Topic: Jesus Sells

[sinjinsmythe]

Here is an article on the Christian schlock industry.

http://www.reason.com/0302/fe.jl.jesus.shtml

[The young fogey]

A good read. Thanks. Even though it is from (my guess) some secular humanist magazine that wants to make fun of Christians. What's funny is a lot of these people in these 'Christian' (read: Protestant) businesses would look down on sacramentals including icons as wrong, as though using things in religion were beneath them.

[sinjinsmythe]

Serge, Reason is a free market liberterian magazine I believe.

[The young fogey]

Good for them! Thanks for checking.

[Linus7]

sinjinsmythe -

Interesting article. Just walk into any "Christian" bookstore and it will be immediately confirmed.

Serge -

Somewhat along the lines of Protestant condemnation of icons is their condemnation of the veneration of the saints, especially Mary, against whom they unleash their strongest venom (see Rev. 12:17).

But have you ever noticed how Protestants gush over their own set of "saints"? "Born-again" sports jocks, beauty queens, actors and actresses and the like? People who have barely begun to run the race set before them, let alone have finished and received the crown of glory?

It would be funny, if it was not so sad.

[The young fogey]

Linus7,

I sure have. Remember Columbine? The girl who allegedly said yes when asked ‘do you believe in Jesus?’ before being shot was a Protestant heroine/saint for a while.

[Linus7]

Serge -

At least she was something of a martyr. Most of their "saints" only claim to the title is celebrity status.

Another interesting point is this: when I debate Fundamentalists over at www.christianbbs.com , I periodically quote from the early Fathers of the Church, especially St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Irenaeus, and St. Justin Martyr.

The first response I usually get is, "But that's not Scripture!"

Then some of the same people will turn around and quote 19th-century Baptist preachers like C.H. Spurgeon or 16th-century Protestant Reformers like John Calvin!

In other words, 1st and 2nd century Fathers are out; they were too close to the Apostles!

I have invited those who debate me to produce some evidence of ancient "Protestants." Thus far they have been unable to.

[Hypo-Ortho]

Linus7<<I have invited those who debate me to produce some evidence of ancient "Protestants." Thus far they have been unable to.>>

This really had me laughing, Linus!     Thanks!

Hypo-Ortho

[Orthodoc]

[Linus7<<I have invited those who debate me to produce some evidence of ancient "Protestants." Thus far they have been unable to.>>]

Perhaps they were also ancient astronauts!

Orthodoc

[Linus7]

Some of these folks have at various times claimed the Montanists, Bogomils, Paulicians, and Albigensians as spiritual forebears.

When I point out the fact that each of those groups was heretical (most of them were Manichean dualists, except the Montanists, whose leader, Montanus, claimed to be the Holy Spirit incarnate), the silence is deafening.