Posted by Lisa on: 04.28.2006 /
Enjoy the video! (I’m with “Lucky”.)
Ir did such a wonderful job Guest Blogging this week! Thanks again, Ir.
Feel free to join the conversations in the Discussion Board area as we take our traditional weekend break.
~Lisa
Comment by: TXatheist
1I can at least get where Lucky is coming from. Sorry, Peggy, secular humanists don’t lead barren empty lives but it’s a common stereotype so I realize why it was put in the show. Hank, never tell xians you are looking for a church! Seriously, did any one notice how they all knew what was best for Hank and why their church would be good for him? That’s overzealous reaction imo. Anyway, on Discovery Times channel the host of Only in America, Charlie McDuff, goes to a revival and they don’t let him get “in” because he’s like Lucky with the relaxed idea of god. Charlie is a Catholic and they shun him for various reasons. It’s the correlation of my way or your not in that bugs me. And in Austin we had a very large mega-church open 3 years ago, Shoreline xian church. People flocked to this church including two friends of mine. It’s a reality that some people will be attracted to the newest, shiniest church in town as a status symbol.
Comment by: Ir
2For what it’s worth, I thought they were making fun of Christian stereotypes of secular humanists when they said that. I didn’t think that’s what the video makers really believed.
Comment by: Ir
3I love the ROAA when the welcoming guy says “So would you say you’re satisfied, or extremely satisfied?”
LOL :)
Comment by: Julie Marie
4oh my goodness, thanks for the video and the great belly laugh! my megachurch is finishing a childrens addition that looks just like that multistoried flowing structure. :)
Comment by: TXatheist
5Ir,
Yes I think that too but some people might have actually thought that is true about secular humanists is the sad part.
Comment by: Ir
6Some Christians do seem to and I agree it’s sad.
Comment by: skikid
7Church stereotypes are funny… sitting in the wrong place for worship that can be disastrous! I did it once, it was too much to handle and all I did was switch from on side of the asile to the other. I mean who do you follow for communion? Or who to do hug first durring passing of peace? Its too much pressure, far better not to stray from ‘assigned’ seats! :)
Comment by: Ir
8Tell me about it skikid! :)
I always sat in the same ‘neighborhood’ - center block, left aisle, 3/4 rows back. As you say, changing ‘neighborhoods’ can really throw a person!
In fact, I had the same problem at the health club aerobics class one day when the left side of got rather full and I tried going on the right. It didn’t work at all…
Comment by: Tom in Sacramento
9I definietly think Jesus recommends Nat King Cole.
Comment by: Ir
10I guess I must have dozed off for a minute in that part of The Jesus Movie, Tom ;)
Comment by: Tom in Sacramento
11Ir wrote,
This cracked me up, too, but perhaps for a different reason. To be sure, there was a clearly implied ROAA. But the kicker for me is that it betrays the mindset that church, and by extension, God, are proper subjects for, and modifiable based upon, market research.
To some extent, how church services are conducted is a reasonable subject for market research. But I think the proper uses have usually been exceeded by the American consumerist mentality. And the result is that content and beliefs become shaped by the desire to make it palatable to visitors, rather than to make it worshipful for the Audience of One for whom it ought to be done.
Comment by: KSG
12great clip…ha,ha,ha,ha… Okay, now I have to stop because the satire really hits home.
What Tom says in #11 is something that has been talked about before and is a growing issue of concern among some (but way too few IMO) christians, that is the issue of consumerism & church marketing. My church has been recently rebranding itself to be more appealing, and when my wife and I were discussing it she was surprised to hear that I didn’t like it, because she thought I would totally love it…remodelled worship center with great moody lighting (As a guitar player, I’m a rocker who digs flashing lights and atmosphere - it can make or break a gig and is very useful in worship), remodelled foyer & fellowship center that draws it’s style cue’s from Starbucks, modern branding for the childrens, teens, and young adult programs, etc. And you know what, last year I would have liked it. I have a confession to make, 2 years ago I thought that making itself relevant is what the church needed to do, just market itself right (stop all the cheesy rip-offs) and put the right gloss and makeup on the face of Jesus, and people would be drawn to your church, ..um… I mean Jesus …yeah… Jesus, that’s what I mean…yeah…
That’s why I loved and laughed at this clip, because it so accurately portrays everything I am coming to hate about the church (and when I say that, I mean the consumer-driven market-researched religious product that gets passed as christianity [when-it-is-anything-but]).
My view of what authentic Xianity looks like (is supposed to look like) has seriously changed lately however…
Comment by: NCxian
13What a scream! I love the tram to the sanctuary (with the pastor’s picture on the seat–I’m crying!)
By the way, if anybody reading this thinks that Christians are a persecuted minority in America–get over it! Cartoon characters on network tv are shown PICKING A CHURCH, for goodness sake!
Comment by: Julie Marie
14I laughed out loud at the problems he ran into fitting into the catholic service. I so remember those early days….
Comment by: Lisa W.
15I get a kick out of Hank when he tells Lucky he’s asinine because Lucky worships while drinking beer, eating and fishing.
Just too unstructured for Hank.
Comment by: Tom in Sacramento
16Amen, Lisa. I have a couple guys I meet with to talk about life, including the spiritual side, and we meet in a bar on Friday afternoons. And occasionally we’ve had other patrons join our conversation. We do better “church” than Sunday mornings.
Comment by: RC of strangeculture
17I loved this clip, when i saw it earlier this morning i had to put on my blog as well…
i love the comment about why wouldn’t i just go to the mall and thank about jesus.
–RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
Comment by: Siamang
18I like this clip. Very witty and yet respectful.
Comment by: NCxian
19Glad to see you back, Siamang!
Comment by: FLG
20I did not understood a lot well the short film, but
a so rich church arouses suspicion in me! It is a business only for who works us, right!? ;-))
And Jesus!? Mmh….Jesus is simplicity, truth, and needs not to Hollywood sceneries! Right!?
(You excuse my english made with translation found on internet :-()
Thanks to have listened to me! :-)
FLG