Stolen Post

I had to post this from http://www.theologica.blogspot.com/ (which is a great site if you are interested in blogs) .

In an article in the LA Times about the International Christian Retail Show. You'll read about:

• Christian perfume ( "It should be enticing enough to provoke questions: 'What's that you're wearing?' " Hobbs said. "Then you take that opportunity to speak of your faith. They've opened the door, and now they're going to get it.")
• Stuffed animals wearing "Jesus Loves You" T-shirts
• Camouflage baseball caps with red crosses
• Golf balls with John 3:16 printed on them ("a great golf ball with a greater purpose")
  Christian health clubs
• Christian insurance agencies
• Christian tree trimmers (who advertise in Christian business directories)
• Christian gangsta rap
• Christian shoot-'em-up video games
• Christian sweatbands
• Christian playing cards
• Christian scrapbook supplies
• Christian children's pajamas
• Life of Faith dolls (like American Girl, expect "the dolls come clutching Bibles; their stories, sprinkled with Scripture, describe how the girls find sustenance in their faith")
  Scripture Candy

It seems to me that these folks have inverted Jesus' idea of being "in, not of" the world (John 17:14-18) so that they are of the world but not in it.

Political scientist Al Wolfe gets it right.

The effect of such products, according to political scientist Alan Wolfe, is to create almost a parallel universe, one that allows Christians to withdraw from the world instead of engaging it as Christ commanded."It's as if they're saying the task of bringing people to Jesus is too hard, so let's retreat into a fortress," said Wolfe, who directs the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College."Evangelism is about reaching out and converting the unsaved," Wolfe said. "This is about putting a fence around people who are already saved. It strikes me as if they're giving up."

Sorry, folks. The world is not impressed.