Google ads...

I have been thinking some about putting ads on my site--you know, those ads that go on the side of the page and somewhat relate to the topic that you are blogging about. On Blogspot there is a tab that is enticingly labeled "Revenue" or something like that, and it is tempting. Let's see--I think that they pay a fraction of a cent for each hit, and a few fractions more if there is a click from the site. I could be bringing in three or four cents a week, I bet. Hey, that "ads" up, you know.

But something that I saw yesterday made me think that I can live without that source of my fortune. I am teaching, and one of the topics that we covered yesterday was the Great Awakening, that social movement of the 1740s that changed many people's mind about Calvinistic predestination and convinced some that they better toe the line. Or else. The classic sermon is by Jonathan Edwards titled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." In it, he exhorts the listener/reader to remember that man is but a miserable spider hanging by a thread from God's hands, and only by his grace do we not get flung into the fires of hell where we would burn and suffer and stuff like that. Like a booger, I suppose. He goes on for 24 single spaced pages on the same theme. Effective stuff, I suppose, if you like or fear that vengeful angry Old Testament God. The sermon is required reading for backsliders and historians, (yes, there is a difference) I guess, and you can find it easily with a simple Google search.

I did that because I like to read parts of the sermon to my class. Makes them wonder a bit about my beliefs and background when I read the scary parts. Its pretty effective, and is much easier than actually trying to explain what was going on. So I searched and found it on a site--I was contentedly reading about how miserable man was etc etc, when I happened to check out the ads on the page that were posted there by our friends at Google. Remember, they are supposed to relate in some way to the content on the page, and there were three of them and maybe there were sequential in some weird way The first ad was for E.D. Don't know what it is? Google it. I can't imagine the ads on that page. The second ad was for hands-free faucets. And the third was offering a chance to become a minister by studying on the internet.

I just sat and giggled trying to think how these three ads were tied to one of the most famous sermons of all time. You should too.