About Pop vs God
Pop culture refers to the predominant ideas and media of our time. The aim is to compare and contrast popular media and prevailing ideas as an entry point to remind readers of the good in the world.
Q: Why the name “pop versus God?”
Hip hop has this concept of battles and battling for credibility. It’s beautiful because it’s about nonviolent creation: art, dance, rap.
Here we’re using comparisons and contrasts between popular media and prevailing popular ideas as a front door, or an entry point with the goal to remind people of the Creator who made us, and point to the joy He has in store for the human family.
In the final sequence of things God wins. The question then is, what did we do with our choices, the things we pursue? Did those things point to God or to something else? It won’t matter what the something else was.
Q: Is the name a video game reference ?
No. But when you search for “Pop vs God” you’ll find some heated video gamers discussing two popular game titles Prince of Persia (POP) and God of War. I can live with that competition and I’ll know it’s working when it ranks in Google searches.
Q: What is your motivation?
I am tired of popular culture dominated by rage. It’s too loud. I’m hoping to reach people who want more good things in their social feed: who want to find media, music, and TV that’s worth consuming.
Three years ago I had the chance of a lifetime. I got to help one of my church leaders, David Bednar, with the design of a presentation he gave at Brigham Young University titled “To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood.” His talk was an invitation to good people to share goodness in social media that would have a cumulative effect of a flood.
People are sharing a lot of good, but, I’ve also seen a tendency among bloggers in my own faith community, and other faith communities who tend to talk more about the mechanics of a belief, or the logistics of a Sunday schedule, than about the Good News.
Q: Are you accepting submissions?
Right now it’s the solo work of Joe Pemberton and it’s just getting it off the ground. I’d welcome contributions, cross-posts, or collaborations.
Q: Who are you writing it for?
I’m hoping to reach people who want more good things in their social feed: who want to find media, music, and TV that’s worth consuming.
The majority of Americans (and people worldwide) believe in a God. In the US they consider themselves spiritual, but not religious. My aim is to point people toward the Creator, who is the author of goodness.
There are some cool scriptures that back this up:
“And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.”
— The prophet Moroni (Moroni 10:18)
And then, there’s the prophet Alma…
“For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.”
— Alma (Alma 5:40)
Q: Will you cover politics?
Politics are exhausting even though it seems like a necessary mechanism for a functioning government. But politics aren’t the end-game.
The frustrating thing is aligning with a party nowadays requires you to strip yourself of individuality and nuance. Your identity is replaced by a label — bigot, communist, hater, deplorable, freeloader, fascist. It’s too easy to lump people into the party I like and the party I hate.
Our end-game should not be political victories for our party (R or D). The end game has to be a place where people can live in a pluralistic society, with representation, fair taxation, who are free to live, worship (or not worship) as they choose. To live in peace with their neighbors, raise children, and love each other. I can think of two or three American parties that would rally behind that.
