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WINE! Oh. And I lean toward trivialization. Much like Constantine, totally ruined it for the lot of us.
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i actually feel sad when i see religion commercialized. i feel like we are just moving further and further away from the point of it all.
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I believe that there needs to exist a balance, religion cannot become overly commercial because that removes a lot of the element of faith. But at the same time religions need to be commercialized to a certain extent in order to keep up wiith a modern, western culture. Especially for young people, religion seems boring this is possibly due to all the alternative options present in their lives. If religion is left completely to it's own devices then it will fall behind, people will have no time for religion and not see it as an important element in their life that is worthy of their time.
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To clarify, my earlier point, and to respond to the poster who made a comparison to the commercialization of environmentalism. I think religious evangelism is wrong, and is missing the point. The point is not to convert everybody to the "truth" of Christianity, or Buddhism, or whatever your own faith tradition is, but to encourage others, probably through example, to embrace the messages that these traditions represent--essentially, love and kindness. So, to commercialize Jesus, with the intent of converting others to Christianity, is not the same as commercializing environmentalism, which, like love and kindness, is another universal value that benefits everyone.
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Strange and true.....I keep coming into this site to read what you all have to say and today while in a restaurant talking with my son the word god was overheard by a neighboring eater. She declared that she "owned" the phrase "god sent me". I started to reply and she interrupted me to tell me further that she owned it for her T-shirts and that the process had taken three and a half years. This got the woman on the other side of us talking about god, organized religion and spirituality. So today trivializing worked. After everyone left my son said," What if that woman really was the second coming of Christ?" We were both laughing and I was checking out what she had left behind on the table; a napkin with a small hunk of bread on it.
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if by commercializing you mean slapping a verse and a jesus picture on something and calling it a christian product then i have to say it trivializes it. i've often thought of all the different "no-no" products for christians out there and wondered if there was a simple name change would it be in a bible store? take the ouiga board... change the name to the "gods will board" or the "what would jesus do board" and ya. i think people would buy it. why wouldnt they? there's already a christian guitar hero. im not sure what irritates me more... the creator of the product or the purchaser.
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I dont mind this t-shirt, I think its cute =) but I'm sure there are things out there that I wouldn't agree with and be affended about! But then again anything to make Jesus and God more into my everyday life I encourge. And Jesus would totally drink and venti cafe vanilla frap with me any day! yum yum!
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First off, I'm not a very religious kind of person. Baptized Catholic, attended Mormon sermons, grown up Agnostic. Skip this in case you fear blasphemy or get insulted really easily. Commercializing religion is kind of a double-edged sword. It trivializes it because one man's funny Jesus/Allah/Buddah joke is another man's insult. Even the more serious advertisements can be taken offensively depending on who is interpreting the message. Watch the Weeds episode titled "Fashion of The Christ". Funny? yes, to some. Insulting? yes, to some. But, I mean, isn't that the beauty of religion itself? Take a set of writings from the ancient (or not so ancient past) and interpret it as needed by the religious sect's HQ, priests, followers, and critics. So, from my standpoint, I really can't take offense to the commercialization of religion. It's just as integral as whichever version of whatever religious tome is being interpreted for the sake of faith. I will agree that even though it may be trivializing, we are living in the Golden Age of Television and Internet. I've grown up in Generation ADHD and if you can't relate, you tune it out. So yes, commercializing religion does make it accessible. If it's accessible, and your market is able to relate, it sells. Just like funny T-shirts.
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When I was younger I definitely thought commercializing any religious symbol was demeaning, but as I've gotten older I'm less in the religious box and definitely seeking more spirituality. So if bringing religion to the young masses than maybe like me when they are older they will develop a stronger spiritual growth.
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I'm sure Jesus, being fully Man (and yet fully God), probably drank most of the same stuff we drink on earth. Some nice wine, water, anything according to Jewish customs of the time were liquids he probably drank. This commercializing religion does bug me, but it cannot be stopped. Jesus was not white, nor had flowing brown hair. Sorry, but its true. commercializing religion makes it trivial. We see triviality in the picture. Although it is true, Jesus did sacrifice His life for ours, this isn't right. Things get out of hand. Once I saw a 6th grader wearing a shirt with a picture of a sandwich on it. Words wrote said: "Peanut Butter And Jesus" That bugs me to this day.
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This tee shirt doesn't strike me as disrespectful, just a different (less traditional) medium for sharing the message. I wouldn't buy or sell it, but it doesn't trivialize my beliefs. Hopefully I advertise my faith by my actions, not by my apparel. I'm not offended if people choose this as a way to share their beliefs. I personally feel less need to wear my heart on your sleeve (or shirt as the case may be.) As to the WWJDrink question, it's clear that back in the day he preferred wine. These days who knows what he'd go for? A cold frappuccino on a hot day is hard to resist...
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Commercializing religion can do both--make it more accessible AND can just trivialize it. Because we are a wide range of free-thinking individuals with our own psyches and inner twists, we all would have a different perception at different times of religious sayings, symbols, or fixtures and how they are used/displayed. Perhaps the Starbucks/Jesus shirt to one would plant the question "who is this Jesus, and how can I find out what the reference is?" thus leading to research and answers, and who knows? a follower. 10 minutes later, same shirt, another individual's reaction is "cool. Starbucks, Jesus. Where'd you get it?"
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My daughter bought me a teeshirt online. It's a cartoon like picture of Jesus parasailing. The caption reads: "What wouldn't Jesus do?" I like it.
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jesus, if he really existed would probably like a glass of water.. because then he could turn it into anything he wants.. like wine.. but if i could do that.. i'd turn it into beer.. does commercializing religion trivialize it? well... for the most part religion as a pop fixture is merely just that.. a pop fixture.. however if most people were to dig deeper into the religion itself they would see that the idol or main character or whatever, is already trivial when in the light of the moral msg.. in other words.. jesus already was commercial.. he was the spokesman for his brand.. he wasn't the coffee in the cup.. he was just the cup.. go ahead and marinate on that for a minute... just my interpretation of the situation..
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I think that if Jesus exists she would drink whatever was offered to her/him. However, I would definitely think Jesus would prefer an adult beverage.
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I have to agree with most of these people. Commercializing any religion trivializes it. The founders of the great religions of the world were, at least, extraordinary individuals, worthy of respect. Their teachings have formed the basis for the morality of millions of people throughout the world. When I see the name Jesus on a bumper sticker, filthy with grime from the road, I feel sick. I am not even a Christian and it makes me very sad.
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for the record, Jesus drinks chocolate milk. however, i think the main way people will accept religion is when they screw up their lives and Jesus puts them back together. I have never heard of a story where solely by logic and reasoning, a person became a Christian. something special had to happen to them. Sure, logic may have played a part, but I've never heard of people coming to Christ just because its a logical choice. so there's is very little chance a t-shirt will even start you thinking about Jesus. anyway, i don't think that t-shirts make you any more Christian than someone who doesn't. so i think other than a small laugh, these are pointless. right now, they're harmless, but if we take it much farther than the above t-shirt, i'll have a big problem with it.
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The first thing I thought of when I saw this was the "Jesus Is My Homeboy" t-shirt fad. The first time I saw that, I kinda wanted to find the person who came up with that, I wanted to punch them in the face. Really?? Jesus is YOUR HOMEBOY?? Its so disrespectful. I think thats the main issue here, not "being on the bandwagon" (though that does play into it, for sure), is disrespect to the religion. Theres nothing wrong with making an aspect of the religion popular, thats kind of the point, for everyone to recognize the truth in it. However, theres a fine line between support and taking advantage of it.
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While I think good examples for commercialization cheapening ideas and movements can be made, I disagree that it is necessarily true. I think the "climate change" or "green" movement has been commercialized and exploited for financial gain more than any other movement/idea lately. Is that all bad? Just because someone has greed as a motive for producing or selling a product does not mean that product can not have a positive impact.
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Water, with a wine chaser. But seriously folks, advertising trivializes everything it touches. Also, the Bible says you shouldn't flaunt faith in public.
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I think that the recent teeny boppers have trivialized religion to the extreme. By Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers etc. wearing "purity rings" the idea of staying pure for jesus seems like another teen fad.
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I believe that by commercializing reiligion, we do indeed trivialize it. Religion (no matter which one) is commonly thought of as sacred worldwide, accept, of course, here in America. I think people have taken their 1st amendment rights a little too far when I see a funny t-shirt with Jesus on it. Granted, some of them are quite funny, but I still agree that Jesus (or any religious figure) should not be on a t-shirt or anything that is sold commercially. The argument that commercializing religion make it more accessible is not a well thought out argument without proper research. Do people really see a t-shirt with Jesus on it and immediately think to themselves, "I think I want to become a Christian today"?
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If I weren't an atheist I would think it can definitely cheapen the divine, but I'd probably have some kind of rationalization that God must want it since he's given people the blah blah blah… But, since I'm an atheist, I don't think you can cheapen fiction with satire or parody. Whatever discussion it sparks, it keeps attention on the icons, faith or beliefs in question in the spotlight and on people's minds.
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it makes it more accessible. its 2009, and religious marketers need to get on the bandwagon or be left even further behind.
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well, there is a really sweet Jesus bobble-head I have my eye on...............................
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for a religion that teaches not to idolize things in physical form, it's followers sure don't like to listen. It's human nature to want to show their attachment and share it with the world, but for a lot of people the item takes on the meaning, and they forget the reason for it. Luke 12:34 (New International Version) 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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It reminds me of tshirts I've seen around "Jesus is my homeboy..." My immediate reaction was that it removes the sacredness around religion, not to say religion should be something confined to temple or an edifice, but religion should be an attitude of spirituality in every day life - making it common and kind of reducing the station of Christ? There was one story I was reading in The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, and while describing a real amazing event, there's a foot note saying that event shouldn't be considered a miracle, because to do say would diminish the lofty station Manifestations of God inhabit. If to prescribe such things as miracles have such an effect, what impact would such commercialization have?
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i have 2 "Christian" t-shirts...one has REVOLUTIONARY LOVE emblazed on the front...across the chest hard to miss, then it has a small pic of Jesus down on the bottom...it in effect says I believe in LOVE and it opens doors for me to speak about Jesus, but it doesn't throw religion in peoples faces. the second one has "Witness" in greek emblazed on the front...across the chest hard to miss, then under that in small letters it has "Passion", none of which say anything about Jesus, but it also opens door...if someone asked me what it means and what I'm passionately witnessing about, then I share my testimony with them...but once again, doesn't force religion down anyone's throat, and it gives me a chance to tell you what I believe. Cos let's face it, wearing a "Jesus is Lord" t-shirt means crap if you don't actually believe it. I'm not against "Christian" t-shirt. I'm against t-shirt/crosses/etc being your testimony. I would rather see what you believe through your actions, not what you are wearing. "Does commercializing religion make it more accessible or just trivialize it?" A bit of both I guess. But done right - with the intent of sharing the gospel, not making a profit - it can be a great witnessing tool. And to answer the original question: He would drink wine (he did turn water into wine, and used wine at the last supper). And coffee, I think he would love coffee (sorry, no biblical references for this one).
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I think Timewolf is spot-on in his analysis of religious iconography. Fuse this with GusGo's ideas on today's consumer culture and you have my answer. Nowadays what people who try and do is turn a religion into a brand. I hate the idea of Christian stores like Mardel's and Family Christian because I know that when I buy something from there, that money's not going to the cause that the store is promoting; that is to say, Christianity. Many people don't realize that the people involved in selling these items most likely don't have a very good grasp on the ideology of their religion, if they consider themselves religious at all. Once you realize that it's a pyramid scheme, you get out of there as fast as you can. In fact, just this morning I found a shirt in my closet that said "JesUSAves" and I wanted to punch something for actually paying money for that shirt. Note that I do consider myself a Christian. Wasn't paying attention to who said it earlier, but someone talked about Jesus getting "kinda pissed" at the men at the Temple? The story there is that the people had to sacrifice a blemishless animal to please the Lord or something like that (Yeah, I know, I should get my facts straight) and so these merchants set up shop in the Temple to sell the animals so the people wouldn't have to worry about raising their own. This is, essentially, buying your way to salvation. The people in the story didn't care enough about their relationship with God to carry out his laws to the letter, and this upset Jesus, who turned the tables, quite literally, on the religious profiteers. The thing about the story that's really great though, is that the people that bought the animals from the merchants were just as guilty as--if not guiltier than--the merchants themselves. The truth of the matter is, religion isn't trivialized by the people who sell this kind of junk to the public. Religion is trivialized by the people who proudly display it, thinking that because they bought the t-shirt, they must really know what they're talking about.
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Commercializing religion definitely trivializes it and downplays it's seriousness/sacredness. However, it also make others aware of the religion at the same time, just not in a very practical and informative way.
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Any time you take something as personal and inward as spiritual beliefs nothing but trivilization can arise. As a practicing Buddhist I see more and more ads with people sitting either half or full lotus with the thumb and index fingers pressed together, as if that one posture itself is the whole embodiment of an ancient practice of kindness and compassion. I find this shallow and exploitative. To me, seeing a picture or statue of the Buddha doesn't make me more aware of my ongoing practice as a Buddhist. It doesn't confirm my identity with it or make me feel any more comfort in my beliefs. To subscribe to the idea that a t-shirt or bumper sticker makes you more of a believer misses the point entirely and only causes people to mistake you as a mindless zealot who is showing off more than looking inward.
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I'm curious what the reactions of Christians are when they see similar commercial messages of other faiths? Would any of you feel Islam was being trivialized by a T-Shirt that says, "I've been to Mekkah, hajj you?" or maybe "Got hajj" with a picture of a milk carton. (For reference, the hajj is a journey to Mekkah and a ceremonial spiritual highlight for millions of Muslims.) How do you feel about the Adam Sandler song, "Put on your Yarmulke" in regards to Judaism? I ask because its always different when its not so personal. Would you feel like you were being pressured to consider their belief, or given insight? Would you assume all practitioners of these respective religions all felt favorably toward such commercialization? Or is there nothing wrong with it?
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I'm not a huge fan of commercializing religion. While sometimes seeing a clever graphic or saying may make me smile, it often just makes me shake my head and keep walking. I'm a firm believer that religion can only be made accessible by being a living example. Besides, what does it say about a religion when someone with a WWJD bumper sticker cuts you off on the highway? It makes it that much easier to be cynical about that religion.
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Nowadays, our mind is constantly fed with countless external simulation so, if we don’t have a circus in front of us, we don’t pay attention. We get bored easily. If somebody wants to get a message across the masses, he must to use modern corporate-style methods and channels or he would be invisible. Due to extreme specialization and increasing interdependence, we don’t create much any more, as individuals. So, how is our creative energy draining? The answer: Consumerism. We consume a lot of (already made) stuff, especially entertainment, to compensate for our unfulfilled creative potentiality. Our life is getting trivial! Note: I am not pessimistic! I believe in humanity. A consumer culture critic? Yes
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Religious marketing drives me insane. I don't like their methods for attracting new "customers". This is an abomination. ugh and yuck.
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It trivializes it, in my case. For me, my religious practices help me connect to my spirituality. Without prayer, meditation, etc., it's hard for me to find that "zone" of spirituality. When I have spiritual religious experiences, I view them as sacred. So I appreciate a more reverential approach to "marketing" religion. So, commercializing religions, such as Christianity, with a catchy marketing slogan like "Jesus: Tough as Nails" or "JC: Original Gangsta" or some t-shirt with something like that on it cheapens my religious experience. And, I expect, this type of thing becomes a novelty to non-believers more than an effective missionary tool. It doesn't work for me. But maybe it will for others.
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For some people that might not otherwise think about religion, I think it might be a good thing.
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Commercializing is done for money, but on the grand scheme of things it is done to lodge information into the subconscious so that we emotionally attach a brand with a product. I think that commercializing religion is a smart and effective way to connect with people on a level that is accessible. Religion is already trivialized by people who don't want any part of it. So commercializing it may be geared towards people who already want religion and don't know it, are more curious about it, or simply forgot how much they missed.
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That's tricky. The good thing about commercialization is the fact that it's so accessible, but it's also done for the purposes of money. I don't think Jesus would be too keen on the idea. He got pretty pissed at all those people selling their stuff in that temple, remember? And it also depends on your frame of mind. If you're a person who is open to the idea of religion and seeing something like that Starbucks type sign makes you start asking questions, then that's cool. However, one could see a sign like that and be totally turned off. As for myself, I laughed and rolled my eyes. It's almost too silly and yet totally appealing and interesting at the same time. I feel contradictory.
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Jesus would probably drink holy water. or rather, it would become holy after he drank it. in fact, the water was probably pretty filthy on a count of it being in the ancient middle east, amiright? then again, I wouldn't call myself an expert on ancient middle-eastern aqueducts and irrigation systems, perhaps the water was quite sufficient. ...what was the question again?
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I have seen so many of these! From pepsi, 7-up, Sprite, they all do it. The Christian bookstore Mardels sells alot of these kinds of T-shirts and when I see them, it doesn't make me take religion seriously. It's almost a joke to me, when I see things like this. Also, I work at Starbucks, and this makes me very sad.
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commercializing religion is an oxymoron. Reaching out to a fellow being in thought or deed, whether big or small, gives religion "life".God is love and is accessible to all.
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The commercialization of religion makes it more accessible BY trivializing it. Americans respond to things familiar, convenient and easy for them. The t-shirt is a perfect example of someone capitalizing on this and using all too familiar imagery to make money. Period. It's a shirt designed to SELL and thus put dollars in pockets. If sheeple respond to this junk and spend their money on it, then the capitalist who made it wins.
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Commercializing religion definetly makes it more accessible. It gets people talking about it, thinking about it. I personally think this T-Shirt is funny and I think there needs to be humour to help people discuss a topic that is serious.
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I think it does a great injustice to the most creative force in the universe when His followers show a lack of creativity by copying the designs of other people. I think part of it makes people who are scared to share their faith have a conversation starter but I wish those things could be more creative.
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When it comes to things like this, I'm very picky about how everything's worded. When the shirt says "Sacrificed For Me", the "Me" part kind of gives off the feeling that Jesus only sacrificed himself for the people wearing the shirt, making people who don't wear it feel somewhat guilty. Don't get me wrong, sometimes we do need to feel some guilt to remind ourselves of who we are, but they're using that guilt to sell their t-shirts.
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It allows others to do one's thinking for them. It trivializes religion, misrepresents the true essence of religion which is to enlighten, unify solutions to the problems of the age in which we live; it makes it a plaything of the ignorant or profit-mongers. It is what creates atheists because it defies logic, deadens reason and degrades creativity. It builds division, fanaticism and diminishes our true potential. In short, it is a travesty because each of us should independently search for truth, think for ourselves, separate the false from the fiction, and attain spiritual awareness.
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I think people who can think logically and for themselves don't need religion to make it through their day (unlike their morning latte) so this sort of thing won't effect them. The weak minded or those that have perhaps just had a very emotional life experience might turn back to (or more to) religion a little quicker because of such commercialization, but then they would do so at any suggestion back to a previous religious belief in my opinion and experience. I don't really see it changing anyone's belief system though. I doubt a shirt or bumper sticker promoting Christianity if seen by someone of the Jewish, Muslim, or any other religion would cause them to say, "You know what? Christ must have died for my sins. It's on a t-shirt. Christianity, here I come." or some other such nonsense. I'm not a religious person, if you can't tell. I don't like religion and don't think we need it anymore. I think we should question things and look for answers and believe nothing with blind faith. On the other hand, I know that religious people even the "casually religious" will often defend their religion tooth and nail to those of us who question it, so I don't see them being swayed by something so trivial as a product promoting a religion. If you can give them facts as to why their religion is wrong and not turn them, a t-shirt certainly isn't going to either. So with all that said, I guess I got massively off topic, but to me it seems it would make it more accessible to those of the same religion, but not really to those of other beliefs, and it would allow people to "show off" their faith in the wrong way, which really in a sense is trivializing it.
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I think it does a little bit of both, but specifically in Christianity, I think it trivializes it to an extent in 2 ways. 1) Christian scripture states that people will know you are a Christian by the fruit you produce (loving others and that sort of thing). For a lot of people, wearing a t-shirt replaces that. And does God really want people to call themselves his followers if they don't produce the kind of "fruits" he wants? Like people who have a churchey bumper sticker, but still cut off people in traffic and yell at the people who do it to them. This just spreads the idea that Christians are hypocrites. 2) Christianity is way more than going to church on Sundays, listening to Christian radio, and wearing Jesus shirts. But some people don't take it any farther than that. They feel like because they look like other Christians, they must be a Christian! This, obviously, makes people give a half-assed effort to the dedication of committing yourself as a Follower of Christ. Of course, there's an accessibility factor for a lot of people, but I think it's a situation where you have to weigh the risks very carefully for yourself. (This is the same reason I don't have any bumper stickers for my church, my school, or my fraternity on my car... I don't always appear to be the most gracious driver)
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i perhaps do understand the need to "brand" religions. it makes them accessible and not so intimidating. it adds a sense of inclusiveness. but i'm not necessarily of the opinion that this is a good thing. when all of these aspects of a religion, particularly the parts that demand great leaps of faith, such as resurrection, divine enlightenment, etc., are perhaps not trivialized, but watered down to a compact slogan that one can mindlessly toss out when questioned on faith, i think this is grossly disastrous error. the most compelling aspect of faith, for me at least, is that beautiful mystery that can never be fully explained by human reason. the need for faith is not an insurance policy, as naively displayed on the t-shirt above, but rather an inborn quality that all humans have of needing to cogitate. a religion can't be summed up onto a piece of cotton. it's an entire history of people living in the name of a particular deity and how that has affected their lives and those around them. it's the same thing i tell people when they ask me why i feel negatively towards the musical 'rent'. aids, and homelessness, and drug abuse are terrible afflictions that our nations face and many choose to ignore. while i know that it was written with the intention of "decriminalizing" the face of all these issues, to me it just put a big yellow smiley face sticker on it that masks the real problem. religion is such a giant mess already, with all the people of this world fighting against each other in the name of one god. why would we risk allowing the message of love to get lost in translation? whew.
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I think these particular styles of shirts are made to focus on the younger generation. People think that teenagers will only respond to commercialized ideas. Let's put a Starbucks logo on a shirt with the message of God and they will listen. I admit, it works for some people. Some people need that to get their attention. But the ones who really want to heart God's message for what it is .. don't need some fancy logo to spark their interest. No use of any logo will ever make me understand God .. as much as I really want to at this point in my life and with what I've experienced.
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It makes it more accessible to those who are gullible enough not to see through the greed. It trivializes it to those who can think for themselves. Somebody said something about originality. This ain't it, but there going to be some who would wear this bad joke of a shirt to promote *themselves* under the pretense of wearing art
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I think in many ways marketing religion makes it more trivialized. It becomes easier to, say, categorize it with the new fashion or annoying commercial. And, we really need to ask ourselves: what type of depth are we giving people in a religion that is recognized by the shirt you’re wearing? What ever happened to living a lifestyle based on your beliefs?
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Commercialization adds the possibility of unintentional hilarity, as illustrated by the subvertized Starbucks logo. It's kind of a "pearls before swine" (no offense intended to my fellow swine) where they don't seem to value their pearls. timewolf makes a very solid point about the distinction between iconography and religious practice, but I'm not sure that there isn't an oversplash effect from the cheapening of the icons onto those who use them.
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@Jakebond70 Could you elaborate? I like where this is going. I completely agree that when an organization extends itself across a larger constituency, its values and beliefs become more generalized and encompassing, but do religions do this too? Do religions really dilute values in order to connect with a larger audience? I
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. The question was posed incorrectly: commercializing does not trivialize religion, but fetishizes its iconography. Exploiting iconography for a profit is not the same as exploiting the religion. You can't sell practices, you can't sell beliefs, you can't sell values. However, you can sell the image that represent those values, which in a sense undermines them, and supplants the work one would need to do in order to nurture a connection with their religion, with appropriation of iconography that represents the products of that work: that is, one can buy faith, piety, love of god, rather than earn them through conscious struggle, (at least in a symbolic sense). Commericialization/commidification of iconography does trivialize the image, but not the practice. Religion has been advertising itself for as long as stain glass windows have existed; I'm pretty sure jesus had a problem with that too (I can't remember what was specifically said about it, and I don't have my Bible handy to check whether I'm straight lying, or just disfiguring holy writ), and I'm also sure that, at least in Judeo-Christian texts, god has a fairly big problem with worshiping false idols. If paintings of jesus, and carvings of miniature crosses aren't false idols (people seem to invest as much emotional connection to these renderings of their religious figures, as they would to the figures themselves) then I'm not sure what it is. A Michelangelo inspired birthday card saying "God (and your grandpa!) loves you on your special day!" is the same as buying a starbucks jesus tshirt, is the same as buying a virgin mary book cover, is the same as buying a cross for your bedroom wall, is the same as buying a jesus candle, is the same as buying a Bible. None of those things are the religion; they are extensions of it, that is to be sure, cultural objects that are the product of religion's coitus with capital, that have little resemblance to its former parent. To speak simply and succinctly, no, commercializing religion does not trivialize it or make it more accessible: it confounds it, contributes to its poor understanding, and confuses the very values and notions that constitute it.
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As a pastor, one of the hardest things to do is straddle that line between being relevant and accessible and being a sellout. Most churches just decide to stay where they are and not reach out to people. It's easy, and nothing has to change. I have pastored churches like that, and with God's help I will never pastor another one! No amount of Biblical teaching will change their course. The church I pastor now, Remnant (www.remnantchurchonline.com) has another way of looking at things. We believe that it is necessary to change our methods to teach an unchanging gospel. We use video, awesome music, and messages that even include, shudder, humor. Now that you know where I am coming from, I will tell you that I personally am not crazy about the brand rip-off shirts and stuff. I believe that God has the ability to give us creative minds that can come up with new stuff, not just rehash old things. You can't trivialize God's message by shirts like this one, because the message is powerful on its own. You can, however, trivialize religion, which may not be a bad thing anyway. I am not religious. I am a Christ follower. I don't wear my religion on my sleeves (or back as in the case of this shirt), I don't have my car festooned with Christian bumper stickers. I do try to live my life in such a way that people see the content of my life and let that draw them to Christ. Now, I do think I want to go get a vanilla frappacino now!
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I think it would ironically be proper to ask, "What would Jesus of Nazereth do?" Seeing as Jesus and his apostles were by all definitions homeless commune-ists (easier for some to swallow that way) and preached absolute selflessness and anti-materialism, the fact that someone is making a profit off of anti-materialistic teachings poops in the metaphysical punch bowl.
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Personally I think it depends on the level of commercialism and the amount of 'cheese' involved. I had a personal distaste for all the mid-90's t-shirts that were ripoffs of major brands, i.e. "Meant To Die" in a "Mountain Dew" setup. I appreciate showing your beliefs, yet this seemed like an ineffective way to show Christianity as anything other than a low-quality poser religion trying disparately to catch up to the times.
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There is no doubt a fine line between the commercialization of religion leading to its trivialization, but overall, it does not trivialize. It seems that we are only thinking of Christianity in this context, which makes sense as it appears Christianity is far more commercialized than any other religion. It only makes sense that a very emotional, spiritual, and popular movement would find itself being commercialized in some aspects. No doubt there is money to be made, and we somewhat touched on this topic as far as selling things to glorify tragedy, but this is making a profit off of religion, and there are no doubt motives that go into this process, but overall it does not trivialize the movement. Religious people want to buy religious items, and sometimes catchy slogans on t-shirts or bumper stickers get people to think about things. It may not lead to deep discussion at every turn, but surely it HAS led to these discussions. It is a good thing for spiritual people to get out there and to show their support in an active and tangible way and by using commercialized products about their religious beliefs is perfectly appropriate. Now, to answer your title question, I would say mostly water, but the occassional Fufuberry Jones Soda.
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The enormous amount of stuff -- t-shirts, Thomas Kincaide serving trays, Precious Moments figurines, thousands of Bibles and Bible "accessories", various religious gee-gaws and the hundreds of religious titles that come out every year make me feel as if Christianity has decided to run itself by the same market/consumer-driven model as the rest of the world.
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It does both. The further a religion reaches out, the more people it encompasses, and therefore has to dilute itself to pander to its constituents.
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Thought 1. I think there is a fine line between wearing clothing that promotes your faith and wearing clothing that shows a lack of respect for your faith. Thought 2. If wearing this shirt will make you more conscious of your actions..."I'm wearing a shirt that says I've been made holy, perhaps I shouldn't flip this guy off..." perhaps that's a positive thing?
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Definitely makes it accesible, it gives us all the opporunity to look beyond what we believe and know
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What a terrific question this is! It brings up so many tremendous issues and new questions. One of my favorites is that of the 'closed minded' Christian. There is a difference between being closed minded and having the faith of one's conviction. We're all free to believe as we choose...I choose Christianity. And what kind of a Christian would I be if I kept it all to myself? Talk about selfish. Still, I am not going to stuff it down someone's throat. Most of us, when we come across something fantastic, want to share it with others. I often find that others assume I have no knowledge or experience of any other faith. Yet for me, coming back to my Christian roots was a hard fought battle of trying to prove something to other people instead of looking inside. It eventually brought me full circle because like Dorothy I discovered it was right here all along. So, why is it when we want to share not 'good news', but " The Good News" we are so often accused of being closed minded?
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Both. Just like our past, we have to take in the bad with the good. If somebody is taking advantage of Jesus, then it is for Jesus to decide. Let's stop there. Moot point: Jesus saves @ Walmart. Jesus supports Captain Falcon AND He is my guitar hero.
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Do you think Jesus would want to be marketed fashioned after a coffee chain label? This particular ad is not just trivial, but I'm curious why more Christians aren't concerned that their Savior's "likeness" is used in such a way, why they don't consider it disrespectful-
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I'm a proponent and enemy of religion. I am religious and appreciate the good it can foster, but then resent it when it becomes so ingrained that it becomes culture. Ultimately, you have people attempting to determine "good" based on the cultural tenets, not the original religious ones. And is not commercialization the monetization of some cultural aspect? I use Christianity because of the picture above - Christianity should encourage people to do good, which are the terms they are judged by. But then Christianity becomes "cultural" (or commercial), and then a Christian is judged by others on whether or not they favorably accept and promote images, such as the one above. This seems wrong. Ultimately, I find such images cheapen what I believe should be a belief system promoted by quiet example rather than by screaming T-shirts. On the other hand, is anything closer to heaven than a Grande light-foam Chai?
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@urbanfabric Do you realize how closed minded of a statement you made? Because a small minority of Christians have decided to make some heinous statements, you throw out the entire bunch. Because a small group of Christians made some really ridiculous clothes, YOU decided that they speak for the entire faith? Seriously? Do you believe that all Latin Americans drive low-riders or own fruit stands? Or do all Muslims wish to destroy every woman and child that is not in an Islamic family? Or better yet, all Buddhists love Richard Gere movies. On a more topical note: I wouldn't say that commercializing religion trivializes it. I think any faith has it's on inherent value, whether I agree with it or not (which I disagree with most religions). All commercializing it does is prey on the weak that think buying this product will make them more holy. Also, when someone has an axe to grind it gives them an easy target.
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We've come a long way since the Sistine Chapel. Instead of art being a labor of worship and excellence, it's become a 30 minute Illustrator file. It's gone from breathtaking to obnoxious. I have to wonder if a shirt like this has ever drawn anyone to a deeper faith, or even made a seeker curious about what it represents. It seems to turn Christianity into just another brand instead of a life-giving faith. So...trivialize.
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I feel people are destroying their own religion trying to push their religious beliefs onto others be it shirts like that one, bumper stickers, pamphlets at the mall or even T.V. advertisements. It not only makes them look ignorant, close minded and brainwashed but "can" also make other people of the same faith be thrown into that category against their will. People are given a choice what to believe in and don't need their beliefs insulted with these self satisfying ads that cost money that could be donated to help their cause. These shirts are worn out of fear, not love, and god wouldn't want that. I believe in a higher power but if I didn't I wouldn't walk around handing out pamphlets that say "don't feed the lie" or "Satan loves", "worship zoltron" "sasquatch saves" .........getting carried away but you get the point and now I forget the question, Thanks whoever read my ramblings with open mind, not here to offend. Maybe to vent a little. -
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It may appear to trivialize religion but no matter the window dressing, the Truth remains the Truth. It's important to always distinguish between the 'man things' and the 'God things'. Humanity messes up at every turn...we especially screw up Christianity. God gave us a pretty good thing with the Holy Trinity and we've been twisting it up for an awfully long time. Even though my personal perspective is from the Christian view, but I see it with other religions as well, especially here in the US. If we can make a buck on something there's no stopping us. So maybe commercializing religion does make it seem trivial, but it also makes it more accessible....how messed up is that??
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I think t-shirts like this raise greater questions about whether or not religion is something to profited from at all? In this instance you have the added issue of the fact that his 'art' is really only a parody, some might even call it a rip-off. I can appreciate the creativity to an extent - but if medium is just as valuable as message (if not more so) then what does it say if you have to rely on another message's medium to get yours across? To add context, I am a religious person. I just struggle when our causes and messages about God become something to be bought and sold. It's inevitable that valuable things attract resource - and I'm ok with that. But stuff like this T-shirt is different. It cheapens the message by failing to create its own contextual artistic expression. The 'value' of this shirt is the fact that it captilizes on a very powerful brand - Starbucks (which has a legitimate value of its own). I follow the teachings of Jesus. I don't think Jesus would have a problem with Starbucks. I also think this T-shirt has pretty much nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus. The best ideas in the world like truth, beauty, justice, and love can stand on their own - and good art can appeal to these without ripping off something else. So to examples like Jesus Saves T-shirts I just want to ask, come on, can't you do better?
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Commercialization trivializes most *anything*, doesn't it? My mother-in-law is a devout Catholic and seems to take amusement in the religious sector stealing from the secular. She has a small poster hung in her office of a priest aping Neo from the Matrix movies. She thinks it promotes her faith. I'm sure among other Catholics, it's very effective. That's the essential trouble of marketing religion. It seems most of it simply sells itself to its own flock. Fair enough. Bands sell t-shirts and geegaws emblazoned with their likenesses to their fans. To their credit, though, most bands prefer to taut original artwork and photos (and sometimes ideas). The Christian culture is notorious for aping popular culture, either to sell religion as "cool" or to make a pseudo-witty counterattack about secular society. In either case, I have to wonder how many non-believers or members of other religions find any worth in their messages. I never have. (I'm a theist, so you know.) I have no problem with Christians drawing from real-world examples. That's good. But slapping a poorly-imitated Starbucks logo depicting Jesus as the two-tailed mermaid? I don't see how this honors Jesus nor convinces an atheist that his opposites have it right. Even the original marketing materials and such always seem to fall short. I don't think any faith that can be packaged and bullet-listed is going to succeed. Not with anyone who isn't already knee-deep in indoctrination.
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It's like Christianity is trying to say, "hey we're hip and cool like urban outfitters because we make 'witty' t-shirts. Christians are soooo hip and cool." If you were so hip and cool why aren't you a little more open minded?
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First of all - I have, on several occasions, been made Holy through the sacrifice of my local Barista who, through their blood, sweat and divine tears, have created a perfect latte for me to take in communion with my personal savior, Espresso. Secondly, from day one (I believe that's commonly reckoned as January 1, 0000 A.D.) organized religion has been all about branding, marketing and soft-selling themselves to the masses, and when that doesn't work? Plain old conquest, domination and genocide usually seem to work OK. And, lest we forget, the Roman Catholic church was long one of the most financially flush and politically influential groups on the planet for a very very large part of recorded history, and they didn't get that gold from God. IMHO, the only thing that trivializes religion is the complete ignorance of all 'opposing' viewpoints and the hypocrisy and hatred inherent in (most) theologies towards anyone 'not of the fold'.
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As a Christian, such T-shirts have always been embarrassing to me. I think they show a lack of creativity. I mean, if we believe we know the true God, then shouldn't we have a degree of creativity that doesn't need to resort to ripping off corporate logos? But, to answer the question... I think it depends on what sort of commercialization it is. Yes, I think something like a cheesy t-shirt cheapens or trivializes what we believe. But, I think the big question is if Christians should profit from the sale of books, music, etc. There are plenty of legitimately inspiring Christian writers and artists out there, and I think that they have every right to put a price tag on their work, just like anyone else would do. Working for free should be a personal conviction... I don't think that God demands all of his believers to completely disregard money, even though we shouldn't make it something we love or give too much value to.
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Here is my rant. One of the places that I abhor in this world is the Christain bookstore. I have never seen such a white place in my life as the Christian bookstore. The music, the 'testamints', the stupid shirts. It is like all that is white culture is sold in a Christian bookstore, except the spanish language section, but then you have to walk through lily whiteness to get to it in the corner. Even the people of color are painted white. Rant over. Why do people buy this junk?
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