CREATING A RELIGIOUS IDENTITY
From the beginning of time, religious people have employed physical identifiers such as clothing and other adornments to make a statement about their religious status. Despite the ebb and flow of religions, the tradition of visually identifying with a religious movement remains strong today. Here are a few examples of how people (both clergy and laity) of various religions have branded themselves with clothing, jewelry and behaviors (adornments):

STUDY TIP: The last page in this series of pages contains a large, random collection of religious people, past and present, who are distinguished by their clothing, adornments, and postures. Most, even those found in foreign cultures, are easily recognizable because these images have been successfully branded into public consciousness after years of public exposure.

Religious institutions, both large and small, would not survive unless they had good reputations that they consciously work to develop and promote. They do whatever they can do to establish and increase their public images (i.e. reputations). Similarly, religious leaders would not be able to get jobs or attract faithful followers who will purchase their religious products or services unless they look good and unless people say nice things about them. Doing the right religious things (e.g. wear the right clothing and ornaments, use the right language, practice the right behaviors, etc.) is necessary to establish and maintain success in the religious world.

Branding of a supposedly spiritual religion with material props (e.g clothing, jewelry, buildings, etc.) and body behaviors (including speech) is a practice primarily intended to communicate personal god-likeness (i.e. spirituality) with other mortals and has no positive effect on God who looks only at the heart — not on external appearances.

STUDY TIP: See Place Where God Will Place His Name for understanding of God’s attitudes about the heart.

Clothing and physical religious activities, therefore, are all matters of the fleshly religion — not faith. Since they are represented as evidence of faith, however, they are fake faith.

In God’s eyes, such physical displays of fake faith are nothing more than prideful, showmanship designed to gain influence and favor with people.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of religious pride.

While public displays of religion yield positive results within a religious community, they also have the negative effect of creating distance from others who do not subscribe to a particular religion. They are nothing more than remnants of ancient tribalism tendencies by which groups of people organized themselves for religious, social, economic and security purposes. These displays have no positive influence on the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and do nothing to improve or enhance a believer’s relationship with him or with non-religious peope. They obstruct the goal of unity and oneness that God desires for his people.

STUDY TIP: See Favoritism and Partiality.

Jews, Christians, and all other religions, including those that do not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, have branded their traditions with various clothing styles and behaviors that make them distinct and recognizable. The intent behind branding is to make a statement to current and potential adherents of the particular tradition, and to the community at large, that the one who wears these items and exhibits certain behaviors is a spiritual person who is associated with that tradition and with the god of that religion.

Of course that is not what religionists will say about their clothing and behaviors. They put a spiritual spin on their reasons by claiming that what they wear are expressions of devotion to God and are vehicles for drawing close to him.

STUDY TIP: This link and video does a good job of communicating the rationale that all religions apply to explain why they wear their unique clothing and perform their rituals.

The truth is that religionists who depend on outward appearances to represent inner spirituality operate in the flesh and not in the spirit. They have been deceived by religious leaders into believing that outward, physical objects and behaviors actually connect them to God and display that connection to others. Religious leaders who teach about such things are frauds preying on ignorant people who desire a meaningful connection with the spirit world.

STUDY TIP: See Religion is Deception.

This article will show that the practice of branding to advertise religious status, and a religious service or product is as common in religious organizations as it is in commercial enterprises. Purveyors of all kinds of goods and services, religious and otherwise, need to develop consumers’ trust and confidence in their brand in order to stay financially viable . They all need to attract new consumers and keep their old ones or they will lose out to the competition. And when that happens, they will suffer loss of status and income. It is all about self-interest. And the key to survival is branding.