In a slight twist from the usual YouTube fun, here are four videos that are a parody of the Mac vs. PC ads that a church did called "Christ follower vs. Christian." Now, I'll admit that this is a distinction I've been making myself, but there is something about these "ads" that are off-putting to me.
What do you think?
Original HT to YSMarko
Addendum: Ok, now that some people have had their say, here's mine. Overall, I think they're kind of funny, but my biggest issue is the divisiveness that can come about from them. Sure it's easy to make fun of the "Christian square," but there's this inherent hip-ness of the "Christ follower" that doesn't work for me either. I think rather than pointing out the differences between the two, show the areas where they meet.
There was an older man at church that I knew. He and I probably would not have been able to agree on much theologically, but every Sunday, he parked in one of the spots the furthest away from the building. His thinking was that other people like guests should have the closer spots and he could walk a little further. Now, he and I might have disagreed on baptism or some other theological point (I don't know this, since we never talked about it), but what he showed in that simple act of walking a little farther is his love for people. And for me to denigrate him because we disagree is not just unChristlike, it's disrespectful to him.
I don't think that's the overall point of the videos, but I do think it's so easy to get a spiritual superiority complex that we forget what it means to Christlike. That's the danger of the mindset of the videos.
What is interesting, however, is the response of people where I saw this on Thursday... from Digg. Digg, for those of you who don't know, is a social networking site where people submit stories and then can comment on them and have conversations. The general population there is probably 13-35, male, tech oriented or savvy. The reactions of people who aren't Christians were overwhelmingly positive, which I think speaks once again to attitude that people who aren't Christian have towards people who are but don't act like Christ.
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11 comments:
While I understand and perhaps even agree with their points, I think "off-putting" is a good word for them. Condescending would be another.
How about this YouTube clip where someone took pieces of Mary Poppins to make a horror movie trailer out of it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic
I posted these a few weeks ago with links to Lee Hodges' blog. He had posted them (here), and then a follow-up post with his comments. I like them and think they make some good points as well, but can also see how some might view them as ridiculing.
I really don't get it, to be honest. Looks like more of a response to some internal issues within a church, rather than a tool to reach people outside.
In fact it is very much like the PC v. Mac ads. I know what MAC doesn't like about PCs but the ads tell me very little about MACs, which seems to be a waste of some big ad $.
In this, we can see what the "Christ follower" finds amusing about "Christians" (although some of it doesn't make much sense), but there is little in the parody that tells us what the "Christ follower" believes, how he follows Christ, etc.
Pretty lame in my opinion and definitely lacking in comedic content if that was the real intention.
Tony
Off putting is right.
At the risk of making anyone mad, that's all I'll say.
I'm with everyone else. I think they're very off-putting.
They imply very strongly that many Christian people are not "doing it right" simply because they do differently.
I think they are grotesque. That's my best word for them. As in:
# Characterized by ludicrous or incongruous distortion, as of appearance or manner.
# Outlandish or bizarre, as in character or appearance.
I guess the general reaction was predictable given that the original Mac ad campaign has had a similar effect on many (identification with the PC guy and dislike for the Mac guy): for example, Apple's mean-spirited new ad campaign on Slate.
I think they're OK. A fairly nonabrasive attempt to, perhaps, challenge some conventional wisdom. Not such a bad thing to do if done with charity. I guess folks don't see these as charitable.
Oh... And my thoughts on the Apple ads?
Apple realized very quickly that people liked John Hodgman (PC) and wanted to choke Justin Long (Mac). Hence the recent commercials focus on Hodgman as the lovable doof and less on Long as the cool hipster. These "ads" don't really do that.
late, but as its been said, most people don't reject Jesus they reject Christianity.
I disagree. I think people use Christianity as an excuse to reject Jesus. Jesus is a lot more challenging, demanding, and difficult than much of what passes as Christianity.
Speaking of John Hodgman, the guy is absolutely hilarious. Search YouTube and you'll find some of his contributions to The Daily Show that are really good. I think you can download his book, "The Areas of my Expertise" off of iTunes for free this week. -- Erik
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