Reading this article, I was reminded why I become nauseous every time I go into a christian bookstore.
DENVER — The fake rose petals strewn across the tablecloth gave Milton Hobbs’ booth a romantic aura. He stacked crystal-cut perfume flasks in a pyramid and set out pink candles tied with ribbon. The effect was almost sexy — at least compared with the other booths at the International Christian Retail Show.
Hobbs liked it. He needed a striking display to call attention to his most unusual product. “Christian perfume,” he said. “It’s a really, really new genre. We’re the first!”
Virtuous Woman perfume comes packaged with a passage from Proverbs. But what makes the floral fragrance distinctly Christian, Hobbs said, is that it’s supposed to be a tool for evangelism. “It should be enticing enough to provoke questions: ‘What’s that you’re wearing?’ ” Hobbs said. “Then you take that opportunity to speak of your faith. They’ve opened the door, and now they’re going to get it.”
More than 400 vendors packed the Colorado Convention Center last week to showcase the latest accessories for the Christian lifestyle.
After years of steady growth, the Christian retail market notched $4.3 billion in sales in 2004, the latest year for which figures are available.
Gospel Golf Balls are touted as “a great golf ball with a greater purpose.” Manufactured by Top-Flite, the golf balls are printed with well-known verses from the Bible, such as John 3:16 (”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…. “). Dave Kruse, president of Revelation, said they were meant as “conversation starters,” to help men share their faith while teeing up.
An added bonus: Duffers need no longer feel bad about losing a ball in the rough. “If you’re playing great, good,” Kruse said. “If you’re spraying the ball, well … lose a golf ball, share the gospel.”
Read the rest here.
Of course, if the man is asking what the girl is wearing, the question is followed up with “And what are you doing this evening?” beware “virtuous” woman!…….or either it provokes them [men] to run away because it’s so badly made (see also most pop CCM).
This is so funny that it’s lost its power to offend me. I absolutely in all seriousness think that you and I need to come up with the most outrageous exploitative piece of Christian crap and go into business just to prove that it can be done. TP with the names of ‘Anti-God’ liberals in our country? Christian bottled water that has a drop from the river Jordan in each bottle? Doorbell chimes that play praise choruses through an in-home surround sound system? Come on, man, we could have fun, have endless blogging material, and make some cash! (You know it would sadly actually work…)
sigh. I completely agree. I sometimes think when I go into a christian book store that we are going to have a lot to answer for when we get to heaven.
Why?