Is white praise music off limits for corporate sponsorship? Earlier this morning, the top news story on Google News’s U.S. page was “Chevrolet blends marketing, religion.” Yes, it was beating the sniper story. (Google News uses algorithms, not human editors, to choose stories and their placement, so this means that Google’s search engine saw many articles on this topic being posted and thought the story was particularly hot.)
In the past, Chevrolet has sponsored countless concerts and music tours, from rock to jazz to country—even gospel music. But its sponsorship of the Come Together and Worship tour, with Michael W. Smith, Third Day, and Max Lucado, has Jewish groups and others upset.
“America is increasingly multiethnic and multireligious. So, for an American icon like Chevrolet to link itself to one religion, Christianity, and then one specific group within Christianity is divisive,” American Jewish Committee spokesman Rabbi James Rudin told the Detroit Free Press, which first reported the opposition. “The majority of Americans are not evangelical Christians and it would be very, very bad business for Chevrolet to put the idea into people’s minds that they’re the evangelical brand.”
The Free Press story was picked up by the Associated Press, The New York Times, and other papers. The Times reports that Christian Music Trade Association president Frank Breeden and Rudin spent yesterday debating the issue on the talk show circuit.
“Every religion has representatives in the United States, and we’re all in this together, especially at a time like this,” Rudin told the Times. “I think it’s a very divisive way of reaching the public. … Chevrolet is talking about the ‘family values’ of this market, but nobody has a monopoly on that. All religious groups possess strong family values.”
The Anti-Defamation League also opposes the endorsement. “They have the right to do it,” national director Abraham Foxman told the Times. “[But] I’m a little uncomfortable with a major commercial venture going into propagating religion. … Evangelical Christians believe they have the truth, so are they selling a product because it’s God’s product? I find it troubling.”
Also concerned is Phyllis Tickle, contributing editor in religion for Publishers Weekly. “This is surprising—a real blurring of the lines between the commercial and the sacred,” she tells the Free Press. “And it’s unfortunate, because it compromises both sides. We know that church and state are never supposed to meet, and I think it’s also a bad idea for church and Wall Street to be meeting like this.”
But Chevrolet isn’t backing down. “We look very closely at what customers are saying and want to do the right thing,” spokesman Tom Wilkinson told the Times. “As America becomes more and more diverse, we find that with almost anything you do, there will be somebody with concerns about it, which is not uncommon for large corporations.”
There’s clearly some bigotry going on here. After all, no one has complained about corporate sponsorship of black gospel concerts. And, as The New York Times notes, “Decades ago, companies ran commercials in Yiddish on New York City radio stations with Jewish audiences, and Maxwell House even distributed Haggadot for Passover Seders that carried ads for its coffee on the front covers.”
That same Times story, however, demonstrates that business writer Stuart Elliott didn’t exactly know what he was writing about. He concludes his story by saying, “Coincidentally, the focus on the Chevrolet sponsorship of a concert tour of contemporary Christian music comes as the general advertising campaign for the G.M. division for the 2003 model year … is centered on a very different type of music: rock. Commercials and print ads for Chevrolet models like Cavalier feature rock tunes like ‘American Pie,’ ‘409’ and ‘Little Red Corvette’—not exactly ‘Give Me That Old-Time Religion.'”
A quick trip to the Come Together and Worship website—or even to Amazon.com—would have revealed that the music of Third Day and Michael W. Smith isn’t exactly “Give me That Old-Time Religion” either. (Poor Michael W. Smith—Weblog has seen him misidentified so many times lately. Today’s Times article calls him W. Michael Smith, for example. Even Grammy host Jon Stewart called him Michael K. Smith. There have been other recent examples, but Weblog can’t remember the specifics right now.)
Outright bias aside, is there a point to be made here? After all, this isn’t just “music by Christians, for Christians.” This is praise music. As Jeff Gregg, a talent agent who helped put the tour together, told the Free Press, “This is not necessarily an entertainment experience. It’s really a vertical experience between believers and God … When you add someone like Max Lucado, you’ve got both the praise experience and the teaching experience combined, much like a church service.”
So here are the discussion questions. 1) How is a concert like this like and unlike a church service? 2) Would we want church services to have corporate sponsors? Why or why not? 3) Do the reasons we wouldn’t want corporate sponsors for church services hold true for worship concerts? 4) Would the same concerns apply to black gospel music concerts?
More articles
Jerry Falwell:
- Hate speech? | Jerry Falwell isn’t the problem. Jihadism is. (Gary Bauer)
- Jerry Falwell still speaks for some Christians | It might be premature to write off Falwell’s influence altogether over the most conservative of Christians who still rally to the call of a moral renewal in American culture (L. Sue Hulett, Newsday)
- Understanding must follow apology | Although Falwell also deserves consideration for his apology, the matter should not be dropped without more contemplation of the issue on his part and by all people of all faiths (Editorial, The Bakersfield Californian)
- Muzzling Falwell | But how much easier it is for the truly enlightened among us to dump on Mr. Falwell, a man who threatens no one, than to stand up against a repressive movement that threatens us all (Diana West, The Washington Times)
- Falwell: Prophet of hate | This interview marks the entry of hate speech into primetime, and a new onslaught of attacks on Islam and Muslims in America (Pakistan News Service)
Indian Christian protest anti-conversion law:
- Protests against conversion ordinance begin in Tamil Nadu | Over 3000 Christian schools and colleges, and the few Muslim educational institutions across Tamil Nadu, remained closed as community leaders began a daylong fast on Thursday to protest against the state government’s ordinance banning forced religious conversions (Rediff.com)
- Christian protest over conversion plan (BBC)
- Minorites begin fast against TN Ordinance (PTI)
- Conversions will destroy Hindu society, says VHP International General Secretary Praveen Togadia | Says conversions are a political activity, not a religious one (Outlook, India)
- Earlier: Indian State Bans Conversion | Christians say Tamil Nadu ordinance threatens relief work (ENI/Christianity Today, Oct. 11, 2002)
- Gujarat mantri threatens Dangs Christians | The saffron brigade on Monday threatened Christian missionaries in Dangs, telling them “to give up luring tribals,” and reportedly warned them to behave or “experience another spell of riots, this time targeting foreign-funded Christians.” (Asian Age)
The Orange County Register‘s report on persecution in China:
- China: A fight for faith (The Orange County Register, Flash required)
- Enclave clings to beliefs | Christianity is a way of life in the Lisu Autonomous Prefecture near China’s border with Burma (The Orange County Register)
- Lessons: Leaders still wary | After a six-month Register inquiry, including a monthlong journey across six provinces in China, 10 lessons emerged about Christianity and how Californians are aiding its growth (The Orange County Register)
- A revolt for God | He led 100,000 students in Tiananmen Square, risking his life to make China a democracy. Now, Zhang Boli says, he lives only for Christ. (The Orange County Register)
Christians and Israel:
- Evangelicals flock to Israel’s banner | Christian Zionists see Jewish state bringing messiah (The Boston Globe)
- Evangelicals mix Church and Jewish state | Prominent American Christian conservatives lead a nationwide prayer campaign in support of Israel. The push could help GOP at the polls (Los Angeles Times)
- Christian Coalition abandonment of Palestinian Christians is hypocritical (The Palestine Chronicle)
- Evangelical Christians back eviction | Last week, thousands of evangelical Christians cheered as a member from Israel’s Knesset called for the “relocation of Palestinians” from the West Bank to Jordan (Arab News)
- Bethlehem shuns violence to bring back pilgrims | But a few ripples of militant violence since Israeli tanks rumbled out of the biblical West Bank city show the new peace and goodwill cannot be taken for granted, locals say (Associated Press)
- Christian clergymen balk at airport security check | A group of senior Christian clergymen Wednesday refused to undergo security checks at Ben-Gurion Airport and returned to Jerusalem, where they held a press conference to condemn Israel for mistreating them (The Jerusalem Post)
Crime and punishment:
- Liberian Archbishop launches probe | The head of Liberia’s Roman Catholic church ordered an investigation into the slayings of five American nuns during the West African nation’s brutal 1990s civil war (Associated Press)
- Exorcist to be tried on sex fondling charges | Gennaro Joseph Piscopo, pastor of Evangel Christian Church, a nondenominational church in Roseville since 1989, was charged in February with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct (The Detroit News)
- Couple freed ahead of Shari’ah stoning | An Islamic court has freed Fatima Usman and her former sweetheart Ahmadu Ibrahim on bail, a critical step forward for the defense in the latest Sharia law case to raise political and religious tensions in Nigeria (The Mail & Guardian)
- Aborting child protection | Does Planned Parenthood report child abuse? (Jennifer Roback Morse, National Review Online)
- 3 in gay rights petition case avoid a trial | Head of the Miami-Dade Christian Coalition chapter and two others choose pretrial intervention program, which involves community service (The Miami Herald)
Sex abuse scandals:
- In New Hampshire, abuse cases undermine a Catholic bishop | The career of Bishop John B. McCormack illustrates the dilemma posed by the Vatican’s refusal to endorse parts of a new sexual abuse policy (The New York Times)
- At Forum, victims of clergy plead and vent | The Vatican’s decision to reject parts of the American bishops’ new zero-tolerance policy has left victims scrambling to hold onto gains made through this year of scandal (The New York Times)
- Rejecting the bishops | It is no surprise that Vatican officials have put the United States Catholic bishops’ zero-tolerance policy on hold (Margaret O’Brien Steinfels)
- Vatican panelists named, examined | 2 have advised bishops not to report abusers; some fear a stacked deck (The Dallas Morning News)
- Also: Vatican names abuse panel members (Associated Press)
- Americans and Vatican officials to revise policy on abuse | The Vatican announced the names of the four American bishops and four Vatican officials responsible for revising the American prelates’ zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse (The New York Times)
- Also: Catholic panel named to revise abuse policy | Church moves quickly (The Washington Post)
- The Vatican objects | The bishops must stand firm (Editorial, The New York Times)
- The Vatican’s day of shame | By obfuscating and minimizing the rape and sodomy of Catholic school children and other faithful, the Vatican now seeks to delay, and ultimately kill, any meaningful reforms that would protect American children (Paul Steidler and Mark Serrano, The Washington Times)
Sexual ethics:
- Groups spread word on differing viewpoints | Groups prepare for this weekend’s Soulforce “Out and About in Lynchburg” activities (The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.)
- Gays face Falwell, followers | First Mel and Gary moved in. Now a whole group opposed to ”spiritual violence” will converge on Lynchburg (St. Petersburg Times)
- Gay rights ‘destabilizing’ Church: Carey | Anglican leader: Homosexuality overshadowing other issues (The National Post)
- Also: Carey speaks out on homosexuality (The Globe & Mail, Toronto)
Media and Internet:
- TV case prompts call for new Lebanon government | A Lebanese opposition grouping has demanded the government resign over the closure of a TV station that was a mouthpiece for Christian-based opposition to Syria’s grip on the country (Reuters)
- A man of ideas but not of faith | When Alan Bookbinder became the new head of BBC religious broadcasting, shocked critics complained that he was not even a Christian. But he finds faith both fascinating and increasingly important (The Times, London)
- Pockets are added to friars’ tunics, and the sky falls | Since receiving the commission last year to redesign the habit worn by 90 Franciscan friars of the Third Order Regular, Elisabetta Bianchetti and her design have been praised, debated and excoriated in the Italian press (The New York Times)
- Google bans controversial sites | Among sites banned from French and German listings is Jesus-is-lord.com, a fundamentalist Christian site that is adamantly opposed to abortion (ZDNet)
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