Auugghhh! I don't like this.
Sheesh. This bugs me. Why can't we just be Christians and live in the real world?

In case you don't feel like clicking on the link, it's a story about a Christian gym, called the Lord's Gym. I guess it's taking off on that T-shirt that's been around for a long time, you know, the one with Jesus all muscular and doing a push up with the cross on His back, and the cross says "The sins of the world"? Then there's a slogan reading "Bench press this" below it?

I'm just really put off by the description of the gym. It seems like it's exploiting Christianity as a marketing tool. No, I'm not going to qualify that statement: It is exploiting it.

Here's what I mean:

The gym's Christian theme isn't hard to find in the décor. According to Men's Fitness, "a wall by the Stairmasters is covered with a floor-to-ceiling mural of 'Daniel in the Lion's Den' ... the steps are each inscribed with a different line from John 3:16 ... and the juice bar sells smoothies with names like 'Land of Milk and Honey,' 'John the Baptist' and 'Joseph's Surprise,' in two sizes -- David and Goliath."

The hottest fitness trend over the past few years has been yoga -- an activity its followers find both physically and mentally beneficial, some to an almost spiritual level. But Lord's Gym owner Paul Sorchy says yoga's popularity is not what spawned his facility.

"Yoga is not what my focus was about. It was about keeping the focus on my Lord Jesus ... We don't call it yoga. It is called yo-god," Sorchy told Fox News.

Auuughhh!!!

Plus, you can't wear tight-fitting clothes there. That's fabulous. I don't know about you, but when I'm sweating on a treadmill for 30 minutes, I don't want to be wearing a big 'ol T-shirt. If some schlub looks at me and it causes a problem for him, that is not my problem. He should talk to God about it, and concentrate on his workout.

I don't know. I just find this all extremely annoying. Of course, this company is free to market their gym in whatever way they want, and if people enjoy going there, great. I just wouldn't.

What do you think?

via Seven Inches of Sense  ¶ 10:52 AM