The Bible. Nice book, right? Maybe you have read it?
Aside from being the source for life's issues, the sage aphorisms in this book have made its way into common language.
So much that even the most staunch Atheist uses biblical sayings without comprehension. Think about phrases like:
- "There is nothing new under the sun" - Check Ecclesiastes 1:9. That's verbatim.
- "A wolf in sheep's clothing" - Yeah, Jesus said that too about ne'er-do-wells in Matthew 7:15
- "Scapegoat" - Harmless enough, right? Did you know about 3400 years ago (Leviticus 16), Moses began a practice where the sins of the Israelites were symbolically transferred to a... anyone? A goat.
- "Taking a sabbatical" - A high-tone way to say, "I'm out." Well, in Leviticus 25, we discover the children of Israel were permitted to allow plots of farmland to go unplanted every seventh year. Otherwise known as a "Sabbatical Year."
There are so many more, but one in particular showed up in the national news in Luke 2:1-7, where Joseph returned to Rome to be counted in a Census, they found no room at the inn and a few quaint evenings trolling the desert later and we have them found "Away in a Manger."
Count another scripture rearing its head into the pop culture lexicon, only this time, Christian folk are not pleased. In fact, they're screaming blasphemy!
In fact, this push to be counted like cattle from the government is causing quite the kerfuffle for the National Association of Latin Elected Officials (NALEO) and other like-minded organizations.
The Rev. Miguel Rivera, chairman of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, says invoking the name of Jesus to promote the 2010 Census is "blasphemous" and "violates the concept of separation of church and state." Using the name of Jesus for "a political and secular intention, it is definitely an assault against our Christian faith," Rivera says.
Is this really blasphemous? You know, cursing or reviling God as Noah Webster puts it. Does this force church and state to mingle like a common-law marriage?
According to Adherents.com, there are 224.4 million people in this country who call themselves Christian and should be counted in the 2010 Census without feeling assaulted (just sayin').
If I knew a target audience of mine were Jesus-fearing folk, I would find a way to talk their language. I would work to get their attention and then provide a call to action. That's marketing 101 and the makers of "Joseph Go Home" were just using what they could to speak up to a severely underrepresented demography - Hispanic Christians.
And now, it's sacrilege. Nice.
Frank Lockwood of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and a fellow "Blogger of the Cloth", said it best when he exclaimed:
The irony here is that the Census Bureau is being accused of blasphemy because of a poster that accurately and politely echoes the New Testament version of Christ’s birth.
This is a marketing tool - a scalpel to cut through the clutter and get you to think about the 2010 Census, not a broadsword swiping away at your religious core just so you can stick your hand out of a window and ensure the government knows you say, "Hey."
It's not like this was a 4th of July poster depicting the Crucifixion with a headline, "How much do you love the USA? Thiiiiis much?"
Now that I would give you as impious, but this reference about Joseph and Mary? Please, people.
It's not like the Church doesn't use Jesus as a marketing tool every day?! How else do we get folk to come to church? We know bake sales and car washes are about as effective as Tiger Woods' 18th apology to his wife, "It won't happen again. Swear."
Go back to your bible study groups and leave the government alone on this one, folks.
This is just a "drop in the bucket" compared to Christian advertising (Isaiah 40:15). So, prepare for the holidays and eat, drink and be merry (Luke 12). Stop acting "holier than thou" (Isaiah 65:5) and just chalk this up as a "thorn in your side" (2 Corinthians 12:7).
Any of that sound familiar?
As always, keep in touch with Religion in the News examinations by subscribing and have it delivered to your inbox or follow me on Twitter. Peace.
Comments
Good thoughts, Shawn. Why is it that so many in the Christian community find it so easy to find insidious motives in everything? Jesus told his followers to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Sometimes it is wisdom to be wary. But, in this case, as well as too many others we Christians get excited about, the reaction does not show wisdom, nor is it harmless. We come off looking like a bunch of lunatics.
I agree with Mark. Then again, watch TBN for any amount of time and you'll see we are still looking like lunatics. :)
And how did you find all that in the Bible, dude? Nice.
Shawn, I see your point; but I disagree on the premise that this is merely a marketing tactic. I think the issue Christians have would more likely be due to Christians being tagged (and potentially targeted) by the government. The census in Jesus' time was an attempt by the government to increase taxation; ironically we have a government currently that is trying to do the same. In the Old Testament, David got himself in big trouble with God for disobeying His command to NOT do a census of the people. And in Revelations, at some point in the end times, Christians will "not be able to buy or sell"--How would that be possible without identifying them as "Christian"? For that matter, how were the Jews identified by Hitler and later gathered in boxcars and shipped to concentration camps? The census could be seen as plain,logical stats, or it could potentially used to repeat the past. One never knows.
Shawn, I see your point; but I disagree on the premise that this is merely a marketing tactic. I think the issue Christians have would more likely be due to Christians being tagged (and potentially targeted) by the government. The census in Jesus' time was an attempt by the government to increase taxation; ironically we have a government currently that is trying to do the same. In the Old Testament, David got himself in big trouble with God for disobeying His command to NOT do a census of the people. And in Revelations, at some point in the end times, Christians will "not be able to buy or sell"--How would that be possible without identifying them as "Christian"? For that matter, how were the Jews identified by Hitler and later gathered in boxcars and shipped to concentration camps? The census could be seen as plain,logical stats, or it could potentially used to repeat the past. One never knows.
If you are going to use Jesus as your example, then the fact that Herod was looking for Jesus to execute him, doesn't set much of an example when trying to persuade people that might not be comfortable with being counted to participate in the census.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!