What is the fastest growing religion in the world? Islam? Kaballah?

If you were designer Scott Wilson your answer would be iPod. In his website, Wilson sells a replacement lanyard for the iPod shuffle that turns the music player into a cross necklace. The site claims the design is inspired by the world’s obsession and devotion to the iPod. It even has a biblical passage that says “But now bring me a man who plays music. And when the man played music, the groove came upon them (2 Jobs 3:15).”

Wait a minute. I sense that there’s something not quite right about the quotation. Go, grab your Bible. There is no 2 Jobs 3:15. A quick online search told me that the quote is actually taken from 2 Kings 3:15, which in my pocket New Jerusalem Bible reads “Now bring me someone who can play the lyre. And as the musician played, the hand of Yahweh came on him.”

Of course there will be people who will probably find the 13-dollar replacement lanyard to be a fashionable (and expensive) way of expressing their faith in Jesus. On the other hand it can also lead others to think that Scott Wilson is only using religion for commercial purposes. Come to think of it, he said that his design has been inspired by the world’s obsession and devotion to iPod, not by his faith in God. He even rephrased the Word of God to suit his profit-oriented message. Devotion should not be directed to an object, but to God alone.

And please, let us stop commercializing religion.