Comments on: Market-driven religion http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/ Random musings. Imaginary readers. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:06:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Shripriya http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-7079 Shripriya Sat, 28 Apr 2007 04:08:27 +0000 http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-7079 Libertarian - The economic statistics are interesting. Maybe the Church should go into some for of loan granting to improve the lot of their customers? Yes, Hinduism won't grow - I'm not sure I particularly care though... I would much rather that it eradicate it's new-found right wing (about 16 years old now) than grow - they are giving it a very bad name. <em>"Hotel California clause"</em> - ROFL Libertarian - The economic statistics are interesting. Maybe the Church should go into some for of loan granting to improve the lot of their customers?

Yes, Hinduism won’t grow - I’m not sure I particularly care though… I would much rather that it eradicate it’s new-found right wing (about 16 years old now) than grow - they are giving it a very bad name.

“Hotel California clause” - ROFL

]]> By: libertarian http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6751 libertarian Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:20:35 +0000 http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6751 While the Catholic religion may adapt to the demands of the market (a bishop in the Vatican Bank remarked that the Bank was not run on Hail Mary's) its theology moves at a glacially slow pace. The idea that unbaptized infants who die don't necessarily go to hell (oops Hell) is still mind-bogglingly silly. The Catholic Church is well aware of its markets - the US "contributes a lot" (Irish-descent in Mass., Hispanics, Filipinos), Europe "contributes", India is ummm ... still "missionary" :-). Its interesting though, that the people in Catholic countries are poor compared their peers in Protestant countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, much of South America). Hinduism is most laissez faire. Has no "Hotel California clause" like Islam has :-) ... <i>(You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave)</i>. No active proselytizing means it won't grow though. While the Catholic religion may adapt to the demands of the market (a bishop in the Vatican Bank remarked that the Bank was not run on Hail Mary’s) its theology moves at a glacially slow pace. The idea that unbaptized infants who die don’t necessarily go to hell (oops Hell) is still mind-bogglingly silly. The Catholic Church is well aware of its markets - the US “contributes a lot” (Irish-descent in Mass., Hispanics, Filipinos), Europe “contributes”, India is ummm … still “missionary” :-). Its interesting though, that the people in Catholic countries are poor compared their peers in Protestant countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, much of South America).

Hinduism is most laissez faire. Has no “Hotel California clause” like Islam has :-) … (You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave). No active proselytizing means it won’t grow though.

]]> By: Shripriya http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6717 Shripriya Mon, 23 Apr 2007 02:07:29 +0000 http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6717 @ Rational Human - One interpretation is that everyone is going to heaven since they removed the baptism requirement, but *my guess* is that the church will tell you that to go to heaven you have to believe in Jesus Christ. Which, since it is their religion, is perfectly fair. If you do not believe in JC, your SOL - unless your own religion covers you for that one! :) @ Cowardly Lioness - Agreed - creationism is going to be an excellent pulpit. A very polarizing one - which could be great for marketing. And yeah, if the other side wants to win this battle, they better get their own marketing gurus. It's a free market - hire the best if you don't have it within your ranks! @ Prakash - While the Church's recent decision makes Christianity more appealing, the Hindu Pujari's (priest's) actions makes Hinduism more unappealing. So while he may be using more advanced segmentation methods, maybe you should tell him that he's in a war for people and he should make his product as appealing as possible. After all, you have lots of other options!! :) @ Rational Human - One interpretation is that everyone is going to heaven since they removed the baptism requirement, but *my guess* is that the church will tell you that to go to heaven you have to believe in Jesus Christ. Which, since it is their religion, is perfectly fair. If you do not believe in JC, your SOL - unless your own religion covers you for that one! :)

@ Cowardly Lioness - Agreed - creationism is going to be an excellent pulpit. A very polarizing one - which could be great for marketing. And yeah, if the other side wants to win this battle, they better get their own marketing gurus. It’s a free market - hire the best if you don’t have it within your ranks!

@ Prakash - While the Church’s recent decision makes Christianity more appealing, the Hindu Pujari’s (priest’s) actions makes Hinduism more unappealing. So while he may be using more advanced segmentation methods, maybe you should tell him that he’s in a war for people and he should make his product as appealing as possible. After all, you have lots of other options!! :)

]]> By: Prakash http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6690 Prakash Sun, 22 Apr 2007 17:38:16 +0000 http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6690 The pontiff's and the swamis have also picked up other marketing fundas. Here is one that I have personally experienced. - All customers are not the same. Segment the market. High end ones who pay more are given 'better' blessing. I once had a pujari tell me he has two pujas. One for $100 and the other for $200.The difference is that more powerful mantras are used in the second. I opted for neither. The pontiff’s and the swamis have also picked up other marketing fundas. Here is one that I have personally experienced.
- All customers are not the same. Segment the market. High end ones who pay more are given ‘better’ blessing. I once had a pujari tell me he has two pujas. One for $100 and the other for $200.The difference is that more powerful mantras are used in the second. I opted for neither.

]]> By: Cowardly Lioness http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6679 Cowardly Lioness Sun, 22 Apr 2007 14:03:49 +0000 http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6679 Oh the other way I think the Catholic religion has hit upon to stay relevant is by piggybacking on the modern deification of science. The evolution debate so cleverly discussed here in this week's Economist titled "In the Beginning" is a cool example! This controversial stance with respect to the dominant logic of evolution began in America and is now spreading through the world. In my opinion creationism is one way of grabbing the centre stage and feel the ecclesiastical thinking still has a valid role to play in the intellectual realm. Look at the irrational persistence of arguments like irreducible complexity in favour of intelligent design - I smell ersatz science in all these convergence, natural philosophy, intelligent design arguments and to be perfectly frank some god's honest attention grubbing :) A book that highlights these null hypotheses comprehensively though somewhat abrasively is Richard Dawkins' 'God Delusion' that you might enjoy reading. My favourite quote from the Economist article is the closing since urging science to work on the glamour of its recruiting practices! Father Coyne, the devoted star-gazer, is one of the relatively few boffins who have managed to expound with equal passion both their scientific views and their religious beliefs. He writes with breathless excitement about “the dance of the fertile universe, a ballet with three ballerinas: chance, necessity and fertility.” Whether they are atheists or theists, other supporters of Darwin's ideas on natural selection will have to inspire as well as inform if they are to compete with their growing army of foes. http://www.economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9036706 How quaint is this Coyne guy! It's such a pity that Stephen Jay Gould is no longer with us to take him on - scientists need some charm - Matt Ridley is one hopeful light! Oh the other way I think the Catholic religion has hit upon to stay relevant is by piggybacking on the modern deification of science. The evolution debate so cleverly discussed here in this week’s Economist titled “In the Beginning” is a cool example! This controversial stance with respect to the dominant logic of evolution began in America and is now spreading through the world.

In my opinion creationism is one way of grabbing the centre stage and feel the ecclesiastical thinking still has a valid role to play in the intellectual realm. Look at the irrational persistence of arguments like irreducible complexity in favour of intelligent design - I smell ersatz science in all these convergence, natural philosophy, intelligent design arguments and to be perfectly frank some god’s honest attention grubbing :)

A book that highlights these null hypotheses comprehensively though somewhat abrasively is Richard Dawkins’ ‘God Delusion’ that you might enjoy reading.

My favourite quote from the Economist article is the closing since urging science to work on the glamour of its recruiting practices!

Father Coyne, the devoted star-gazer, is one of the relatively few boffins who have managed to expound with equal passion both their scientific views and their religious beliefs. He writes with breathless excitement about “the dance of the fertile universe, a ballet with three ballerinas: chance, necessity and fertility.” Whether they are atheists or theists, other supporters of Darwin’s ideas on natural selection will have to inspire as well as inform if they are to compete with their growing army of foes.

http://www.economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9036706

How quaint is this Coyne guy! It’s such a pity that Stephen Jay Gould is no longer with us to take him on - scientists need some charm - Matt Ridley is one hopeful light!

]]> By: Rational Human http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6665 Rational Human Sun, 22 Apr 2007 06:05:02 +0000 http://shripriya.com/blog/2007/04/22/market-driven-religion/#comment-6665 This is actually a massive shake up in this "corporation" Previously, every customer had to be a "member" (baptized)or they wouldn't be waited upon by "Jesus@TM". Now, if they can be waited upon by "Him" without officially joining, isn't everyone a member? The Catholic Church has just declared that everyone's going to heaven (as long as they're not sinners [and is that net of good deeds?])- you don't have to be a Catholic anymore at all!! Why would anyone get their kids baptized anymore? Does the "going to heaven" offer wear off by the age of 12? Now, if they could just get their corporate officers to stop abusing little children and if their senior managers would stop covering it up... This is actually a massive shake up in this “corporation”

Previously, every customer had to be a “member” (baptized)or they wouldn’t be waited upon by “Jesus@TM”. Now, if they can be waited upon by “Him” without officially joining, isn’t everyone a member?

The Catholic Church has just declared that everyone’s going to heaven (as long as they’re not sinners [and is that net of good deeds?])- you don’t have to be a Catholic anymore at all!! Why would anyone get their kids baptized anymore? Does the “going to heaven” offer wear off by the age of 12?

Now, if they could just get their corporate officers to stop abusing little children and if their senior managers would stop covering it up…

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