selling jesus

After reading this article, I began to think about my own sentiments regarding the surge of Christian mainstream media in recent years. Undoubtedly, as the author indicates, The Passion of the Christ grossed $370 million...and that's a LOT of money. Production companies are jumping at the opportunity to make the next Passion: it's easy access to one of the largest target markets in North America.

This makes me feel uneasy.

I hope I don't offend anyone, and feel free to state your opinion as well, but I think it's disgusting when churches allow the larger than life posters to put on their walls, to have booths set up in the lobby advertising the movie (and OH YES, that has been done). Isn't that frighteningly reminiscent of a certain passage in the Bible?

This concept of "spirit-based entertainment" is only flourishing...Lee Strobel's series have been plucked up, and some Max Lucado books as well. The big idea? Touched by an Angel on the big screen! Preferably sappy! And most definitely IRRELEVANT to most people!
Part of my big peeve about this is how LAZY it is. Sure, it's easy to just take a bunch of films and label them Christian - kinda like, "Hey Church, here are some goody two shoes movies I'm sure you'd like! Let me sell them to you! Hey...maybe you can even PREACH about it."
It's supposed to be some easy way to navigate our culture...serving to individualize our needs....customizing for us so we don't even have to try and see what interests us. More and more, we have become segmented as a society...separated by religion, race, sex...and we have our entertainment spoon-fed to us.

I'm out of breath now - part 2 tomorrow. I promise it'll be less angry and depressing.