Jesus is my homeboy. He saves. He shaves. He flies hang gliders.
The above may sound strange, but these and similar sayings have been promulgated by T-shirts.
Religious and spiritual T-shirts -both sincere and humorous -have emerged as the latest trend in the fashion industry.
Youth Intelligence, a leading authority in trend studies, predicted that religiously oriented apparel would become an increasingly popular fashion statement, according to The Cassandra Report, a collection of the organization's findings published three times a year.
The report appears to be right. T-shirts with religion-based designs are everywhere.
A quick search at Urban Outfitters, a clothing chain with no religious affiliation, found a shirt that said Catholic girl in the middle of a rosary. Another said Buddha rocks.
At BustedTees.com, numerous shirts are available, including one with a clean-shaven Jesus Christ, which reads Jesus Shaves.
Similar tees hang in shopping malls, are worn by celebrities and have even been seen on the fashion runway. And they can be found in Athens.
Skye Agnew and Laura Yates, roommates at Ohio University, each have a religion-themed shirt.
Agnew's is pink with the words Jesus is my homeboy under a picture of Jesus. Yates' shirt shares the same color, but shows a picture of Jesus hang gliding above the words What wouldn't Jesus do?
While some might consider such takes on religion to be offensive, Yates disagreed.
I didn't think it was offensive at all
she said, referring to her own shirt. I consider myself religious and a couple of my friends back home are pretty religious too and one has the same shirt
so I don't think it's offensive.
Agnew agreed. I don't really consider myself religious
but I don't wear (my shirt) to be demeaning at all
she said. I found it funny but didn't see it as blasphemous.
But others take offense to the shirts.
Actually
I met someone here who thought they were pretty offensive
Yates said. He said that 'Jesus isn't your homeboy
he's your savior.' I guess it depends on how you look at it.
The Rev. Martin Holler, priest and campus ministry director of Christ the King University Parish, 75 Stewart St., suggested people take into account the person who is wearing the shirt before forming any opinions.
You have to consider the person. How do they live their life
and is that lifestyle reflected by what they wear? he said.
Agnew said, You never know whether they're taking it seriously or they think it's funny.
For those who do take the matter seriously, shirts can be a way of expressing faith, Holler said.
I have a lot of friends who are more religious than me who buy it because it's kind of a way of showing your faith in a trendy way
said Agnew.
And while many would argue that religious expression does not need to be or should not be fashionable, it is an important concern for youth today, Holler said.
There's a need to express yourself in a meaningful way and yet a contemporary way.
Religious T-shirts certainly represent a more contemporary way of expressing faith, but other fashion-related alternatives came before them.
When you think about it
