Blog 5: Authenticity Online

This particular blog will focus on the idea of authenticity and how it is represented through the online and digital culture as a means of shaping and/or challenging offline ideas and religion. In the case of "Republican Jesus" this particular theme of memes purpose is to show the contradictory nature of the idea for being a Evangelistic Conservative Christian Republican, because the meme suggest that what the real Jesus would do, is actually quite the opposite of what "Republican Jesus" would do. Therefore, "Republican Jesus" memes challenge the views held by Republicans. The meme actually undermines the authenticity of beliefs held by this group of believers and also tries to debunk the idea of trying to hold these contradictory views. The memes could shape offline political ideas, and may convince the audience that to be a Christian and to be able to carry out this "Christian" life through politics, one should really be supporting the socialist or liberal party instead. But more than likely, I believe the meme is made mostly to insult the fact that people hold theses views, rather than trying to actually sway them

As shown by the memes below, "Republican Jesus" meme overall is a "Blurring" where the online and the offline are integrated so much that it actually creates a new context and generates something new. There is this new context of the "Publican Jesus" which is a category of contradictory views between Christians and Republicans. However, Evangelistic Christian Republicans do not consider themselves to be contradictory in the offline world, in fact they believe that there view are just and rational. Therefore, this idea of the "Republican Jesus" who shows contradictory views exists only in the online community; it is a new idea or product created by the online community.