Thursday, June 28, 2007

Christian Subculture...

The Christian subculture of which I am very much a part of, and currently trying to figure out how to escape, makes my head hurt sometimes.

My latest debacle had me picking up a magazine from my church mailbox. Someone in the congregation was nice enough to give me a free subscription to a Bible College's monthly publication, so I tend to flip through a couple pages before filing it in the little box next to my desk that magically disappears every evening. (Incidentally, I'm told it is also called a trash bin.)

Anyways, all I read today were the "Letters to the Editor" and words are currently escaping me. Or at least the words that are blog worthy are currently escaping me.

Rebecca St. James appeared on a recent cover and here are pieces of comments that were printed (you can read them all on page 3 here):
  • One woman (Alicia) makes a comment about Rebecca's attire, "...I used a permanent black marker to draw her jacket for her. (For my sake, yes, and my husband and 2 teen boys.) I would suggest discreet cropping in the future"
  • Another woman (Alice) says "...Rebecca St. James' comments about modesty and inner beauty are weakened by her tight clothing in the accompanying article"
I am dumbfounded. My initial response is to ask the first woman if she also draws in clothing on the models when the Victoria's Secret catalog comes. And I hope you don't have cable or the internet. And I hope you don't let your boys look at girls in public.

Seriously? This is what we've become?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A year ago there was an issue of "Leadership" that focused on sex - and on the cover was a picture of a nude statue.
Well in the next issue, there were more than a handful of letters to the editor that pretty much mimicked what you posted: "Stumbling", "Black Marker", "Shame on you!"...
I do understand where these people are coming from - yet, at the same time, it's scary and embarrassing to come across. There's such an unpreparedness in evangelicalism to engage people and culture as they are.
I think about how Jesus dealt with the woman caught in adultery (emphasis on the "caught in"). Even though the situation was awkward - there was still total engagement.

Anyways, good thinking lately! I've really enjoyed lurking in the shadows of your blog... maybe I'll make an effort to join in the conversation more often. Here's me by the way:
web.mac.com/pastorjonkramer

Say "hi" to Erin for me!