OK - before I post this, let me make the standard disclaimer:
As most of you know, I am an Observant Jew - I know a bit about other religions but am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a scholar. I like to think that I am a considerate, sensitive person, but I can’t really be sure of that, can I?
Anyway, I saw a commercial last night.
It showed a man getting ready to bungee jump. The montage included footage of him climbing a tower, getting geared up, tightening straps, ratcheting things, etc. There was then a long shot of him chugging a carton of milk and tossing it away. Then he jumped off the ledge, trailing a long bungee cord from his feet.
We watch the cord run over the side and, untethered, follow the jumper who smacks into the ground with a thud that we hear (and feel) but don’t see (thankfully).
The screen then fades to black with the white, centered text: "Got Jesus?"
I thought it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.
In admitting that, am I being insensitive? Is this sort of thing distatsteful? Do any of you Christians find it offensive? Inappropriate?
What the Sam Hill was it a commercial for, sdimbert? A spoof, a joke? An indirect commercial for milk? A lighthearted but seriously-meant ad from a Christian organization? To know if it was offensive, we’d have to know a little more about who’s saying it and what they’re trying to say.
Personally, although I don’t think most Christians I know would be offended by it, from a completely nondenominational viewpoint I think it sounds kinda sick. If you thought it was funny, however, that probably means, not that you’re anti-Christian, but that you just have a warped sense of humor, which should surprise none of us.
(If you want to know what “religious message” in advertising I find really offensive, by the way, it’s those “God Speaks!” ads. Do you have any idea how it trivializes the “Lord’s Word” to see it caricatured on billboards that way? I keep expecting to see one that says
Don’t laugh about God not liking plaid. One of the books of Moses says you’re not supposed to wear fabrics made of more than one kind of thread (e.g. wool/cotton blends, cotton/polyester blends, etc.).
While funny, I do agree that this and those God Speaks billboards (my fave: take my name in vain again and you’ll see how long rush hour can be) do trivialize God and the message to a certain degree.
tracer, you are close- it is mixing two specific materials which is verboten. However, I would not be surprized if some had extended this to any mix of any fabrics.
I do not find the commercial, as described, in poor taste or
offensive.
This thread TITLE, however, could certainly be better.
Ooh! I get it now! They are equating the impact at the bottom of the cliff with an eternal existance of ultimate suffering! Now that’s not trivializing theology at all is it? :rolleyes:
Umm. Just a thought, but is a TV commercial the proper venue for witnessing? Not that I am saying that TV is bad, valueless, etc. But is there anyone who seriously believes that this sort of thing, or any 30 second sound bite for that matter regardless of content, is the kind of message that will lead people to convert to the cause? Or even prod a lapsed parishioner back to a more active status? I can’t fathom what the purpose of such a commercial would be, although it certainly could be funny if done correctly.
I haven’t seen the billboards you’re referring to, but they do sound trivializing. I have a friend with a shirt that says:
That is funny!
tracer: Daniel already set you straight. Daniel:
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[li]Thanks for the info on Shaatnez (mixing species).[/li][quote]
This thread TITLE, however, could certainly be better.
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Well, I guess that brings us back to kimstu’s point regarding intent… isn’t it interesting that WHY someone says something is often just as important as WHAT they say? Or WHO they are?
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Well, I guess that brings us back to kimstu’s point regarding intent… isn’t it interesting that WHY someone says something is often just as important as WHAT they say? Or WHO they are?
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You could certainly explain shaatnez better than I, tho.
And the thread title infers that it is JC himself doing the bungee jumping.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Danielinthewolvesden *
**
Actually, Daniel, this is not the case (seems strange, huh?). Only wool/linen mixtures are forbidden as Shaatnez. No other cloth mixture is a problem at all.
Note, Zev my brother, I said “I would not be surprized if some had extended”. I knew it was linen & wool (for some reason the word linen would not come to my tongue tho, and I did not want to write “wool & another cotton-like material that is not cotton”). However, knowing there are some odd fringe groups in Judaism, I did not want to definately state that only a mixure of those 2 was forbidden, in case one of you talmudic smart-butts piped up with "But the Lubavichers extend the ban to any fabric mixture’ or something equally odd.
There’s a very weird commercial airing now. It has three young people showing off their piercings to some kind of electronica music and saying why they got pierced. Then it has a closeup of a crucifix and says “HE GOT PIERCED TO SAVE YOU.”
I didn’t need that in the middle of Voyager. Thank you.
