This week in small group we went over the commandment "thou shall not covet" but it was particularly interesting because in one of my classes we are studying advertising and its effects on us as consumers. The whole idea is that as we are living in a capitalist society, advertisers are the agents that give meaning to common everyday commodities. (Yes, this is just a piece of gum. But it's really a lot better than all the other brands of gum out there. Because we can clean your teeth better. Your teeth will shine better and soon all the boys will be falling for you.) We learned of the 4 rather simple means through which advertising agencies speak to us, getting us to want more and more. Because what we have is not enough, and obviously what you need is the product on that ad in that magazine, or that coat on that billboard as you're driving on the bay bridge. Or those shoes that were on that 30 second commercial you just saw on hulu. Or sometimes its even more sneaky sneaky than that. You're just blog surfing and you see all these beautiful things that other bloggers are wearing...(fashion blogs, oh fashion blogs). How do we reconcile this, then? When we live in a consumer society--when advertisements are entire agencies and corporations based on the sole fact that people are buying into these full page ads and 30 second commercials? They're effective, they get us to buy "5 Gum" over your plain ole' Dentyne Ice.
I'm still mulling over this...what do you guys think?
I think that 차밍 gum should be advertised. :)
ReplyDeleteare you looking for a compromise? a christian who can/able/likes to buy things, and more things?
ReplyDeletemy opinion, it all comes down to enjoyment. i will ask: how are you enjoying these things? deep inside, we can be enjoying a certain car because we find pride when others look inside on the street. or we can be enjoying the car because God is good and he provides and youre able to enjoy because God is your father.
but of course by this point, you wont really care what youre driving or wearing and eating...God is good all the time, not just in good times so to speak.
just like many taboo things, drinking, sex, etc, i think buying things fits in this category. its a heart issue and not of legalistic judgement.
therefore, its truth vs sin. being not of this world, in this world. cant stop them advertising companies and honestly, the worlds gonna get more worse in this aspect. we just gota get that much stronger.
hm, i dunno if i even answered the question you were asking, but then again, i dunno exactly what youre looking for..
Hey Rachel, haha...good small group material!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting because what I've been thinking about is moving away from coveting and moving towards giving. The problem is well represented by James Brownson.
We tend to think of meeting our needs as the central purpose of our lives. In the Bible there are stories where God heals, rescues, enlivens, delights, feeds and cares for people. But the problem is that we have made meeting our needs the most meaningful thing in our lives.
We think this way because we tend to identify our humanity at its core with a set of needs that must be met. Abraham Maslow held that human beings are characterized by a hierarchy of needs: physiological, safety, love, belonging, esteem and finally leads to self-actualization.
Our humanity is reinforced 1000s of times each day through the culture of advertising. Images, phrases, music, sensations make us think we need or desire or work toward satisfying of those desires and needs. In essence, North American understandings of what it means to be human are deeply shaped by the market. We are trained to see ourselves first and foremost as consumers with needs to be met.
What is lacking in this view of humanity? Glaringly absent is any understanding of a purpose for human life that extends beyond ourselves and the gratification of our own needs and desires. The problem is not that meeting our needs is wrong; it's that when meeting needs moves to the center of our lives, the result is self-absorption and narcissism. Genuine spiritual growth is difficult to achieve until this posture of self-absorption is confronted and addressed.
What the gospel offers, by contrast, is the opportunity to be drawn into something larger than ourselves. The gospel sees our humanity not in terms of needs to be met, but in terms of capacities and gifts to be offered in God's gracious service. We are created not to consume but to know god, not merely to meet our own needs but to participate in God's life and mission. The gospel is primarily about God, and only secondarily about us. It's an invitation into a new way of being human.
("StormFront: The Good News of God", by James V. Brownson, p. 33-34)
What do you think of that, Rachel? =)
comment on your header: those are not notes on a napkin. those are notes on polaroids! silly rachel. this is why they say trix are for kids. *shakes head. some just never learn. (i don't know what i'm saying anymore...)
ReplyDeletehey rachel =]
ReplyDeletei really liked your post. i am sorry if i'm just repeating what other people have already said, but their comments were too long.
here's what i think:
i totally agree with a lot of what you said. i think that ads these days are just too good nowadays. they are really powerful and can make people buy just about anything. while i am pretty indifferent about ads for clothes and gum (maybe it's because i am a guy), i am strongly against ads for products that are harmful to people. i immediately think of mac donald's and their poor quality food. yes, it's just fast food, but in large quantities it can cause many problems. of course that is never stated in their ads; instead, it's just happy meals, new toys, and play pins, all of which are aimed at kids. yes, they are selling crappy food to kids, but nothing is being done. No matter how hard consumers try to stop, people can't help but buy cheap food that was advertised well. for this reason, this raises the question: "when does consumer responsibility end and corporate responsibility begin."
sorry for rambling. the point i was trying to make is that ads are always going to be here. just like the enemy. and at the same time, God is too. both are trying to win our hearts. i think this really ties into the first commandment: thou shall not have no other gods before me. so ask yourself who is your ultimate? the amazing this is that God not only gives us that choice, but He also waits patiently for us when we make the wrong choice time and time again.
so to conclude, i don't feel as if eating your favorite gum or buying a jacket that fits your tastes doesn't necessarily mean you under the control of the consumer society. it all depends on who your heart truly belongs to. that's my two cents.
-Steven
P.S. sarah's comment is hilarious XD