The Disneyfication of Religion

[Doubting John]

What do you think of this column?

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5323597&no_na_tr&no_na_tran=1

[Piebald]

I am not that familliar with churches, but from reading the article I dislike the fact that these are turning into Oprah-esque self-help seminars and removing those offensive "religious" things -- stained glass, statues, steeples, and bells. It is like they are abandoning the imagination in pursuit of "mundane" concerns. Not all of these concerns are bad, though. The daycare center and the counseling offered by this place seems truly excellent. However, the football field, the bank, and the martial arts, seems very exessive.

[Cynic Sage]

What do you think of this column?

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5323597&no_na_tr&no_na_tran=1

I wish there was this magic type of bomb that wouldn't cause property damage, injury, or loss of life. It would just blow up stupidity. I would use it on the new Megachurches.

I once visited this large rich church. During the hymns they would have this large screen that would show certain words and images as we sang. During "Crown Him" every time we sang the word "crown" an image of a flying dove would be interrupted by an image of a crown with the word "CROWN" beneath it in big capital, bold letters. I had to bite my toungue to keep from laughing.

[mentored1]

Hey folks...

Methinks this is not altogether unexpected. I'm familiar with the megachurches and to be quite frank even the smaller community churches cater to some extent to their worshippers. But is not inevitable?

Does not the Bible say that real faith will give way to luke-warm faith? That the Church of God will become the Church of the People of God?
As our time progresses into a more mechanistic view of existence the average person will follow the mainstream explanation and belief - only those rare souls that are willing to sacrifice themselves will get out of the machine.

In order to attract the masses entertainment is required; their selfishness has to be appealed to - and that only makes the problem worse doesn't it? The condition feeds itself until only a few flickering candles are left.

Take care

[Hail Mary]

What do you think of this column?

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5323597&no_na_tr&no_na_tran=1

Actually, I like mega-churches. I'm not a member, nor would I ever be, but some people that attend mega-churches wouldn't otherwise attend any church at all.

Maybe I'm engaging in wishful thinking, but one of the things the article doesn't mention is the mystical aspects of worshipping in a mega-church. During any service at a mega-church, someone will be 'saved' or 'born again' or whatever they want to call it. It is a deeply spiritual and mystical experience for those saved and those participating in the salvation of this new member, and it happens every time they go to church.

So, I think the article is a little cynical, and "bah humbug" to the Economist!

[Lizard]

Actually, I like mega-churches. I'm not a member, nor would I ever be, but some people that attend mega-churches wouldn't otherwise attend any church at all.

Maybe I'm engaging in wishful thinking, but one of the things the article doesn't mention is the mystical aspects of worshipping in a mega-church. During any service at a mega-church, someone will be 'saved' or 'born again' or whatever they want to call it. It is a deeply spiritual and mystical experience for those saved and those participating in the salvation of this new member, and it happens every time they go to church.

So, I think the article is a little cynical, and "bah humbug" to the Economist!
Having been on both sides of this, I find the article very interesting.

I was in (and a defender) of mega churches for many years.

But the more I read scripture, the more I realized how shallow and "numbered" focused my church was (and IMO my old church is not nearly as bad as many other mega church's)

Just my :2cents:

[shunyadragon]

Actually, I like mega-churches. I'm not a member, nor would I ever be, but some people that attend mega-churches wouldn't otherwise attend any church at all.

Maybe I'm engaging in wishful thinking, but one of the things the article doesn't mention is the mystical aspects of worshipping in a mega-church. During any service at a mega-church, someone will be 'saved' or 'born again' or whatever they want to call it. It is a deeply spiritual and mystical experience for those saved and those participating in the salvation of this new member, and it happens every time they go to church.

So, I think the article is a little cynical, and "bah humbug" to the Economist!

I think the article focuses too much on the nature of 'Mega-Churches' as a problem. I believe the underlying problem of the traditional theology of Christianity creating an unrealistic, illusionary, and mythical ethnocentric world that underlies all churchs from the stoic white wood church of Appalachia, to the stone monolithes of Rome, and including the Mega-Church of LA.

The fairy tale Disneyfication of Christianity would be an older problem than the existence of 'Mega-Churches' today, which simple projects the problem on a Drive-in movie screen inside a church large enough to hold it.

[Doubting John]

I wish there was this magic type of bomb that wouldn't cause property damage, injury, or loss of life. It would just blow up stupidity. I would use it on the new Megachurches.


Why would any Christian say this? Didn't Paul say that he has become all things to all people so as to win them?

My Christian professor, J.D. Strauss, did say however, "What you win people with, you win them to."

So here's the modern Christian church dilemna. If you reach down to win American people with entertainment, then to entertainment they are won. But if you seek to win them to disciplined Christian living and sacrifice, you won't win as many.

It's a problem, no?

No wonder there isn't a strong Christian witness in America, even though Christians represent the majority religious belief.

Neil Postman's book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, should be required reading by every church leader.

[Hail Mary]

I think the article focuses too much on the nature of 'Mega-Churches' as a problem. I believe the underlying problem of the traditional theology of Christianity creating an unrealistic, illusionary, and mythical ethnocentric world that underlies all churchs from the stoic white wood church of Appalachia, to the stone monolithes of Rome, and including the Mega-Church of LA.

I could make the same argument about the Baha'i Faith, it creates an unrealistic, illusionary and bureaucratic world, and the Baha'i Faith has a pretty big mega-church in Chicago and a REALLY REALLY big mega-church in Haifa.

So, bah humbug to you too Shuny :smile: (but have a merry Christmas all the same!)

[shunyadragon]

I could make the same argument about the Baha'i Faith, it creates an unrealistic, illusionary and bureaucratic world, and the Baha'i Faith has a pretty big mega-church in Chicago and a REALLY REALLY big mega-church in Haifa.

So, bah humbug to you too Shuny :smile: (but have a merry Christmas all the same!)

That one went right over your head. My post indicated the irrelevance of the nature of the structure, and indicated that there are deeper more important issues to deal with.

Merry Winter Solstice to you and all!

[Angry Machines]

So here's the modern Christian church dilemna. If you reach down to win American people with entertainment, then to entertainment they are won. But if you seek to win them to disciplined Christian living and sacrifice, you won't win as many.

I agree. I honestly believe the number of truely faithful Christians in the US compared to the faithful Christians in many other countries is not nearly as disparate as the comparison of people who are labeled as Christian in either. You know that most people in a country that delivers the death penalty for believing in something must mean it if they confess to.

Mega-Churches really don't reflect the humble, selfless life that Jesus lived. They are wastes, producing shallow followers who probably have no more chance of heaven than before.

In the end, it just produces more fallout as people correctly interpret how shallow and pointless the whole operation is, and those hardly-believers turn sour on Christianity and equate the real faith with what they were baited into; causing bad press for the Truth without ever having properly evaluated it. Most of the complaints I see about Christianity center around the plastic fantastic that is popular Christianity, and these complaints can be quite accurate. The problem is, it's then equated with real faith, and then we find ourselves in defense against things that Jesus did not teach and even publicly opposed.

I think all this money would be better spent on charity, outreach, missionary work, and the like. What's even more valuable than this, however, is willing bodies to perform these works. I'm much more impressed by the folks who show up every other Sunday to sing hymns at the local nursing home, for nothing more than the enjoyment a few old folks get, than I am by any billion dollar pile of bricks; or any multi million dollar salaried business man selling faith veneer.

Then again, perhaps I shouldn't be so cynical until I've seen their curriculum and approach to Christianity. I'm assuming that it's no different than any of the big TV churches that sling about sermons that have little to no use beyond material for GodStuff, I might be wrong.

[jason]

Why would any Christian say this? Didn't Paul say that he has become all things to all people so as to win them?

My Christian professor, J.D. Strauss, did say however, "What you win people with, you win them to."

So here's the modern Christian church dilemna. If you reach down to win American people with entertainment, then to entertainment they are won. But if you seek to win them to disciplined Christian living and sacrifice, you won't win as many.

It's a problem, no?

No wonder there isn't a strong Christian witness in America, even though Christians represent the majority religious belief.

Neil Postman's book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, should be required reading by every church leader.

I think you are spot on John. This would have to be the most insightful thing I have ever read you post here and it is definitely a problem. Have 5 pearls.

Jason