So after writing my first post about this and kinda exploring where I was coming from I've had some time to think about it and chat about it with some others. In doing so a couple of events I had forgotten about came up and some further thoughts, so I thought a follow-up would be a good thing.
I was actually kinda surprised of the conclusion I finally ended up with...although it totally makes sense. The whole 'preying on the weak' thing really gets under my skin and that is what I feel keeps happening. A better way to describe the 'weak' however, and to tie it into stuff I have been saying for a while, is that the people must vunerable and whom tend to be targetted simply lack perspective. They don't have anything to compare what is being told to them against. Therefore, why wouldn't it make sense? As far as they know, it is what everyone does, right? While is more true for the younger people I think someone in a confused state (like High School) can fall into this as well.
Ok, so they experience I had forgotten about was with Young Life. This is, on the surface, a pretty cool organization. They get a bunch of High School kids together and go do stuff with them. It is very social and a good way to hang out and get to know people. However, just like the guy at the High School with his flyers I feel they misrepresent themselves to you at the start. Maybe not everyone but in my case I thought it was just a social organization, I didn't realize the purpose was to bring people together to experience Christ or whatever. That didn't start happening until later and it really just turned me off from them.
Anyway, to wrap all this up. Religion serves a good purpose when it is up-front and personal. When it prays on those that lack perspective and have nothing to compare it against, or hides what the true goals are, that is when it crosses a line and I think does a dis-service.
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5 comments:
Classic "bait and switch" technique used by alot of religions. This has turned me off to most religions (and some other organizations) as well. It is extremely dishonest and very "unchristian" if you ask me.
- Joe
I can't really criticize Young Life because I was never involved with that organization. However, I was part of a few other groups that are very much based on promoting Christian values, although I believe they do it in a way that is non-intrusive. Therefore, I don't see the harm in it. Partly because the values they are promoting, while based on Christianity (at least as far as these groups are concerned), transcend that religion and are based on ideals fundamental to many "religions" (quotes to include non-traditional religions here as well). The groups I speak of you were involved in as well: Boy Scouts and Antietam Recreation.
Boy Scouts is interesting and I didn't think about that one. I'm not sure I would put it in the same category because their goal isn't to bring people over into Christianity, is it?
Young Life did a good job with promoting common values, but then they started moving into more conversaion sorta stuff that I never felt in the Scouts.
I'm not familiar with the other?
Antietam Rec is the summer day camp out past Funkstown. We did fort building, canoeing on the Antietam Creek, etc. They had a Bible story session every morning...otherwise I suppose it was like any other day camp.
Oh yea, the fort building there was a lot of fun.
I totally don't remember the bible study thing though. I guess that's good.
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