God the Product, the Son and the Holy Spirit
I just finished reading the cover story from the May 23 issue of Business Week. Free registration is required, but if you don’t want to bother, use “evangelicalatheist” as the user name and “password” as the password. “Earthly Empires” is about the big business of evangelical megachurches. For those of you who don’t know what a megachurch is, it’s defined as a church getting more than 2,000 worshippers per week. In 1980, there were 50 such churches. Today, there are a whopping 880. A new one crops up about every TWO DAYS! Remember, 2,000 people per week is the low end. On the high end are organizations like Lakewood Church, which is spending $90 million to turn Houston’s Compaq Center arena (former home of the Rockets) into a 16,000 seat sanctuary to accommodate a hoped-for 100,000 worshippers per week. When you add to that the 7 million weekly viewers of televised sermons, $55 million in contributions last year and Pastor Joel Osteen’s book, which has sold 2.5 million copies, Lakewood is a juggernaut of unbelievable power.
Megachurches like Lakewood, Willow Creek and Saddleback are run like corporations, hiring MBAs to conduct marketing studies and adjusting to meet the demands of the congregation. Job number 1 for a megachurch is to give the people what they want and get them to come back next week (or tomorrow). They provide flashy, highly-polished events in place of traditional church services to appeal to baby boomers and young people, both of whom demand more style and entertainment than can be found in mainstream Protestant churches. Often, that means eliminating such things as crosses and Bibles which some customers, er, worshippers, find intimidating. That’s OK, because religion isn’t their only business. These organizations supplement their donation income with book sales, restaurants, summer camps, auto repair, etc.
In fact, megachurches aim to fill as many needs as possible in the lives of their worshippers, fostering a profitable dependency. Their marketing plans are more akin to Phillip Morris’ than they would like to admit. They hook children with fun and exciting indoctrination programs at Sunday school. They hook the poor with low-cost bulk food sales. They hook coffee drinkers, turning an addiction to caffeine into an addiction to god at church coffee bars. They hook those individuals who have hit bottom, offering free counseling services for all kinds of life disasters. Many flood the distribution channels by opening up “branch locations.” This expansion of services, offerings and geography is important, because when a critical mass is reached, the church becomes the center of religious, social and economic life. The resulting “community gravity” draws an ever greater stream of new worshippers.
A number of social observers have suggested that megachurches resemble shopping malls in their wide array of consumer-driven ministerial offerings. The megachurch functions like the mall owner providing stability and a common roof under which diverse ministries, seen as specialized boutiques, can operate. In addition several core ministries, like anchor stores, offer a continuous draw to this spiritual shopping center. This organizational arrangement allows the larger church structure to remain unchanged while the lay-driven specialized offerings rise or fall depending on changing needs. This system provides the entire membership with a continuous supply of appealing choices that fit their tastes. It also offers the highly committed members their choice of places to serve. Finally, it ensures that the church as a whole appears relevant and vibrantly active (a seven-day-a-week church) at a minimum of cost both structurally and financially. This mall-like approach enables the megachurch’s leadership to maintain a stable worship environment and yet exhibit flexibility in serving a changing clientele by continuously altering their ministry choices. As one megachurch member explained, “It has everything I need in one package.” (Exploring the Megachurch Phenomena)
So are captialism and Christianity compatible? Has the vow of poverty given way to the call of celebrity? Is Martin Luther, who ignited the Protestant Reformation because the Catholic Church was making a profit and hoarding wealth, spinning in his grave?
“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24, KJV) says Christ. Let’s not allow god to get in the way of religious progress. Really, you people are just making my job here too easy.
~I AM~
May 31st, 2005 at at 11:22 am
Business Week left off one important piece of information about all the money these “churches” make off of their amusement parks and marketing materials and malls: how much tax do they pay on it?
None I would guess.
May 31st, 2005 at at 12:19 pm
Wow, I didn’t know that the Compaq center is going to be turned into a church. My parents live in Houston and I’ve been to the C Center many times for various events. It’s got a great location.
It’s absolutely ridiculous that churches get tax-free status. People are getting rich off this, and it really isn’t much of a charity either. In a normal charity, people will donate money which will go to someone completely different and help them in a real, quality-of-life improving way. However, I believe that churches view their charitable aspect as saving the souls of their congregation. The church-goers donate money, and then, receive “benefits” from the church. This is not a charity, this is how a business works. Actual charity work by the church has to be minimal, or you wouldn’t be able to buy the fucking Compaq center.
May 31st, 2005 at at 12:24 pm
Nice post. Todays megachurches, like all corporations, are very good at capitalistic advertizing:
They convince you of a problem (original sin) and provide the solution to it (Jesus).
This is similar to the info-mercials on TV selling you their products. One of the problems, as Rufus stated, is that there is no tax for these entities. One by-product of this tax-free status is that the surrounding community must pay higher taxes to make up for it. Think about how much tax rates could fall if megachurches like Osteen’s would have to pay their fair share!
The Church of Satan scores a point here. They SUPPORT taxation of religious institutions! LOL!
May 31st, 2005 at at 1:03 pm
My dad’s church in Montgomery, AL, Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church, which I attended from 6th through 12th grade, boasts over 8,000 members, a gym, the acquisition of a church next-door several years ago, and the more recent acquisition of a large apartment complex behind it. It is now in the process of nearly doubling its space, so my dad says, complete with a coffee shop near the main entrance. Alabamians who do not attend this church call it a country club. It is that and more. Many influential people attend and a crazy amount of social networking happens there. Talk about indoctrination. They have taken it to a new level. That is, you would have to be a fool to not attend if you want to excel professionally in Montgomery.
May 31st, 2005 at at 2:24 pm
I found this from the Willow Creek website:
“What all seekers have in common is the fact that they’ve stopped pretending they have it all together. ”
This really stuck with me, because just the other night, by pure chance I caught Victoria Osteen’s sermon, and I was thinking about what atheists have to do to “market” atheism. It’s not an easy thing to market, after all… we don’t have everlasting life. We don’t have any more concrete “proof” than the theists do that we are right. We have “common sense”… but how far does that get us? If the fashion industry is any indication, marketing common sense just isn’t the way to go.
So, as a former devout theist, I began to think about what I had gotten back after I gave up God. Freedom came to mind… there was sexual freedom. I could masturbate again (though find me a place in the Bible where it says women can’t masturbate – because I’ve yet to find it). Hey, it’s true – don’t knock it. I had a lot of guilt over the whole subject… I could have sex, and if I wanted to, I could even *gasp*live with a guy! Hell, for that matter, I could even be a lesbian!
I could gossip without guilt. I could go to the bathroom without wondering if God was watching (a real relief, I swear). I could control my own destiny, as much as anyone can in an unpredictable world… and when things didn’t work out, I didn’t have to blame it on god. I could either take responsibility, when I was to blame, or I could chalk it up to life sucks, and not think “well, god has another plan” – and then wonder what the hell that plan was and why did it involve horrible things happening to me.
So… how do we market atheism, I AM (or anyone)? How do we make theists – especially the ones who fall prey to the Disneyworld Churches mentioned above – realize that the freedom to just live life that atheism grants one is so much better than anything Christianity (I single out Christianity since that’s what currently being discussed) has to offer?
May 31st, 2005 at at 5:27 pm
My initial thought is that atheists must simultaneously advertise the long-term harms of theism alongside the immediate and long-term benefits of atheism. Sam Harris highlights the harms of theism in his new book, The End of Faith.
May 31st, 2005 at at 6:15 pm
Yeah, I bought that book and it is really good, although the last chapter is a bit weird when he starts talking about meditation and stuff.
June 1st, 2005 at at 2:50 pm
May when check out these responses to your post, Atheist:
http://bronxpundit.blog-city.com/read/1315454.htm
June 1st, 2005 at at 3:22 pm
I have no interest in ad hominem attacks and childish bouts of name calling. Anyone interested in discussing issues is welcome to do so here. Anyone interested in calling me an idiot can fuck off.
June 1st, 2005 at at 4:49 pm
Are there any other ways to attract or maintain worshippers? I mean, if a church lacks the wherewithal to conduct its business, that is, to keep their doors open and provide services to the poor, then one would think that running like “corporations” is inevitable and important. Are they like making all this money and purchasing homes and SUV’s? Just curious.
June 1st, 2005 at at 5:34 pm
If you read the article, Bronx, you’ll see that Joel Osteen talks very candidly about his wife Victoria wanting an “elegant” home, and how they were eventually able to afford such a home. If you watch her talk, you may be blinded by the copious diamonds that adorn her left ring finger…
There’s a difference between making enough to keep the doors open, and spending more than some small countries GDP to open a mega church.
June 1st, 2005 at at 9:22 pm
The best way to market atheism is to START. It’s just not being done now. I agree with Uberkuh on the broad approach. The question is how to effectively convey that. The method must communicate the message “religion is stupid” without saying “you, the believer, are stupid.”
Most religions teach object lessons with narrative. I think atheism could do the same thing. A series of stories that depict the harmful aspects of religion and the liberation of atheism, arranged into an atheist “scripture” could do the trick. People can apply what they learn reading symbolic or allegorical stories about others to their own lives without feeling like they are being attacked.
Now, how do you get people to read it?
June 1st, 2005 at at 9:28 pm
Bronx: How to attract or maintain worshippers isn’t really something I care about. My goal is church elimination, not church reform. The point of my post is not to criticize the methods of megachurches because I think they should grow differently. It’s to show the atheist community the tricks that are causing us to lose ground. I also find the hypocrisy amusing. If you believe in the teachings of Christ as written in the Bible, you can’t possibly support the lifestyle led by this type of preacher.
June 1st, 2005 at at 10:28 pm
Why church elimination?
June 1st, 2005 at at 10:43 pm
Did you read the title of the blog? Evangelical Atheist. Which part don’t you get?
June 2nd, 2005 at at 2:58 am
I don’t believe ‘marketing’ atheism is the way to go. That would be “stooping to their level”. You have to have a multi-faceted approach. I hate to use the term, but ‘think-tanks’ would help to organize atheists and pound out viable agendas. These agendas should focus on education first and foremost. secondly, a political approach is necessary. What that entails or to accomplish it I don’t know. And exposing religious frauds is yet another aspect. Let me think some more, and I’ll come up with some other ideas. Oh yeah, advertising (which I guess is marketing) and controversy are good.
June 2nd, 2005 at at 12:15 pm
Why church elimination?
“Did you read the title of the blog? Evangelical Atheist. Which part don’t you get?”
I infer by your rejoinder that what you are saying is all atheists advocate the elimination of all churches. It’s really an inane remark, don’t you think.
June 2nd, 2005 at at 10:06 pm
I have no comment regarding incentives to become an atheist as far as “what’s in it for me” but I am really annoyed when atheists allow fundamentalists to seem to have the moral high ground and athiests merely say, “Christianity sounds good but unfortunately it’s just not true”.
I too have considered myself an “Evangelical Atheist” and have wanted to found a “church” of such a denomination.
I call all fundamentalists to repentance! Fundamentalist Christianity is not merely false, it is wicked! Thou shalt not worship false and evil gods! Behold the sins of Jehovah:
1) Genocide against the people of Jericho
2) Murder and coercion: Yahweh took away Pharoah’s free will, using Pharoah as a puppet so that he (Yahweh) could show off his power by murdering the innocent first born male children of Egypt.
3) Condoning slavery in both the old and new testaments
4) Murder and the denial of freedom of religion in the murder of the prophets of Baal
5) Genocide and animal abuse in the Genesis flood
I want to set up tables across from where Jehovah’s witnesses are found to call them to repentance! I want to steal the membership roster of my local Mormon Church, don a white shirt and tie and knock on THEIR doors to inform them that it is wicked to worship a god that implies the inferiority of non-white races by turning people’s skin dark when they displease him.
I want to shake a bloody corpse in front of fundamentalists and exclaim how dare they criticize a woman for aborting a fertilized egg when their own god has no respect for human life, evidenced by the crimes he supposedly commits in the Silly Babble (excuse me, the Holy Bible).
I want to call fundamentalists to repent from their wicked philosophy of moral relativism: they claim the old testament rules are no longer relevant after the death of Jesus on the cross. What can be a more wicked case of moral relativism! They seem to think that slavery and polygamy was not a sin for Abraham but it is now. What hypocrisy!
Fundamentalist Christians have NOTHING to do with true American values. They plan to step aside at Armageddon while their evil god denies religious liberty and protections from cruel and unusual punishment as he casts our fellow Americans into his gulag called “hell”.
Atheism is the BASIS for religious tolerance. Religions that threaten the constitution of the United States are tolerated BECAUSE they are FALSE! If fundamentalist Christianity is TRUE, then the president of the United States, from his promise to defend the constitution of the United States, must prepare the armed forces to fight against this evil monster!
But don’t worry about the evil god Yahweh. As everyone really knows in his inner-most heart-of-hearts, he doesn’t exist. Jesus was half-right when he said that the Saboth was made for man rather than the man for the Saboth. Jesus just didn’t go far enough. Man makes his gods to serve man, not the other way around. I have yet another exhortation to fundamentalists in the hopes that they admit the truth they know in their hears and will repent of their wickedness:
It’s been 2000 years and he’s STILL dead. Give it a rest.
George Skillman
gskillman@hotmail.com
June 3rd, 2005 at at 12:05 am
George:
Don’t hold back.
You’ll particularly enjoy the “God is a Dick” series I’m planning. I’m currently imagining it as seven parts. I post my multi-part topics on Sundays, and I have four more parts of “Origin of Religion” to get through first, so it will be about a month.
June 3rd, 2005 at at 1:23 pm
Aw c’mon, they’re not using coffee bars to get people addicted to caffine so they’ll come back for more. It’s not as if they had cornered the market.
June 4th, 2005 at at 1:19 am
I once attended a wedding at a mega-church and saw something I thought I would never see in a church, a security guard with a gun. I wasn’t aware that churches were being robbed on a regular basis.
Where’s their faith in the big guy?
June 5th, 2005 at at 3:28 am
My local area has 4 or 5 of these mega-churches. We call them god incorporated. Our local paper gives free press to each one often. At least one claims to take in $50,000 per week on Sunday collections alone. They do pay taxes on the profit from merchandise sales but not property taxes on the prime real estate they sit on. Most caim to be non-denominational, evangelical churches whose pastors make no excuses for their wealth. One pastor managed to lose over $50,000 in an investment scam to a traveling Christian scam artist who was offering unusually high returns to the faithful. Meanwhile, we have rampant homeless people camping on our rivers and vacant lots, people with little to eat and families without health care coverage.
Product is the correct call on the god they are selling. A product, which if taken literally, should be banned to anyone under age and stamped with the proper warnings against, violence, mature subject matter, and high chance for addiction.