Christian publications seem to be seen as either boring or copying other “better” secular ones. Magazines in particular actually do have some things in common with “worldly” ones. They both try to aim at the same types of people by having women’s, men’s, sports, and children/youth specific magazines. Some of their goals are also similar in that they try to teach, delight, and persuade readers.
Secular publishing tends to explore whatever it can in order to draw people in. Unfortunately, the way in which they do that is usually not honourable. If they have any standards at all, they are very low. They usually dig up dirt and stir up gossip about celebrities. They exaggerate stories to make them sound like “must-reads” and turn their content into obsessive information that no one actually needs to know. Brittney Spears got caught drinking and driving. Angelina Jolie adopted yet another child. Christie Alley lost 100 pounds. What does this have to do with our lives? How is this valuable information? Yes, there are some secular magazines that do have great tips, photos, and information. It’s the more common, typical, cashier side magazines that irk me. They surround you with information that might look appealing but is not very useful to know.
Christian publishing also does what it can to draw audiences in. However their approach is one that I respect and appreciate far more. They try to cater to their older readers’ interests by sticking to more traditional Christian content that focuses on evangelism, articles on the church and faith. They also try to be relevant and modern for the younger audiences by putting their magazines online, adding links to other things they might be interested in, and including discussions on and reviews of popular movies, books, music, and other popular culture. Their aim is more to create something relevant that can improve the lives of those who read their material. Instead of seeking dirty details and meaningless information about rich famous people, or making it seem like things like profanity and sex are both acceptable and even “normal” in our culture, Christian publishers try to keep it clean and untainted. They try to include content that is beneficial for their readers and that can help answer more meaningful questions they might have about life and through giving guidance and entertaining, they provide the reader with more of a positive use for what they are taking in.
I personally would choose a Christian magazine (like Relevant for example) over a trashy, typically secular magazine any day. They are more meaningful, they try to include a variety of interesting articles on things that I find most interest in (such as life questions, testimonies, and my favourite musicians), and they include advertisements that I might actually take interest in instead of ones that say “You need this to be happy!” They also try to include popular culture, but they express it in a more critical and healthy way. It makes sense that I would want to support and take in things that I actually stand for and that I know will have a positive impact on my life.
The choice is yours.
Secular publishing tends to explore whatever it can in order to draw people in. Unfortunately, the way in which they do that is usually not honourable. If they have any standards at all, they are very low. They usually dig up dirt and stir up gossip about celebrities. They exaggerate stories to make them sound like “must-reads” and turn their content into obsessive information that no one actually needs to know. Brittney Spears got caught drinking and driving. Angelina Jolie adopted yet another child. Christie Alley lost 100 pounds. What does this have to do with our lives? How is this valuable information? Yes, there are some secular magazines that do have great tips, photos, and information. It’s the more common, typical, cashier side magazines that irk me. They surround you with information that might look appealing but is not very useful to know.
Christian publishing also does what it can to draw audiences in. However their approach is one that I respect and appreciate far more. They try to cater to their older readers’ interests by sticking to more traditional Christian content that focuses on evangelism, articles on the church and faith. They also try to be relevant and modern for the younger audiences by putting their magazines online, adding links to other things they might be interested in, and including discussions on and reviews of popular movies, books, music, and other popular culture. Their aim is more to create something relevant that can improve the lives of those who read their material. Instead of seeking dirty details and meaningless information about rich famous people, or making it seem like things like profanity and sex are both acceptable and even “normal” in our culture, Christian publishers try to keep it clean and untainted. They try to include content that is beneficial for their readers and that can help answer more meaningful questions they might have about life and through giving guidance and entertaining, they provide the reader with more of a positive use for what they are taking in.
I personally would choose a Christian magazine (like Relevant for example) over a trashy, typically secular magazine any day. They are more meaningful, they try to include a variety of interesting articles on things that I find most interest in (such as life questions, testimonies, and my favourite musicians), and they include advertisements that I might actually take interest in instead of ones that say “You need this to be happy!” They also try to include popular culture, but they express it in a more critical and healthy way. It makes sense that I would want to support and take in things that I actually stand for and that I know will have a positive impact on my life.
The choice is yours.
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