It Ain’t Easy, Honey!

A few years ago, one of America’s biggest department stores tried marketing a doll in the form of the Baby Jesus. The advertisements described it as being “washable, cuddly and unbreakable” and it was neatly packaged in straw, satin and plastic. To complete the package, the manufacturer added Biblical texts appropriate to the Baby Jesus. To the department store executives, it looked like a surefire winner; a real moneymaker. But they were wrong. It didn’t sell. In a last-ditch effort to get rid of the dolls, one of the store managers placed a huge sign in a prominent display window. It read:

Jesus Christ _ Marked Down 50% Get Him While You Can

A common thread running through the presentations of many of the TV and radio hucksters of religion is a “Jesus Christ _ Marked Down 50%, Get Him While You Can” kind of sales pitch. They’re offering a non-existent “cheap Grace”: just say “Yes!” to Jesus and you’ve got it made!…