Religion

Jesus Advertised on My Hotrod

Mel Gibson's controversial movie "The Passion of the Christ" is using a unique "surgical marketing campaign that has zeroed in on the Christian market and built a deafening buzz," according to the Wall Street Journal. "The promotional campaign got its start last year as Mr. Gibson hit the road and visited Christian leaders across America." Now, religious leaders are showing movie trailers and selling tickets to their congregations. But "passionate" marketing isn't just for churches.

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What Would Jesus Pay for Drugs?

The Traditional Values Coalition, which bills itself as a Christian advocacy group, has received money behind the scenes from the pharmaceutical industry to campaign against legislation that would enable U.S. citizens to import low-cost prescription drugs from countries like Canada. The drug industry opposes the law because it would undercut the high prices they charge in the U.S.

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Self-fulfilling Prophecies?

As the nation marches toward war in the Middle East, millions of Americans believe in Biblical prophecies of Armageddon that predict war and mass slaughters of Jews and Muslims. "Genocide, in short, becomes the ultimate means of prophetic fulfillment," writes historian Paul Boyer. "Without close attention to the prophetic scenario embraced by millions of American citizens, the current political climate in the United States cannot be fully understood. ...

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Christian Coalition Sponsors Anti-Islam Speakers

At a Christian Coalition symposium on Feb. 15, Don Feder, a syndicated columnist for The Boston Herald for 19 years, and Daniel Pipes, New York Post columnist and director of the right-wing Middle East Forum, agreed that militant Islamists are the real enemies of the U.S., reports O'Dwyer's PR Daily. Feder "railed against U.S. leaders who insist Islam is a religion of tolerance and compassion and charity," O'Dwyer's writes.

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Why Can't We All Get Along?

The Council of American Muslims for Understanding, an organization created by the U.S. State Department, has been trying to impress Muslims abroad with glowing portrayals of religious diversity and tolerance in the United States. Unfortunately, the Bush administration's supporters in the Christian Coalition of America (CCA) have been sending a different message.

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US Unveils "Muslim-as-Apple-Pie" Ad Campaign

The US government is using The Rendon Group, advertising whiz Charlotte Beers and others to develop PR and ad campaigns to sway Muslim opinion toward the US. The first ads are being "greeted with skepticism," according to the New York Times. "Rawia Ismail, ...her head covered with an Islamic head scarf, appears in a US government video that will have its first public showing this week on national television here in [Indonesia]... 'I didn't see any prejudice anywhere in my neighborhood after Sept.

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More PR Help for Catholic Sex Abuse

Guthrie/Mayes PR is helping the Archdiocese of Louisville handle its sex abuse crisis. Eight of the Archdiocese's 182 priests have been "permanently removed" from their ministries. Other clients of Guthrie/Mayes include Philip Morris, Toyota, Eli Lilly and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

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Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammo

KCSA PR Worldwide, whose clients include the Zionist Organization of America, is doing PR for the Christian Coalition to support the war in Iraq. The Christian Coalition is organizing a "Christian Solidarity for Israel Rally" and is urging its members to pray for the Iraqi people while we bomb them. Some PR counselors see a conflict of interest and problems down the road when Jewish and fundamentalist Christian agendas collide.

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