GOOOSH!
Have Christians just officially pimped out the last remaining untainted piece of popular culture for their cause? Are Christians absolutely without the capacity to generate original thought? Is someone going to make a lot of cash from this heinous cross-breeding of the sacred and sarcastic? Is there a marketing department somewhere full of Docker-wearing baby boomers thanking God their salvation cannot be revoked no matter how stupid they get?HECK YES!
(thanks to "dory" from the board for this tasty morsel of oh-no-they-didn't-ness)
posted by Shaun Groves @ 9/20/2005
11 comments
11 Comments:
*sigh* Why us, why the Christians? Why couldn't it be like Islam or Buddhism that does this kind of stuff? Why does our religion always have to pull out all the We-can't-come-up-with-anything-better-to-write-about-so-we're-gonna-justify-that-watching-this- movie-makes-you-a-christian-if-you-watch-it-this-way. Okay enough hyphen use from me. Why can't we make some good Christian movies and have the world write books about it instead? Dang Skippy.
it's not really the boomers writing these books (even though I don't know the age of these authors) it's more of the postmodern, in touch with culture types.
I am not sure that ND even had a point, let alone a spiritual message.
No, I think it's boomers who are trying to take their cues from prominent "extract spiritual truths from media" books like "The Gospel According to Tony Soprano" two years too late and cashing in on what they hope will be the latest Christian fad without really understanding why they're doing what they're doing.
Maybe kind of like that wanna-be Purpose Driven Life series. The Passionate life and the Passionate church. Wasn't worth remembering.
Confession, I never got into the Purpose Driven Life stuff. While everyone else was doing Purpose Driven life I was sitting and doing Experiencing God. Ya know the anti-social one that's me.
Hmmm. I haven't read the book, nor even heard of it until now. But where would you (all) say the line is between engaging popular culture and "cashing in"? To me this smacks of the criticisms leveled at various Christian artists who release songs in the secular market and are instantly labeled "sellouts".
To get even a little more controversial, isn't most contemporary music a "fad"?
I guess with anything popular, people are going to get opinionated, but I was a little disappointed with the diversion from the originated point of discussion on this one. Healthy discussion about matters is good, but slaming honested hearted effort to lead, guide, and direct people? I don't know about that. Would I have marketed or written Purpose Driven Life differently? Maybe, but the content is thought provoking and solid.
Worth remembering? I think the use of many different translations challenged many people...that only caused me to think about my laxity toward familiar scriptures.
I will never forget the translation of one verse, "To be mature is to be basic."
There are other very thought provoking sections on body life that are incredibly challenging. another verse of focus? "Get them back". Everybody you've been mad at, fed up with, and disillusioned with...everybody who has hurt you, wronged you, and who you've embarrassed yourself by hurting in your own lack of wisdom and maturity..."get them back".
Another major take home point that took a lot of hammering out for me was the concept that "all of life is worship." Or should be. Or could be.
Gosh, should have written my own post I suppose. I'm just not a fan of disparaging honest works of others is what I'm saying. Work that has relevance and is obviously a solid stepping stone for many who've warmed pews with little real motivation or direction to do anything else for years. I highly recommend the little leatherette bound version of all the scriptures from PDL by section. I've used many devotions in my life, and that will be a classic for me. Course I love the look and feel of a brown leather book in my hand...so I'm a little biased in that regard I suppose.
Me
There has been so much attention on some blogs lately regarding the marketing strategy of PDL-- as to whether or not the sales were truly divine blessing or just good marketing. Therefore, upon first glance, I thought "anonymous's" comments were a take off of that discussion in the last week.
I posted, then re-read, realizing he was referring rather to a PDL SERIES with which I am personally unfamiliar. Apologies in that regard.
I'm hereby abandoning my manuscript for my book, "Smokey or The Bandit: Pursuing God with a Long Way to Go and a Short Time to Get There
Brant
Nice, Brant.
Me, Who Else?, I don't think you're right and no one was bashing PDL (as you call it). Instead they were ranting on it's imitators by other publishers. I was actually given these imitators by a publisher friend who created them. He was so proud of his marketing genius that I just didn't have the heart to tell him it wreaked of desperation and theft. Oh well. Brave on the computer, coward in real life. Guilty.
How about this, what books have you read that had a positive impact on you spiritually, intellectually or both, which were also original in their approach to language and presentation? In other words, read any good books lately that didn't seem to rip off other people's stuff?
I'm reading RICH CHRISTIANS IN AN AGE OF HUNGER. Dark enough with all it's stats that I have to take it in small doses but a good book overall. Just good info and bible study. No theft.
LIke I said, I misunderstood his intent and didn't realize he wasn't talked about the orignal until I re-read it.
I usually abandon ideas after the original presentation and rarely follow series...did not even know there was a PDL clone series (or whatever you call it) out there. Series get lost on me. I just don't have time beyond the original.
I'm doing MasterLife right now. Nothing new, no knew words...in fact, an older study. You know what? I'm overwhelmed. That verse in The Message that says "To be mature is to be basic" is what is amazing me right now. I read a lot and in all my reading, I think I've overread...that's my gut feeling right now. I'm missing the core...the center, or some of it. If I have to draw that simple circle and write the word "Christ" in the middle and the word "me" at the bottom, I think I may disentegrate into a puddle of utter broken ashamedness on the spot...and I think that's the point. I know He doesn't want us to feel condemed, and it's not that...it's reality. It's still "a lot about me" in my motives and priorities. That's just the truth.
Thanks for the check and challenge. Glad you all are save. Praying for all.
Me
Sorry that response sounded so heavy...I've had seven kids in my house since about 4pm and it's 10:30 here now. Was typing fast and am out of humor, I think! Whew.
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