Thoughts on Christian media

Here is something interesting from AcerbicDiva:

I'm reading a rather neat book for my worldview and life class entitled "Heaven is a Place on Earth: Why Everything You Do Matters to God" by Michael E. Wittmer. The first part of the third chapter briefly describes the "Christian Media" madness that I have only become more and more uncomfortable with. Here are my favorite paragraphs:

"Nearby is the Christian spin-off of Monopoly. Bibleopoly looks like the real game, except that instead of trying to snap up properties so you can build hotels and drive your competitors out of business, the object is to be the first person to purchase the bricks and steeple needed to build a church. Chance cards are replaced with Faith and Contingency cards, and instead of going to jail, unfortunate players are sent to meditation. Of course, the secular streets on the real Monopoly board have been replaced by biblical towns, with sites connected to Jesus' life - Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem - occupying the higher rent district. ("Rent" is not the right word here because players who land on their opponent's space are required to pay offerings). The game ends when one of the players obtains a steeple, and wih the other players joining him in celebration, selects a name and hosts a grand opening for his new church.

Perhaps most troubling are the pack of Testamints, those little pieces of white candy that come emblazoned with gold crosses. The display announces that these Christian breath mints provide two benefits. First, they may be a means of evangelism, for the person who gratefully accepts the mint may inquire about the cross on its cover. Second, should you find no takers for your free mint, this Christian candy is still useful for your own spiritual encouragement. Apparently just knowing that the mint in your mouth is emblazoned with a golden cross will draw you closer to Jesus in a way that a regular Certs never could.

It's tempting to dismiss this galaxy of Christian merchandise as just another example of niche marketing in America's vast capitalistic system. Just as there are specialty shops for woodworkers, birdwatchers, and big and tall people, so there should be stores that supply specific products to Christians. I'm not questioning the need for Christian retailers, for we certainly need access to Bibles, books, and quality Christian music. However, I am wondering whether some of what is sold there does more harm than good"

Mr. Wittmer voiced what my fears are whenever I step into a Christian retailer. So much of what they sell has turned into poor versions of what is on the secular market with a Jesus stamp on it! Why do we need a Bibleopoly game? What is in Monopoly that is so offensive? And why, if there is something offensive about Monopoly, do we just "purify" it with names of Bible towns and church steeples?

I was so frustrated one night at work listening to the childrens' music. It was all normal childrens song with new, Christin lyrics. Instead of the waddling duck leading the others with a quack, quack, quack, the song had him going to church and taking his friends with him! Have we all gone mad?? What in the world made the previous song inappropriate for children?

What happened to making an original Christian board game, or original children's music (and leaving the mint market alone)? Am I justified in my thinking that in our fear of being in and of the world we have become satisfied with just ripping off and sanitizing the world around us? We've turned into a bunch of copy-cats! Not only that, but instead of cheap knock-offs, we're selling expensive copies!

You know, I really shouldn't be bothered so much by this. Clearly, so people really want/need this, for there is obviously a market for this. Someone is buying Testamints. But what kind of a signal does that send to the non-christian world? That what they have is only good if we've painted it neon-green and stamped a bible verse on it in gold sparkly letters? We'd have a whole lot more strength in that argument if it were actually true. Instead, I have discovered there is a direct negative correlation between the quality of an object (music esp) and how many times it uses a Christian catch-phrase (and yes, there are exceptions).

So what do I do? I don't know. I'm just not comfortable whole-heartedly embracing the Christian media. I think so much of what is out there cheapens the amazing power and grace of the gospel. How can expect people to take the Gospel seriously if we don't even appear to take it seriously ourselves?

(On a side note, does anyone remember the little Christian "goody bag" trinkets we'd get in Sunday School and at birthday parties? I never knew what to do with those things. I didn't want them, but I sure didn't want to throw anything away that said Jesus on it. And if I broke it - which happened often cause the stuff was *cheap* - uh oh. I didn't know if I needed to pray for forgiveness!)

(and a side note from me...I feel the same way about all the stuff I got as palanca (gifts) from Via de Cristo, a spiritual growth retreat. Cute, but the sheer volume finally made me throw some of it away. I hated doing that - people took the time to get them or make them, plus they had crosses or rainbows on them...)

---Katie