Look, I’m no kind of perfect and NO kind of perfect Christian. I know Christians who get on my last nerve and who I’d rather avoid than not. But I have a real problem with them trying to attract people to “Christ following” through methods like this.

Anwyn, I agree with you 100%. It’s not funny to me at all; they’re rejecting the term “Christian” because it’s not hip (or whatever). That’s absolute BS. A Christian shouldn’t be ashamed of his or her faith, and shouldn’t DENY what he is.

Hello, Judas? Your church (CCC) is calling!

There are knee-jerk “Halloween is bad” folks and then there are those with honest misgivings and who make an effort to give the kids something fun to do that doesn’t focus on scary stuff … I grew up with a little of that.

Look, I’m no kind of perfect and NO kind of perfect Christian. I know Christians who get on my last nerve and who I’d rather avoid than not. But I have a real problem with them trying to attract people to “Christ following” through methods like this. They should be working to promote Christ, instead, even if some people do imbibe Him in a rigid and dorky form.

I grew up surrouded in a church filled with Suit Guys, folks who’d interject “Praise the Lord!” into every conversation, who plastered their cars with “I found it!” bumper-stickers, and who refused to let their children participate in Halloween (because it’s “satanic” in their views) or in any non-Christian holiday programs (because those are disrespectful to God). Their brand of Christianity seemed to be a lot of form and performance, but not big on the expression of love and forgiveness that’s at the heart of Christ’s message.

The “Jesus slacker dude,” on the other hand, struck me as being more concerned about his own relationship with God — not how other people might perceive it.

I don’t think the point about being a ’seeker’ or a ‘Christ-follower’ boils down to “picking and choosing,” Anwyn. I think the whole point is to remind us that NOBODY gets it right: we can only keep our focus on Jesus as our role model and keep trying, not by carrying stacks of books and pasting our cars and coats with bumper stickers, but by trying to live a life that’s both oriented around and demonstrative of our faith.

What I think they’re really railing against is The Pharisee — the dude who is all puffed up and full of show. If they had made suit guy a “Pharisee” and jeans guy a “Christian” they could have called it “Pharisee No More” and been much clearer in their execution, especially if they had revealed that jeans guy reads his Bible too but without all of the pomp of a big King James. But they didn’t ask me to direct. ;-)

The Thanksgiving snow is finally melting. More snow is on the way. I’m loving it, actually. Pretty snow!

The hip Christian and the Mac guy seem to just know what to do and always get it right. Is that true of hip Christians? Nope. Is it true of Macs? Absolutely not. Both the Apple ad and the linked parody are using hyperbole.

Hiya Allen, how’s the snow?

The problem is the ad portraying both the Mac and the Jeans Christ-Follower as so much more superior. Just because we know they “don’t always get it right” doesn’t mean the intent of the ad is gone–to portray one as better than the other. Mac is trying to make money. What’s “Christ-follower’s” excuse?

Certainly I don’t write my best when I’m mad, but I had to get that out of my system. And because I was mad, I forgot to emphasize the most important point: that CCC really tells you all you need to know in the tagline of the ads: Christian No More. They’re just plain embarrassed to carry that label. I really think they’ll find that stance coming back to bite them in the butt: “Christ follower,” in the end, will not gain them any more traction than “Christian” with their presumed target demographic of those who think of Christians as intolerant, hypocritical stuffed shirts.

If I were still a practicing Christian, attending the church I once attended for much of my life, I would think that parody was hilarious. I think — and maybe I’m wrong — the point of the ad is that faith isn’t about what’s on your car, rather it’s about what’s in your heart. It’s not some invitation to be a jeans-wearing slacker dude. I certainly didn’t see it that way.

The Suit Guy runs around with bumper stickers pasted to the inside of his jacket. Are Christians like that? No, not most of them. Likewise the PC guy from the Apple ads is an overly stiff “business” buzzkill with no sense of humor. Are PC users that way? No, not most of them. The hip Christian and the Mac guy seem to just know what to do and always get it right. Is that true of hip Christians? Nope. Is it true of Macs? Absolutely not. Both the Apple ad and the linked parody are using hyperbole.

I didn’t attend a “seeker” church and the parody would have been a big hit amongst that congregation… even amongst the people carrying their “swords.” (Probably not King Jimmy versions.) I guess I just don’t see what is causing the outrage.

To the point about “picking and choosing,” there’s always someone more pious than thee. How’s that plank in your eye? :-D