March 3, 2006--Fanaticisms XXIV--Game Boy Jesus

It is estimated that 40 million American Evangelicals believe that the world as we know it will end either during their lifetime or before the end of this century. The Rapture will trigger these Final Days and when it occurs all those who are to be immediately Saved will be transported directly and bodily to Heaven--Raptured. The Remnant will have the opportunity during the seven-year Tribulation Period to convert to Christianity or be Born Again.

These seven years will be dangerous and difficult because during that time the Anti Christ will appear and, after unspeakable forms of warfare and suffering, will dominate much of the world. That is, until all the world’s Jews return to greater Israel (the land stretching from the Nile River in the west to the Tigris and Euphrates--in Iraq!--in the east) and lead the conversion efforts. After the Final Days run out, Armageddon will occur as Christ returns, the Second Coming, and brings about the End of Time. All souls will then be either brought to Heaven or condemned to the other place.

These 40 million pre-millennialists, as they are called, also represent quite a market for books and other products that describe what is about to occur or provide a roadmap for how to prepare oneself for the Rapture or conversation if one doesn’t make the first cut, so to speak. For example, there is a series of 12 novels written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins called the Left Behind series that have sold more than 20 million copies.

So it should be no surprise that other Evangelical entrepreneurs have developed products for this same market. The latest was reported recently in the NY Times—interactive video games that, according to the manufacturer’s website, DancePraise.com, “Glorify God through interactive media by spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ” (see article linked below—especially check the picture of the two Dance Praise principals demonstrating their fastest selling product).

Dance Praise software offers more than 50 Christian hits such as Andy Hunter’s “Open MY Eyes,” Bleach’s “Super Good Feeling,” and D.J Maj’s “Up All Night,” which are shown as music videos on one’s computer. Connected to this is a Dance Pad that rests on the floor and on which one dances. The Pad is gridded into nine squares where one places and moves one’s feet as prompted by the video. Not entirely unlike the less high-tech footprint pad that used to be sold by Arthur Murray to teach people like me the Fox Trot and Cha Cha.

The developers, Tom and Bill Bean realize they are in a very competitive market but say, when seeking venture capital, that if they only reach 2.5 percent of the Left Behind readers they will be able to sell 500,000 copies of Dance Praise. And turn a profit. In the meantime, to show their own faith in their invention, they have mortgaged their homes to underwrite product development and marketing.

Among the many things I do not understand about all of this—if the world is going to end so soon, why all the interest in making money? Since as they say, “You can’t take it with you.”