We currently have a few hundreds varieties of nativity sets for sale, each of which is displayed in as obnoxious a way as possible. I tried switching the babies from the African American set and the Norwegian/Aryan race set. I thought the imagery of Joseph, deprived of sex, looking at the Black son born to his painfully white wife would be funny. Granted, it would be a bit sacrilegious, but it would be funny. Somebody switched them back.
But I digress.
With so many displays, where is one to put the price tags so as not to detract from the kitsch value of 150 nativity sets crammed together? I was informed that we always put the price tag on the bottom of Baby Jesus. Anyone else find that a bit ironic, seeing as how we are making a ton of money off the poor kid's birthday?
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
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I must say that I am so excited to find this blog (thanks to Badchristian). this is exactly the kind of thing that I have been thinking about. I wonder--do Christians conceptualize their purchase of worthless religious crap in a different way than the crap they buy at Wallmart? Do they think they are furthering the Kingdom by buying Precious Moments statuettes?
Keep it up. I will be reading with interest.
the first two commenters said pretty much what i was planning to. i love Jesus, i really do, but Christian subculture is a collosal whipping. i'll be stopping by your site often.
Well, I too am enjoying your site. Truly fantastic stuff. Hope you don't mind me sending a few people your way. Keep up the good work!
Ben, promise me that within 5 years, you'll write a book concerning some of these issues. Think of it as a 'blue like jazz-esque / 95 Thesis' thing if you can envision something like that. Hope your systematizing your life into neat little compartments. Good day.
I used to work in a Christian bookstore. In my limited retail experience, that was by far the weirdest clientele.
I once had a website that listed my least favorite Christian items, such as the "Beverly Hillbillies Study Bible." I was making the point that this kind of merchandise is symptomatic of a larger problem in Christianity. You wouldnt believe the pompous hate mail i received, thanks to the equally weird regulars on Beliefnet.
I do hate anonymous posting -- it feels so underhand -- but I don't have a blog. So here I am . . . name's Cath by the way. I got here through a rec on a friend's LJ.
I cackled at this story. My friends and acquaintances annually put up with my 'Jesus was not WHITE!' rampage at this time of year, brought on by the rows and rows of Scandinavian nativity sets in local stores. Last year, a friend answered the rampage with a gift of genius -- a nativity she found while in Chicago. The figures are black as black can be, and Jesus has an Afro. Is anything better? I think not.
You're featured on _The Morning News_!
Deliciously funny.
-Abby
found your site through, uh, bookslut. (sorry) but i already love your site. i've linked to it on my ChurchGal blog.
switching the babies? genius, dude.
One year my brother in law bought a yard nativity scene. I'm not sure if they have them up there, but they are big and painted plastic and they light up. In other words, very tacky displays to annoy neighbours that don't enjoy kitsch very much.
At any rate, when he got the box home he found a manger with baby Jesus and two Josephs. I think he failed to see the humor in the situation and took it back to WalMart for exchange.
A couple of years there was an article in Time about what Jesus in all likelihood looked like. There was a composite on the cover. He looked very Middle Eastern.
And you're attending seminary because....? Just curious.
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