Let's Buy Jesus!, Religion & Consumer Products Options

[Comptine]

I was shopping at Urban Outfitters and was browsing their non-clothing section. I look around and see a giant pink thing. Upon closer inspection, it was a giant, pink Jesus. The little place tag in front of the item said Eight Ball Jesus. So I shake it and flip it over. Sure enough, it was an eight ball. When I put it down, I felt as if I disrespected one of the most important religious figures in Christianity (I'm not religious). Also, when I browsed through the tees at Urban Outfitters a little later, I found a tee that proclaimed 'Jesus is My Homeboy!'

I've been noticing lately how much of our consumer products are geared towards religious people (Not just Christianity. There was an Eight Ball Buddha and a Jew Unit shirt). Starbucks even started to print phrases from the Bible on their coffee cups.

If you are religious, are you happy to see your religion on products or do you feel as if it's disrespectful? If you aren't religious, do you feel uncomfortable about the influence of religious views?

[illumineering]

A pink Jesus is about consumerism. As I have been taught over the years, religious artifacts aren't purchased in Urban Outfitters, Pottery Barn or Ikea. Those are goods that have been marketed to a religious community with the intent of making money. Personally, I could care less. You can't buy a sacred object, nor should one ever be sold. That would be akin to auctioning the Shroud of Turin or the Holy Grail on eBay.