This is technically not a religion advertising but Time advertises some CDs called Songs 4 Worship during daytime TV. In fact I have one of the songs stuck in my head now that I thought about the advertisement.
OY, thanks a lot.
The words stuck in my head now are “my God is an awesome God…”
I guess once ER is over I will have to blast some Queenryche or something so I am not singing those same words again and again.
I have been pondering why someone would ask such a sily question. Christian groups invented the infomercial. My local CBS affiliate here in Iowa runs a 60 minute infomercial called “The Jack VanImpe Ministry” every saturday night, right opposite “Saturday Night Live.”
But I have been pondering the REAL question here, which is “why the HELL would religions use mass-media advertising?” I’m supposed to become interested in a religious philosophy based on some contrived TV production with professional actors masquerading as religious figures? I am reminded of the gazillion glossy images of the Pope I’ve seen. Maybe we should apply truth-in-advertising laws to force them to represent him as he really is, a senile, drooling, Parkinson’s-addled half-dead guy in an expensive costume, leading people out of the Dark Ages. Too bad the Dark Ages ended several hundred years ago.
My own religion (a sect of buddhists) absolutely forbids advertising of any sort. The philosophy demands that the word of Buddha be spread from person to person, just as Buddha spread it. An eminently logical philosophy, I thought.
I think it’s actually “Eating meat except on Fridays…” It’s funny how many Filet-O-Fishes McDonald’s sells on Good Friday. I was never clear on how fish isn’t meat. It’s not red meat, but it’s still the flesh of an animal. [/tangent*]
Now it’s just “No meat on Fridays during Lent.” It used to be “No meat on Fridays ever.”
…as to why the mormons are advertising on TV. In my area 9Boston) they have taken to running ads offering a free KJV Bible, if you call their toll-free phone number. This makes me suspicious-since their main scripture is the “book of mormon”-why offer the KJV bible? Is this a “come on” tactic? having stayed a many a marriott hotel, i have looked at the book of mormon, and as Mark Twain reported, it is indeed “chloroform in print”.
Another comment-take one of the more obscure sects-like Christian Science. According to what i read, this group is experiencing a major membership decline-they should be advertising like crazy! -a few ads in the “Christain Science Monitor” isn’t going to cut it!
But to quote George Carlin:
“…but I’ll bet there are guys in Hell still doing time for the meat-rap, right?”
There’s a full page of ads in most papers every Saturday.
Some are almost as comical as your suggestions, they promise so much love and harmony.
[nitpick]
As a faithful LDS Mormon, the KJV Bible is held to be one of the standard canonical works of the church, along with the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
All have equal scriptural status.
[/nitpick]
I have seen the Paulists, an order of the Catholic church, run tasteful ads in mass circulation magazines. (“What does the Bible say about[subject]? Call us for a free booklet” etc.)
Here in my location (north central Oregon) various groups put up occasional billboards inviting the faithful to come worship with them, particularly in the month before Easter.
The Knights of Columbus have one every year at least.
But my favorite magazine ads were the semi-mysterious appeals of the Rosicrucians, a mainstay of the cheap ads
in the back pages of magazines of all sorts inthe 50s and
60s. That’s if you consider them a religion, which is
probably open to debate.
…for reminding me of those weird Rosicrucian ads in the Sci-Fi magazines of the 50’s and 60’s! Yes, I was always wondering what this group was all about-they promised the “mastery of life”-whatever that was! Also, the alchemical references-dusty retorts, spiderwebs, hoary old books-the wisdom of the ages indeed!
years ago, I paid a visit to the Rosicrucian Headquarters in San Jose California. It is really cool-they have lots of ancient egyptian artifacts, dusty old mummies, etc…although just what the connection (of Rosicrucianism ) with ancient Egypt is, is not clear. Still, it is a pleasant spot. I never did mail in the coupon, so (sadly)I never learned the ancient wisdom (sigh!).
can get you info on the Rosicrucians.
I remember reading in one of the “Big Secrets” books the author did a pretty hilarious deconstruction of what actual Rosicrucian ritual is.
In Ireland, the state broadcaster (and I expect the others) may not broadcast advertisements for a religious purpose. A similar prohibition applies to political advertisements, apart from official party political broadcasts, which are allocated in proportion to a party’s support.
How’s about the billboards in the UK during the run up to Jan 1st 2000 saying “2000 copyright Christianity.”
(The copyright thing was one of those little c’s in a circle of course.)
In many places I’ve lived, it’s not just Jehovah’s & LDS that go door-to-door, but any number of other religeons: Baptist of several strips, Catholics, and some more obscure ones, as well. “Ding-Dong, Zealot calling…” Yeah, I know: most are sweet people, earnestly concerned about the condition of my soul, but still…
In the Philadelphia area, the Catholic church is running a fairly high-profile mass-media campaign for recruiting new priests. I guess the calling isn’t heard as clearly as it used to be. Let’s not forget the Diaonetics(sp?) commercials, either.