Comments on: Political Culture: Doing Business on Faith (and Credit) http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/ your daily dose of pop culture Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:58:49 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Political Culture: Preaching to the (Un)converted | Popdose http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/comment-page-1/#comment-9155 Political Culture: Preaching to the (Un)converted | Popdose Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:31:01 +0000 http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/#comment-9155 [...] As I have noted before, I consider myself an agnostic; yes, I’m one of the wishy-washy millions who refuses to take a side, to either completely rule out the existence of a god or throw in my chips with a particular deity and his/her/its attendant set of beliefs and rituals. One thing I know for damn sure, however, is that I hate being proselytized at, or to, or whatever word will allow me to avoid ending this sentence with a preposition. That low tolerance level has led me to slam doors in the faces of innumerable Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, to openly mock street-corner Jews for Jesus pamphleteers on college campuses (“It’s Jews or Jesus, you moron!”), and to spew torrents of venom at a fundamentalist who dared approach me during an outdoor blues concert in Memphis. [...] [...] As I have noted before, I consider myself an agnostic; yes, I’m one of the wishy-washy millions who refuses to take a side, to either completely rule out the existence of a god or throw in my chips with a particular deity and his/her/its attendant set of beliefs and rituals. One thing I know for damn sure, however, is that I hate being proselytized at, or to, or whatever word will allow me to avoid ending this sentence with a preposition. That low tolerance level has led me to slam doors in the faces of innumerable Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, to openly mock street-corner Jews for Jesus pamphleteers on college campuses (“It’s Jews or Jesus, you moron!”), and to spew torrents of venom at a fundamentalist who dared approach me during an outdoor blues concert in Memphis. [...]

]]> By: DwDunphy http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/comment-page-1/#comment-42909 DwDunphy Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:49:15 +0000 http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/#comment-42909 I am a Christian and I think I've pointed this out in the past. as such I don't have a specific religious affiliation. I find that religions in general offer little more than tollbooths to whatever you deem God to be and, unless I'm wrong about this, the sacrifice of Christ was supposed to have done away with all that.<br><br>I'm equally doubtful of religion in business. The combo bothers me a lot in that "moneychangers in the temple" sort of way. We don't allow the moneychangers in the temple yet we would allow clerics in the bank. It cheapens whatever sanctity you have for these people, don't it?<br><br>Jesus went to the needy and the hungry and the drunks and the rest and was by example. He responded when people came and asked him and his ministry was more about being in the place where people could ask him. I'm uncomfortable with the shoehorn approach of slipping Jesus in with the sale. The Bibles on the counter would not have bothered me. That would have been entre for the conversation if the customer wanted to have it.<br><br>Obligating that conversation just feels like another sales pitch. If you believe that Jesus was Christ, you show it by example and you allow the opportunity to happen. If you're in the business of selling stuff and then offer up Jesus, then basically you've hawked your savior like so much product. It's creepy. I am a Christian and I think I've pointed this out in the past. as such I don't have a specific religious affiliation. I find that religions in general offer little more than tollbooths to whatever you deem God to be and, unless I'm wrong about this, the sacrifice of Christ was supposed to have done away with all that.

I'm equally doubtful of religion in business. The combo bothers me a lot in that “moneychangers in the temple” sort of way. We don't allow the moneychangers in the temple yet we would allow clerics in the bank. It cheapens whatever sanctity you have for these people, don't it?

Jesus went to the needy and the hungry and the drunks and the rest and was by example. He responded when people came and asked him and his ministry was more about being in the place where people could ask him. I'm uncomfortable with the shoehorn approach of slipping Jesus in with the sale. The Bibles on the counter would not have bothered me. That would have been entre for the conversation if the customer wanted to have it.

Obligating that conversation just feels like another sales pitch. If you believe that Jesus was Christ, you show it by example and you allow the opportunity to happen. If you're in the business of selling stuff and then offer up Jesus, then basically you've hawked your savior like so much product. It's creepy.

]]> By: DwDunphy http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/comment-page-1/#comment-24252 DwDunphy Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:49:15 +0000 http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/#comment-24252 I am a Christian and I think I've pointed this out in the past. as such I don't have a specific religious affiliation. I find that religions in general offer little more than tollbooths to whatever you deem God to be and, unless I'm wrong about this, the sacrifice of Christ was supposed to have done away with all that.<br><br>I'm equally doubtful of religion in business. The combo bothers me a lot in that "moneychangers in the temple" sort of way. We don't allow the moneychangers in the temple yet we would allow clerics in the bank. It cheapens whatever sanctity you have for these people, don't it?<br><br>Jesus went to the needy and the hungry and the drunks and the rest and was by example. He responded when people came and asked him and his ministry was more about being in the place where people could ask him. I'm uncomfortable with the shoehorn approach of slipping Jesus in with the sale. The Bibles on the counter would not have bothered me. That would have been entre for the conversation if the customer wanted to have it.<br><br>Obligating that conversation just feels like another sales pitch. If you believe that Jesus was Christ, you show it by example and you allow the opportunity to happen. If you're in the business of selling stuff and then offer up Jesus, then basically you've hawked your savior like so much product. It's creepy. I am a Christian and I think I've pointed this out in the past. as such I don't have a specific religious affiliation. I find that religions in general offer little more than tollbooths to whatever you deem God to be and, unless I'm wrong about this, the sacrifice of Christ was supposed to have done away with all that.

I'm equally doubtful of religion in business. The combo bothers me a lot in that “moneychangers in the temple” sort of way. We don't allow the moneychangers in the temple yet we would allow clerics in the bank. It cheapens whatever sanctity you have for these people, don't it?

Jesus went to the needy and the hungry and the drunks and the rest and was by example. He responded when people came and asked him and his ministry was more about being in the place where people could ask him. I'm uncomfortable with the shoehorn approach of slipping Jesus in with the sale. The Bibles on the counter would not have bothered me. That would have been entre for the conversation if the customer wanted to have it.

Obligating that conversation just feels like another sales pitch. If you believe that Jesus was Christ, you show it by example and you allow the opportunity to happen. If you're in the business of selling stuff and then offer up Jesus, then basically you've hawked your savior like so much product. It's creepy.

]]> By: arensb http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/comment-page-1/#comment-24251 arensb Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:39:14 +0000 http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/#comment-24251 For what it's worth, while I consider myself an atheist, I can't claim to have disproved the existence of everything one might reasonably call a god. It's just that, so far, the believers haven't managed to make a convincing case for any god's existence. When they do, I'll gladly change my mind. For what it's worth, while I consider myself an atheist, I can't claim to have disproved the existence of everything one might reasonably call a god. It's just that, so far, the believers haven't managed to make a convincing case for any god's existence. When they do, I'll gladly change my mind.

]]> By: David_E http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/comment-page-1/#comment-24248 David_E Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:26:52 +0000 http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/#comment-24248 As a practicing Christian myself, I am very, very sure of the following truth:<br><br>Aardman Animation was the CGI vendor on the Serta account, and was handsomely paid for their efforts. That said, I doubt they had a back-end deal on merchandising. In advertising, those are about as rare as fat guys squeezin' through needles. As a practicing Christian myself, I am very, very sure of the following truth:

Aardman Animation was the CGI vendor on the Serta account, and was handsomely paid for their efforts. That said, I doubt they had a back-end deal on merchandising. In advertising, those are about as rare as fat guys squeezin' through needles.

]]> By: Ted http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/comment-page-1/#comment-24250 Ted Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:11:10 +0000 http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/#comment-24250 Did you ever read <i>Selling God: American Religion in the Marketplace of Culture</i> by R. Laurence Moore? Moore examines how some religions use business techniques to “market” their religion so it’s more appealing to those who are used to browsing the aisles for commodities to satisfy their wants. I’m not sure if the book is still in print, but you can easily get it at the library. And it addresses that which you find so annoying in many proselytizing religions. Did you ever read Selling God: American Religion in the Marketplace of Culture by R. Laurence Moore? Moore examines how some religions use business techniques to “market” their religion so it’s more appealing to those who are used to browsing the aisles for commodities to satisfy their wants. I’m not sure if the book is still in print, but you can easily get it at the library. And it addresses that which you find so annoying in many proselytizing religions.

]]> By: nancy http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/comment-page-1/#comment-24249 nancy Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:10:11 +0000 http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/#comment-24249 That's a great punchline. That's a great punchline.

]]> By: eric http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/comment-page-1/#comment-24247 eric Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:50:09 +0000 http://popdose.com/political-culture-doing-business-on-faith-and-credit/#comment-24247 Good on you, taking a step toward tolerance. There are many philosophies, orientations, beliefs, political candidates I don't believe in. But in this I believe... getting a quality product for the best price. <br><br>Does Aardman Animation get a royalty on those sheep? Every time I see the commercial, I think of Wallace and Gromit. <br><br>BTW, for your son, I'd recommend NIV, not the King James. :) Good on you, taking a step toward tolerance. There are many philosophies, orientations, beliefs, political candidates I don't believe in. But in this I believe… getting a quality product for the best price.

Does Aardman Animation get a royalty on those sheep? Every time I see the commercial, I think of Wallace and Gromit.

BTW, for your son, I'd recommend NIV, not the King James. :)

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