rhettsmith.com

I think the first thing to recognize is that everyone is ripping off someone somewhere. Wether it be creatively, conceptually or even culturally people reflect one bit of something and give it their own spin ... ahem ... look at religion.

What you are saying concerning the Christian market is very true...Christians are pushed out sometimes by people who do not see a need for creativity and sometimes because Christians are so utterly cheesy it seems as though it is a hopeless cause.

But I also recognize there is a trend developing where mega-churches are attempting to emulate popular media and make it their own. The problem I see is that, for the most part, the people employed by the church to create the creative new media church are just as cheesy as they have always been, and the spins placed on things are proportionately obnoxious. It is a difficult and carefully considered thing to approach a community of believers with a tasty bit of media that somehow loses its salt when dragged thru the people making the big decisions in the church with neither a background in marketing nor much of an idea regarding the current state of things outside their walls.

It is sad really. You've probably heard pastors say that we need to embrace the technology and media available to us. What is disturbing is that the point even needs to be made in the first place. It is as though people assumed that the church maximized its use of all things creative during the early 70's, and that was a good benchmark for the rest of ... forever.

Does the Christian world lack creativity and originality. No. Is creativity and originality encouraged in the church? No. Ironically, Jesus was probably the most original, and dare I say, creative person ever to live, die, and live.

On a closing note, I think we will begin to see an emerging trend of Christianity in America doing better with marketing, design and media elements as the cost to do such things continues to decrease while the demand or "comfort" with it increases. You will begin to see more ministries doing it right, such as Passion - probably the best example right now to me of a ministry that "get's it."

Brian:

You should read Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell. You said, "It is as though people assumed that the church maximized its use of all things creative during the early 70's, and that was a good benchmark for the rest of ... forever." Rob Bell tackles that very issue in his book.

the problem with the church regularly ripping off pop culture themes is that it creates a culture of unoriginality. God forbid we show some creativity. if we did, then people who themselves embrace originallity and who can think for themselves will not like it here--and who wants them!! people like that just like to ask tough questions and think critically about what it is the church is saying.

doesn't the church have more to offer than cheap and easy rip offs?

On a side note, one could even interpret the Qwest logo to be a 666! See this link:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/theomen/

No offense intended, it is just a point to make that no matter who you are or what you do it can be interpreted as something different depending on the market.

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