Every so often I spot a brilliant marketing idea and think, “Wow. I wish I’d thought of that.”

Such was the case today when I happened upon a story about a woman in New Zealand who recently made almost $2,000 by auctioning off two “spirits” (an old man and a young girl) she had allegedly trapped inside glass vials.

Hm. I wonder whether I still have those vials my contact lenses came in.

I’m not saying I think it’s ethical to trap people’s souls and to sell them at auction, of course. (And I’m certainly not saying that I think you can trap people’s souls.) I just think it’s a brilliant marketing ploy.

It reminded me of a story I’d heard a while back about a company of atheists who—in exchange for a modest fee—promise to take care of believers’ pets after the Rapture occurs. According to their website:

We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you’ve received your reward.

Again: brilliant. It’s really quite a wonderful service, when you think about it. The atheists make a few bucks, the Christians feel better, and their pets are protected from Rapture-related abandonment. Everybody’s happy.

Now, how often does that happen in real life?