By JUDITH MCDANIEL

News Editor

Jesus is everybody's new best friend.

From T-shirts to key chains, from movies to music, the face of Jesus and the idea of Jesus as one's "buddy" has become more of a pop symbol in our culture instead of a religious one.

"I think the 'Buddy Jesus' fad really became popular after the movie 'Dogma' came out," Bob Lay, a senior history major, said.

"It's poking fun of someone everyone recognizes--Christ."

The 1999 film "Dogma," starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, may have started a new sensation of lovers of Jesus paraphernalia, but the trend goes back to at least the 1950s.

"Some guy in the '50s or '60s bought a radio station in Mexico on the border of Texas," Gary Stokley, an associate professor of social sciences, said.

"Evangelists would get on there and preach and sell items. 'Get genuine, petrified tears of Jesus, who has died on the cross.' What really grabbed my attention, though, was, 'Get an autographed picture of Jesus Christ for only $50.'"

Though Stokley said he is not usually surprised by the popularity of movies like "Dogma" and T-shirts with "Jesus is my homeboy" written on them, he said everything eventually boils down to money.

"Two types of people buy these items: the people who think it's a great idea and who are na•ve and think it's meaningful and the people who want to show their contempt for Jesus Christ and to insult the figure of Western Christianity," Stokley said.

He also said while he believes this is a fad, it will continue through the years.

"We will continue to have these kinds of acts that reach out to exploit what religious and political figures have done," Stokley said. "You can do all sorts of spin-offs on religious figures in order to bring the deity down."

Lay, on the other hand, said he thinks people need to have a sense of humor about spiritual issues.

"It's benefiting the religion's impact on society," Lay said.

"It's probably enabled us to talk about religious subjects without a serious tone, and it's probably going to stay around because of the increased trend for secularization."

While Christianity is usually the religion most insulted in pop culture,

Amanda Leone, a sophomore marketing major, said she believes it has to do with the American people themselves.

"The majority of the U.S. population, I think, is Christian, so it's easy to identify with," Leone said. "With 'Dogma,' I didn't know the movie was considered sacrilegious until probably college."

Whether people are buying and selling because of money or because of true love for Christ, Stokley said the entire idea of selling the name of Jesus Christ as one's buddy sounds demeaning to him.

"I don't think putting a person or a deity on a buddy level is meaningful," Stokley said. "Calling Jesus a friend has an entirely different meaning, but a buddy is someone who doesn't last. It's degrading to the religion and to Jesus."