) -- and much of that was predicated by changes in the copyright laws. It was when I started seeing copyright notices on song lyrics projected or in the bulletin in worship service that I really started to feel like there was a problem.
Now blogging ally Sheep's Crib has run across a piece from Biola University about "secular" businesses buying up "Christian" businesses, like book and music publishing.
John, as is typical for him, is direct and to the point in condemning the insertion of profit motive in front of ministry motive
The fundamental question is, "Is it wrong to make money in the name of Jesus?" First of all, it is not wrong to make money, it's that qualifier where things get a little itchy.
Much of the "rise" that evangelicalism has experienced in recent years is directly attributable to treating Christians as a demographic. You see, when you define a demographic, it is more than just a label, in our hyper-marketing age, people often choose to identifiy themselves with a demographic simply becasue they like the products and services marketed to that demographic. Thus rich white kids dress like poor black kids because they like rap music. No matter what those white kids do, they will never be black, and sometimes I wonder how much the parallel holds for many that have come to the church under parallel circumstances.
Christian book publishing has, of course, been around for quite a while. But for years it was a small business, truly motivated for ministry and not profit. I think it was the advent of modern Christian music publishing where things really started to go off the rails (though book publishing has rapidly followed suit) -- and much of that was predicated by changes in the copyright laws. It was when I started seeing copyright notices on song lyrics projected or in the bulletin in worship service that I really started to feel like there was a problem.
Now blogging ally Sheep's Crib has run across a piece from Biola University about "secular" businesses buying up "Christian" businesses, like book and music publishing.
John, as is typical for him, is direct and to the point in condemning the insertion of profit motive in front of ministry motive
...tell me how Christian firms will not be pressured to produce that which "sells" by secular owners?I share the theory of John's condemnation, but I have to be honest and say that I think the horse left the barn on this issue a while back. John admits that Christian business has been "slipping" for a while, but I think it fell off the ledge some time back.
The fundamental question is, "Is it wrong to make money in the name of Jesus?" First of all, it is not wrong to make money, it's that qualifier where things get a little itchy.
1 Corinthians 9:11-12 - If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. (NAS)Just because we can do something, does not mean that we should. It is obviously not "wrong" to make money in the name of Jesus, but it is better to find another way to make a living.
