Religions turn to marketing

All religious and non-religious groups are allowed a certain amount of cutesy marketing… All religious and non-religious groups are allowed a certain amount of cutesy marketing ploys. These can come in a variety of ways from witty bumper stickers to obnoxious one-liner T-shirts.

A prime example is the “Jesus fish” that people put on the back of their cars to proudly tell the world that they like Jesus. In rebuttal other groups have made their own modified versions of the fish such as the evolutionist fish, which has sprouted legs. One day there may even be a car with a fish sprouting pasta tendrils as the comical Pastafarian “religion” gains more fans.

There is, of course, a distinct line between innocent kitsch and over-the-top marketing schemes. A Florida amusement park called Holy Land crosses that line. For $30 — and $5 in parking — any decent Christian can enter the park, where he can witness mock crucifixions daily and wander through exhibits of Bible manuscripts. Holy Land isn’t alone in its attempts to make religion a tourist attraction. There are other amusement parks aimed at Christians such as Dinosaur Adventure Land, which helps children learn that dinosaurs and humans co-existed according to creationism.

Arguments for such amusement parks fall along the lines that they are used to spread the word of God, and that normal amusement parks fail in that aspect. I wonder, though, what sort of people go to amusement parks like Disney World to learn about their religion and why they even feel the need. I call myself a feminist, but I certainly don’t expect or want to see a carnival game at Kennywood called “Break the Glass Ceiling!” An amusement park just doesn’t strike me as the place for that.

Holy Land cannot be seen as the sole criminal. It is simply following the example of other groups that are trying desperately to make religion trendy. Trends and fads, though, have the reputation of dying out as quickly as they are born. Those who swear upon a current trend will normally soon forget it and move on. For example, can anyone tell me the last time he spotted a girl sporting an Avril-Lavigne-inspired tie. Does anyone even remember Avril Lavigne?

The point is that trends are shallow interests meant to last only a short amount of time before they are replaced by another one. They are nothing to dedicate an entire life to. Trying to make religion a hot new trend to appeal to a younger and exceedingly more secular generation seems to undermine the entire point of religion.

Seeing someone wearing a Holy Land T-shirt or playing poker with chips decorated in Scripture verses — yes, they’re out there — causes me to second-guess how seriously I want to take their religious opinion. While religion is not always a personal affair, as many churches often show, it is still a serious decision that should be made because the person feels a definite connection to the religion and not because he or she wants a reason to wear a “Jesus Died for Pedro” T-shirt.

Places like Holy Land and Dinosaur Adventure Land aren’t simply there for Christians to enjoy on their own. They truly try to convert people. In fact, Holy Land is infamous for trying to convert Jews to Christianity. Can people really find God during a mock crucifixion? If they do, can their beliefs really be taken seriously? I find it hard to answer yes to those questions.

In a world where religion plays such a pivotal role in politics and the lives of many citizens, can we trust people who decide to worship a god because of trendy marketing skills? The decision to adhere to strict religious doctrines such as creationism should not be made after a quick trip to Dinosaur Adventure Land. Basing religious choices on the conversion attempts made by a man dressed up as Moses is as shallow as picking a new favorite band every time MTV shows them on Total Request Live. And religion should never be on the same level as anything that has to do with MTV.

Such over-the-top conversion schemes as Holy Land are also detrimental to other less overt groups of the same religion. People who are witnesses to bizarre mock exhibits and paraphernalia may be scared off from converting to Christianity. If they had simply attended a normal church ceremony or been approached by an average Christian that wasn’t dressed up as a character from the Bible, they might have given the religion more of a chance.

Religion should never be considered a trend or something that needs to be marketed to the extreme. Small little kitsch tactics can be forgiven since every group indulges a bit, but anything more can undermine the very point they are trying to make. Religious decisions should be given more credit and worth than simply donning a “Jesus Christ — Eternally Refreshing” T-shirt and heading out to an amusement park.

Shannon is still very curious about visiting Holy Land. E-mail her at slb46@pitt.edu to plan a field trip.