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Rock Talk, Vol. IX
By now, we've all seen the TV ads for Second Baptist Church's legion services at Christmas, in which Pastor Ed Young slyly promises that there will be snow for all the children afterwards. Whether this is just at the main Woodway campus or at all five campuses was not disclosed in the slightly creepy commercial. But this makes Houstonist wonder: what other products and enticements should megachurches begin offering to encourage wayward Christians (and their pocketbooks) to attend their services? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.
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I'm a tad bit surprised by this open invitation to poke fun at one group of people based on their beliefs. I know in part it's because of the marketing, but where did they say that only people with matching beliefs would get to enjoy the snow? Was there a declaration of requirement beyond attendance that i missed?
Declaring open season on Christians means we can no longer cry foul when muslim-americans, jews or other religious beliefs are unfairly ridiculed either. Why not start with respecting beliefs and just shrugging off (but still reporting) the strange but unique marketing efforts?
Maybe it would be different if it was an Opinionist comment, but really, intolerance of religious beliefs by the Houstonist? I'm surprised and disappointed.
You know what would get me to go to church? Them giving ME money during this financial crisis! "Hey, we'll pay you to come pray with us for Christmas!"
@crossmage: I didn't get the feeling the writer was attacking Christians, only this church's marketing tactics. Does God even need marketing tactics (regardless of religion)?
As a local pastors wife, I must say that I find the marketing approach that mega-churches take to "entice" locals to their buildings is embarassing!
crossmage, I was born and raised in the Church of Christ (and still attend services) and went to possibly one of the most Christian universities in the world, so it was certainly not my attention to "declare open season" on Christians as it would also mean declaring war on myself. :)
As goal10der3874 pointed out above, I'm merely attacking Second Baptist's bizarre marketing strategies and -- more than that -- the fact that a church feels the need to use marketing strategies at all. Religion has become an industry, a business, and I think that's incredibly sad.
And I feel that if a group of people (i.e. Christians) can't point out their own flaws and try to work on them, then the damage inflicted by those flaws will just continue to fester and grow worse and eventually tear the group apart. :(