Jesus Christ, Inc.

Jesus Christ, Inc.


Easter and Christmas are the most obvious days of observing the life and legacy of Jesus Christ by Christians around the world. Obvious, because both days are basatardized into consumer holidays for multinational corporations. Most telling is the fact the American economy’s health is in large part based on Christmas spending. Retailers’ profits and financial well-being are made or lost by this holiday spending.

Easter, though less commercialized, is also an important consumer holiday. Easter bunnies, candy and large amounts of food are necessary to properly celebrate the season in most Christian homes here in the United States. And all those Hallmark moments need Hallmark cards to tell loved ones what could easily be said around the table or in the privacy of the home. But, somehow, there seems to be a great need to have a token of love. Cards and presents are the American way.

All this begs the question where Jesus Christ fits into the picture. Christ has become the golden calf of the retailers and merchants of the Christian world. Jesus is the late night pitchman that seems to compel Christians to consume, spend, consume. And Christmas and Easter are only the two most obvious examples of how Pharisees have marketed the name of Jesus Christ.

In the city I live there are hundreds of large and small stores profiting from the sale of Christian products. Bibles, prayer books, statues, cards, rosaries, jewelry, shirts and on and on are all part of the marketing of Christ. Each sect of Christianity has their own items for sale. Each one has their own biblical interpretation requiring separate bibles for their faithful. Some families insist on having an expensive family bible. It’s not clear if having the expensive bible makes one a better Christian or paves the way to heaven but Christians are influenced to buy bibles for Christ.

Since I’m a former Catholic, and also Baptist, I can witness to the wealth of the churches from buildings to organizations to overt commercialization of the image and philosophy of Christ. At the Vatican there are countless pieces of art that are priceless. But were they for sale they would garner huge amounts on the open market. Any other organization would call this bounty what it really is – assets.

The evangelical movement of Christianity has become not only a faith community with huge following but it is a multi-billion dollar business operation. Focus On the Family and multiple mega-churches don’t just preach the word of God and Jesus, they preach the Word of capitalism and consumerism.

As a child growing up in a Baptist family from the South, I always wondered why there was always a collection for building a new church. It seemed the “not quite full” church building in real time wasn’t ever large enough. As I grew older and looked around the towns and cities I grew up in, I kept seeing larger and larger church buildings that seemed to be architectural masterpieces. I couldn’t help wondering how much it cost congregations to build these structures. I kept thinking about the Tower of Babel as I saw more and more of the elaborate church buildings.

I began to question why Christians thought expensive buildings and settings honored Jesus Christ’s life. How did the humble carpenter who sacrificed himself for his disciples become associated with wealth and materialism? How did days intended to honor the most holy of days become the Holy Grail for retailers and multi-national corporations?

It seems ironic in Christian America; Muslims are portrayed as godless and fanatical while Christianity is portrayed as the “true religion”. Why, then, is it Muslims who demonstrate respectful humility and reverence in honoring their most holy days while most Christians have “incorporated” materialism and profit into their most holy days?

I’ve still not shaken my uneasy feelings about Christian churches cajoling and begging for more, more, more from their parishioners through tithing or appeals. Since these churches have taken the financial route in the practice of faith, I have to ask what parishioners are getting for their money. NGOs around the world are sponsored by various religious groups and bring relief to those most in need around the world. Some, however, have imposed conditions on receiving the “charity” of the church. Struggling communities of different religions are often proselytized by NGO members prior to receiving needed supplies in the control of the NGO. This practice dates back to the settlers of the American West that opened Indian schools on reservations and demanded indigenous people accept the European way of life and religion. In some Christian homeless shelters the homeless must listen to the “word” before being served their meals.

And despite the good deeds sponsored by the money of the churches, there still seem to be more and more leaders of the churches living in the splendor of wealth and avarice. From the Pope living in the Vatican’s lavish settings to Joel Osteen and Pat Roberson living in mansions and having the ear of Presidents and the powerful it seems too much of the money collected on Sundays and through contributions of the lay people is being spent on things other than what Jesus may have intended to be spent in his name.

I know such heresy is challenged by faithful followers of Christ with arguments that are simply illogical. They’ll tell me “the church” isn’t a building or a man at the pulpit; it’s what’s in the “heart”. I know spiritual belief is an essential part of most human’s lives. I just question why the beauty of that spiritual belief is allowed to be soiled and tarnished by the cynical modern day Pharisees of Wal-Mart, Target, Macy’s and the others who take the love and joy of Christ and pervert it. I keep wondering why the faithful allow the most holy days honoring the birth, death and resurrection of Christ to be used to reap profits for corporations without souls and certainly not individuals as the U.S. Supreme Court would have us believe.

I also wonder who would remain faithful if their churches gave away the wealth accumulated and met in humble surroundings. Would the spiritual belief remain as strong? Christ was challenged in the desert and his faith in his father endured. How many alleged Christians could withstand a personal challenge in the desert?

Just saying.

Wm. Terry