I read Scobleizer, a Microsoft blogger, who usually has some cool things to say.
One of his recent posts was about the Fellowship Church in Silicon Valley, the 15th largest church in the US, or so the Germans would have us believe (good luck finding that stat in Google, because I didn't). So, by all means, go read the post and educate yourself.
Go on, I'll wait.
Okay, good, you've read it.
One, it's a handjob for Microsoft, but I expected no less. They used the right tools, yadda yadda, that's fine with me. Scoble loves to fawn over the 'MS Solutions', but kinda half-mentions Linux as what they use for their video, and barely gets the word Mac in the paragraph before running away screaming.
But that's not my point here. The point is the generalizing of church. The watered-down garbage for the unwashed masses. Well, nicely washed and groomed, looks like. Do you think you'd see a homeless man in that crowd? I don't think so. Hell, they probably charge admission.
Church to them is a rock concert. It's cheering and yelling, a crowd of fifteen thousand people. That is a lot of fucking people. I haven't been in a crowd that size in a long, long time. And when I did, I didn't necessarily enjoy it.
Of course, everyone loves a good show. But that's what it is, a show. Entertainment. I don't think I've ever seen such spectacle before. Christian churches have a competition it seems as to who-can-top-who, the lessening attention span of the audience and the feeble attempts to keep up with it.
I'm not even a 'Christian' anymore, so take that into consideration. I consider myself an atheist at this point, because I'd rather not say I'm agnostic--it's important to believe in something, whether it be spiritual or based in reason. Just pick a side already. Wishy-washy works for awhile, but there are few things and times in this life when you can truly take a stand and claim something as your own. Spirituality is like that. I think a lot of people like to ride the fence in case they're wrong. You know, "I burned in hell because I chose the wrong religion." I think hell is a fairytale, just like the boogeyman. Believe what you want.
I've seen 'Christian' people who are the biggest asshole prick self-absorbed losers imaginable. At the same time I've seen some of the most amazing people who happened to be Christians. The only thing wrong with Christianity is the Christians. It seems like a guy who said "be good to yourself and others" isn't exactly radical, or extraordinary. However, he was chosen from the many, many other folks claiming to do the exact same miracles at the same time and through bible compilation/editing and political maneuvering by the Roman Catholic church has found his way into god-like status. And that's cool, like I said, believe what you must to be good to yourself and others.
As a sidenote, I always thought WWJD (What would jesus do) crap was hilarious. What would he do? Um, probably give it to the poor instead of investing in overpriced t-shirts and jewelry to go toward the never-ending 'building fund' or some jeweler's back pocket.
Okay, back to my point, and to wrap this up: I feel that the larger a church gets, the more detached people become. There is a point you cross where all the faces become generic, interchangable, and the message begins to get hollow. The evangelists on TV, even when I was a devout believer, always seemed like cheap salesman.
'Christian music stars' always seem to force the spirituality. Creed was the best at not doing this. P.O.D is pretty good at it too, but their songs don't have the same quality. Not saying that Creed is quality exactly, but when you're comparing trash to cowshit, you have to choose one of them. Besides, Creed's first album wasn't that terrible, it was only later they got so full of themselves and began to really delve into mediocre-ville.
So when 'Christian music stars' get on the Fellowship Church stage, and begin using the same boring pop hooks and same cheesy, cringe-inducing bullshit slow songs that everyone else does, except with worse lyrics, it just seems like a farce. These people are here to make money. While 'God' may be a part of it, it is certainly not as big a factor as the money. If they made no money off of it, they'd go sit and watch someone else every Sunday, and go to work the rest of the week. This is their job, it's what they do.
I think churches are brilliant in their money-gaining abilities. I congratulate those who do good things with them. But I certainly do not doubt that there are people who are less than honest, whether they be Tammy Fay or some no-name preacher who buys a cadillac thanks to a generous congregation.
In other words you'd never find me within a hundred miles of that place. Unless of course I'm headed past it on the freeway, going towards other, less pushy forms of entertainment.
