"BS" as a Christian Concept

Somehow the website Inside Higher Ed was repeatedly referred to "Bird of Paradise" last night and today. After checking it out I discovered a review of two small semi-serious philosophical tomes (printed by Princeton University Press & MIT Press) on the subject of "b---s---."

After reading the review I (very reluctantly) must confess that most of what I read struck me as being true. In responding to the review I would add, however, that the proliferation of this subject is not limited to advertising, industry, commerce, editorials, Congress, the White House, academicians, North Korea or bloggers. Sadly, I must also include many publishers and manufacturers of so-called "Christian" books and products. While not naming names I would simply like to offer my belief that each year, Christian publishers, etc., get together and plan out what gimmick they want to use to exploit their very naive, innocent and trusting customers in the coming months.

Let's see, one year it was "angels." Another year it was anything to do with "Veggie Tales." Then, of course, there has been the "Left Behind" fictional fantasies (that reveal more about Tim LaHaye than about the Christian faith, the Word of God or the "end times"). The "Prayer of Jabaz" and sequels have served the industry well the past few years as has the "Purpose Driven Life" and the never-ending parade of new translations of the Bible and their various incarnations, such as the "Cat-Lover's Bible" and the like.

Don't get me wrong. When I associate these sorts of things with the "BS" word I am not necessarily referring to either their content or their real or imagined edification of God's adopted children. Rather, I mean the crass, craven and manipulative marketing that attempts to persuade us into believing that we really, really need these things and without them our lives would be....well....would be left empty of meaning, void of understanding and essentially ignorant of "the things that pertain to God."

Scripture teaches us that one of the spiritual gifts is that of "discernment." A book like Rick Warren's, "The Purpose Driven Life," would have become a big seller even without the hype. Indeed, to its credit, this particular book seems to me to have been one of the leased-hyped and least exploited quality Christian products to have come along in a very long time. Most Christians, when left to themselves, can "discern" what is "good and true" and what is not. In my own congregation we have used and continue to use this book in many different and fruitful ways.

Nonetheless, as followers of Jesus we must be always on the lookout for those who would, like Simon Magus, seek to use the power of the name of Jesus for their own personal or corporate profit. I have seen far too much advertising money spent on promoting so-called "Christian" books, CDs, etc, that are not worth the paper or plastic they are printed on. The theology (I use the word very loosely) of all too much of this merchandise, is so vaguely sentimental, emotional and popularized as to render it not only unBiblical but more than capable of leading many otherwise good-hearted souls astray.

I do not use the word "BS" in conversation nor is it even in my very limited vocabulary of angry epithets. But, insofar as it represents an academically acceptable concept, it can not only be colorful, but it can also accurately describe far more things than I think God would like.