Shut Up Head.com

Friday, July 07, 2006

Holy hell, Batman!

You gotta love the headline: "Holy Hell Over Subway 'Jesus'", picked up also by the Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

The article quotes one young man of 20 years old: "I personally don't think religion has any place in advertising...Why do we need this in a public space like the subways?"

As an MTA spokeman pointed out, there is a First Amendment issue here.

But maybe even more important is the idea that religion and the public sphere doesn't mix. Which carried to it's logical conclusion, would mean that churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship shouldn't be on the public streets. Monuments like Chartres Cathedral would need to be hidden from public view.

What I really think is being said, is that not only is religion is private, but what once was considered public space should now be considered private space. Hence the immersion of so many people in iPods and cell phones as they attempt to turn public areas into private areas.

At least as far as sound is concerned. It probably won't be long before someone invents an "eyePod," and then people like the young man who objected to the ads will be able to screen out sights as well as sounds.

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