Have you ever watched someone complete a task purely motivated by fear? There is something so disturbing about it. You see it with small children as they walk on egg shells trying to avoid punishment from their strict parents. You see it happen in movies where one follows the instructions of a bank robber or kidnapper. (In that instance, most viewers usually watch with the understanding that completing the demanded tasks are no guarantee of appeasing the criminal's anger.)
Lately I've been training my dog. I utilize (and am a huge fan of) positive reinforcement training. Rather than holler "NO!" at my pup every time he does something he shouldn't, positive reinforcement training focuses on rewarding him when he does what he should. The two pups in my house are both rescues. They were not treated as beloved pets and family members in the first stages of their lives. They came to us with a bit of baggage. One in particular was extremely timid and fearful. He spent at least the first week he was with us hiding behind furniture and grumbling at us whenever we got too close. The amazing thing is that positive reinforcement training has helped give him more confidence and decrease his fear. If you catch him doing something wrong, and say "No!" in an angry tone, he will run away from you and hide for at least 10-15 minutes. Contrary to what some may believe, causing your dog to fear you doesn't make him learn to obey any more or more quickly. Time and time again I've seen the opposite. When a dog is encouraged and rewarded, he wants to obey. It is fun for him and helps him bond with his owner. Dogs who are only punished on the other hand, don't necessarily want to be very close to their owners. They tend to hang back in a corner and will often cower when their name is called. Although they may exhibit a level of loyalty towards their owners, the manner in which they regard them could not be described as affectionate.
One of the most disturbing trends I've seen in American Evangelical Culture is trying to scare the Hell out of people, quite literally. They are so focused on getting people "saved" that they seem to think little about what long term effects the manner in which they do so will have.
This whole issue came to mind again today when I saw this video:
Showing posts with label Evangelism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evangelism. Show all posts
Saturday, April 9, 2011
WWJB Saturday: Lazy Evangelism Edition
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| Found here |
From the product description (Please note that the choice of font is theirs and not mine):
Can you imagine how proud our Heavenly Father will be to look down at His beautiful creation and see Cross Impressions scattered on beaches around the world in remebrance of Jesus?
Our Brown Rhinestone - Women's Christian Cross Impression flip flops are much more than just neat flip flops. They are truly a fashion and faith product that will help you proudly display your love for Jesus and perhaps even lead another to Him!
Yes, I'm sure that when God looks at creation, he doesn't care about our misuse of natural resources or the polluting of our waterways, He really just wants to make sure that there are miniature cross imprints all over the land.
Apart from that, this is a great example of what I refer to as "lazy evangelism." It's a tool that people can use to assure themselves that they are reaching out to others with Christ's love even while they are neglecting to build actual relationships with those people. Because it's a lot easier to dream that your flip flops are saving souls than it is to actually get involved with broken and dying people. Besides, Jesus is always pictured wearing sandals. I'm sure they were just like this. That's how he got so many followers.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Drive By Evangelism...Literally
Today as I was driving home, I was stopped at a stoplight behind a truck with vanity plates that read "GODRULZ." Although I found the owner's public display of faith far more classy than the approach many others have taken with their vehicles, it brought one major question to my mind.
"Why?"
I mean, besides the owner's obvious enthusiasm for his/her faith, what do they think this will accomplish? Do they think some lost soul will be stopped behind them at a stoplight and suddenly think "Huh. You know, maybe God does rule."? Is it some needed reminder of God's sovereignty as they head out for their morning commute? How many people just look at it bewildered thinking "Go drools?"
"Why?"
I mean, besides the owner's obvious enthusiasm for his/her faith, what do they think this will accomplish? Do they think some lost soul will be stopped behind them at a stoplight and suddenly think "Huh. You know, maybe God does rule."? Is it some needed reminder of God's sovereignty as they head out for their morning commute? How many people just look at it bewildered thinking "Go drools?"
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Emotional Appeal
Did he really just say what I thought he said? I couldn't believe my ears. Here I was sitting in chapel at my Conservative Christian College. It was a Friday "praise chapel" which was all praise and worship rather than a speaker. The student who was leading the worship that day was talking about how easy it can be to go through the motions. He said "I'm sure we all know of the worship format of 2:3:2. Two slow songs to draw everyone in, three upbeat songs to pump them up, and two slower emotional songs to prepare them for the message." My ears perked up immediately. No, I didn't know that. I had no clue that there was a recognized formula for achieving the proper emotional response to your message. As much as I understand the need for leaders to be intentional about structuring a worship service, I couldn't help but feel a little manipulated. (Joel Wentz wrote a great article for Relevant about this very issue that I would highly recommend you read.)
During my time as an American Evangelical, I spent a few years within the more charismatic circles of the movement. A number of my close friends and roommates were involved with such movements, so it started when I began tagging along with them to various events. But there were two very distinct moments that opened my eyes to the issue of emotional manipulation within the church. I'd like to share those stories with you.
During my time as an American Evangelical, I spent a few years within the more charismatic circles of the movement. A number of my close friends and roommates were involved with such movements, so it started when I began tagging along with them to various events. But there were two very distinct moments that opened my eyes to the issue of emotional manipulation within the church. I'd like to share those stories with you.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Everyone is Lost
There's something that's been on my mind a lot lately. I've been thinking about the approach American Evangelical Culture takes towards the rest of the world. I think it can best be summed up by "Everyone is lost and we are the only ones who can save them."
I was thinking about this due to a number of things I've seen/heard this week. One was a documentary that an American megachurch produced about how their church got started. In it they discussed how they decided to move to a city that was notorious for the number of churches it had in order to start a new church. They didn't mention anything about the dynamics of the city itself or the people there. They seemed convinced that they were the ones who could bring God's true message to these people in spite of the fact that so many others were working to the same end.
The other was a little more humorous. A girl I know told me a story about a rather sheltered, charismatic Christian, homeschooled boy that she knows. Apparently they were giving him a ride somewhere and without warning he suddenly placed his hand on the top of her head and started praying in tongues over her and saying he was trying to get rid of the devil in her. (I have to think that there is no quicker way to get kicked out of the carpool than spontaneous exorcism.) But the best part about this story is that their vehicle has had some issues with the heating system recently so it intermittently just spits out sudden bursts of air. As he is wrapping up his prayer, the heating system spews a quick burst of air. At which point he exclaims, "Did you feel that!?? It was the Holy Spirit!" In that moment, he was fully convinced that the presence of God was needed in that vehicle and he had ushered it in. Meanwhile, she was completely creeped out and counting the minutes to the end of the ride.
That's the common thread in these two examples: the belief that everyone is without God and it is my job to bring it to them regardless of the circumstances. And to believe so to such a degree that you start attributing things to God that others clearly recognize as having a more mundane source. I keep seeing that attitude again and again in American Evangelical Culture. In college I once saw a video promoting the expansion of a Christian nightclub that featured the "lost" people in the community they would be moving into. It really caught my attention when I realized that one of those "lost souls" featured in their video was the roommate of a good friend of mine. A girl with tattoos, piercings, and a style all her own - a Christian girl who was currently attending a different Christian college in the area. She was absolutely outraged when she heard that her image was being used as an example of the unreached youth in the city.
I also think of my sister telling me about her time studying abroad. She said that she disliked the majority of American missionaries that she met because they didn't seem to truly care about the people or the culture much at all. They had a tunnel vision focus on "saving" everyone and teaching them how to be a Christian in the American sense of the term. A focus that in some instances caused more harm than good as people felt manipulated, marginalized, and uncared for.
My argument isn't about the theological concept of salvation or what it really means to share the gospel. My argument is this: Is this a responsible approach to the world around us? How is the faith of others impacted when they realize it is being second guessed and undermined? Does it help us to feel a sense of urgency when it comes to others? Or does it merely create a framework in which people become projects to be fixed rather than individuals to be loved and valued? Is caring about someone's salvation the same as caring about someone? And most importantly, does it reflect the attitude of Christ or is there a better way? I think it's something worth considering.
I was thinking about this due to a number of things I've seen/heard this week. One was a documentary that an American megachurch produced about how their church got started. In it they discussed how they decided to move to a city that was notorious for the number of churches it had in order to start a new church. They didn't mention anything about the dynamics of the city itself or the people there. They seemed convinced that they were the ones who could bring God's true message to these people in spite of the fact that so many others were working to the same end.
The other was a little more humorous. A girl I know told me a story about a rather sheltered, charismatic Christian, homeschooled boy that she knows. Apparently they were giving him a ride somewhere and without warning he suddenly placed his hand on the top of her head and started praying in tongues over her and saying he was trying to get rid of the devil in her. (I have to think that there is no quicker way to get kicked out of the carpool than spontaneous exorcism.) But the best part about this story is that their vehicle has had some issues with the heating system recently so it intermittently just spits out sudden bursts of air. As he is wrapping up his prayer, the heating system spews a quick burst of air. At which point he exclaims, "Did you feel that!?? It was the Holy Spirit!" In that moment, he was fully convinced that the presence of God was needed in that vehicle and he had ushered it in. Meanwhile, she was completely creeped out and counting the minutes to the end of the ride.
That's the common thread in these two examples: the belief that everyone is without God and it is my job to bring it to them regardless of the circumstances. And to believe so to such a degree that you start attributing things to God that others clearly recognize as having a more mundane source. I keep seeing that attitude again and again in American Evangelical Culture. In college I once saw a video promoting the expansion of a Christian nightclub that featured the "lost" people in the community they would be moving into. It really caught my attention when I realized that one of those "lost souls" featured in their video was the roommate of a good friend of mine. A girl with tattoos, piercings, and a style all her own - a Christian girl who was currently attending a different Christian college in the area. She was absolutely outraged when she heard that her image was being used as an example of the unreached youth in the city.
I also think of my sister telling me about her time studying abroad. She said that she disliked the majority of American missionaries that she met because they didn't seem to truly care about the people or the culture much at all. They had a tunnel vision focus on "saving" everyone and teaching them how to be a Christian in the American sense of the term. A focus that in some instances caused more harm than good as people felt manipulated, marginalized, and uncared for.
My argument isn't about the theological concept of salvation or what it really means to share the gospel. My argument is this: Is this a responsible approach to the world around us? How is the faith of others impacted when they realize it is being second guessed and undermined? Does it help us to feel a sense of urgency when it comes to others? Or does it merely create a framework in which people become projects to be fixed rather than individuals to be loved and valued? Is caring about someone's salvation the same as caring about someone? And most importantly, does it reflect the attitude of Christ or is there a better way? I think it's something worth considering.
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