Commercialization of ChristianityThe Artifact: Billboards are a key part of advertising, but there is one in particular that I would like to write about. On Highway 67 there is a church that has a large billboard with an interesting message for anyone passing by. It shows the newly constructed church building and the pastors face a message saying: "A work of God, enabled by our faith." The Message – This billboard begs to be interpreted, and I think many conclusions can be drawn from it. reading this billboard, and perhaps even taking what was written out of context. However, materialism is found in this billboard, especially with the images. When a church buys the rights to a billboard, it has the right to display whatever it wants. Rather than putting a verse that will make people think, or asking a deep theological question that will make the reader think about eternity, this church decided to put their brand new building as the basis of their fellowship, rather than the Risen Christ. I don't understand how a group of Christians can accept this leadership decision, to put their building at the forefront of their community action, rather than using the Gospel as a means of outreach. This also brings up a similar topic that was discussed earlier in a previous journal article (see: Onward Christian Toy Soldiers). There is a movement that is slowly crippling the Bride of Christ, and it is a capitalist idea that churches must compete with each other in order to have the largest congregation. I couldn't help but think that instead of this church having a billboard, maybe there would have been a fast food restaurant doing exactly the same thing: offering something to attract the middle of the paper.... .. subjected to the lie that God doesn't care at all about its existence. My parents tell me he is suffering, and I know it, but he cannot (I told him) tell God what he wants and expect it the next day. Name it and state it: Theology has had an influence on my family for some time, but every time I'm asked about Christianity, they remark that my theology is very different from that of most pastors that they listen. My family is a strong, Christian family, it's just that they have been deceived by false doctrines at times, but I feel like they are on the way out. I have strongly encouraged better pastors to listen, recommended good books to them, and tried to teach them some of the things I have learned so that they will not be so easily influenced by those who bring false news rather than the Good News..