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Thursday, August 10, 2006

Religious Kitsch

kitsch \KICH\, noun:
1. Art characterized by pretentious bad taste.

It's like a car crash. I want to turn away but I can't stop looking. Why do people like this stuff?

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This Football Jesus isn't even the one that gets me the most.

Have you seen the pictures of Jesus playing football with a group of fully-uniformed, helmeted children? I wonder, does Jesus score every time? Does He sack the 3-foot quarterback? Or, on the other hand, is He brought down under the angry swarm of lil'-tyke linebackers?

And whose team is He on? Wouldn't having Him be even better than getting Michael Jordan on your team for a neighborhood pick-up basketball game?


Regardless, I'm troubled with the image of a robe- and sandle-wearing Jesus playing a contact sport with the kiddies. I guess it's just the pietist in me.

Rev. Steve Bagnall

Bob Hunter said...

I believe some people would rather think of Jesus as just one of the boys than think of Him as our Creator and Redeemer.

Anonymous said...

I wonder what the reaction would be to "Sumo Wrestling Buddha" or "Basketball Muhammed"?

The disrespect is beyond description...

Anonymous said...

As Wilken over at Issues Etc. said
the other day, if Christians get upset over things like this and Madonna, et al, how will they deal with *real* persecution?!
FWIW,
Carl

Darrell said...

I've seen the football one... I've seen the statue of Jesus playing soccer with kids. I've even seen one of Jesus playing basketball with kids. Gives a whole new meaning to "Jesus saves." I think that stuff is terribly tacky and that it dumbs our faith down, but I feel the same way about this stuff, too.

Pastor Scott Stiegemeyer said...

Darrell,
I'm with you 100%

Kelly Klages said...

The issue isn't persecution. It's disrespect. I don't think that Pr. Stiegemeyer posted that because it made him feel "persecuted." Christians ought to be upset at certain portrayals of Jesus.

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