Thursday, March 30, 2006
Selling The Church
The Gad(d)about is talking about marketing items related to our faith.
But what really bothers me is that people somehow think stuff like this makes their cell phone somehow "holy" or "sanctified." Worse, they think that if they stop listening to say James Taylor (there I go dating myself again) and start listening to some Christian musician I can't name because I don't keep track that they will somehow sanctified.
Sometimes I wonder if we are not developing a new sort of legalism - now we have to conform in the music we listen to, the books we read, and the other media we consume. And while I, like Matt, have no problem with anybody charging for thier work, I do have a problem with that expenditure coming to be viewed as a part of the Christian life.
Related Tags: Christianity, commercialism, Christian media
As a former journalist, no one needs to make an argument with me about the need to collect money on what amounts to a great deal more work than people realize. Christians have every much a right to charge for their work as non-Christians. That wasn't my point.Fair enough, but what about something like this
It is just one sign that the global cellphone market has found God. At a time when consumers are being inundated with offers to receive wireless sports updates, interactive games and more, Mr. Burstyn and other entrepreneurs are catering to customers looking for cellphones and related services that satisfy spiritual, rather than entertainment needs.Geneerally, I hate being a demographic and I think it takes away something from our faith when it is rendered as such.
Companies are selling devices and services such as Christian ringtones and phones with timers that remind Muslims of prayer time. A Pittsburgh company named Jireh Business Development has even introduced a service called JirehMobile that sells what it calls "holy hip-hop" ring tones.
But what really bothers me is that people somehow think stuff like this makes their cell phone somehow "holy" or "sanctified." Worse, they think that if they stop listening to say James Taylor (there I go dating myself again) and start listening to some Christian musician I can't name because I don't keep track that they will somehow sanctified.
Sometimes I wonder if we are not developing a new sort of legalism - now we have to conform in the music we listen to, the books we read, and the other media we consume. And while I, like Matt, have no problem with anybody charging for thier work, I do have a problem with that expenditure coming to be viewed as a part of the Christian life.
Related Tags: Christianity, commercialism, Christian media
