What Would Jesus Buy?

I received a local Christian bookstore's Christmas catalogue in the mail a couple of days ago. I perused through it and a few things caught my eye (like a Baby's First Christmas ornament which I could easily purchase at Hallmark). However, there were three things that particularly annoyed me.

Number One: "Christian" Marketing? In an attempt to sell a CD entitled "Dance or Die" by Family Force Five, the description states: "A very diverse band. Mix Pink Floyd, Smashing Pumpkins, and Backstreet Boys together and you've got Family Force Five." My husband is a HUGE Pink Floyd fan. He would be insulted. We both cringe at the Backstreet Boys. I guess we are not touching this CD with a ten foot pole.

Number Two: Christian Fiction. Some plots involve women from the early 1900's, predominantly from European descent. Many stories are romantic in nature. Other plots mimic typical Hollywood themes such as government conspiracies, 9/11, and murder mysteries. It is obvious that Christian publishing companies are catering to their readership: Caucasian men and women of the Christian faith who live in North America. Has anyone ever seen a Christian novel written about a Chinese women?

Number Three: Christian Games. Okay, let's take some secular ideas and Christianize them so that people will purchase them instead of the "less spiritual" alternatives. For instance, your family can play Logos instead of Scrabble, or better yet, Settlers of Canaan instead of Settlers of Catan (it is okay to rob those evil Canaanites!). On the other hand, Dutch Blitz is sold at this store. Why? Well, many Christian circles love playing the game, so the Christian bookstore might as well make some money on it instead of forcing us to go to a secular game store.

Enough of my rant...

P.S. I don't HATE Christian bookstores. I do frequent them in order to purchase worship CDs or greeting cards. Nonetheless, I get the impression that these stores are more concerned with making money that really representing Christ.

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