Faith

Via J-Walk: Anyone up for a game of Christ-like paintball?

Here's another article describing how Dobson is letting his light shine by erecting road blocks in the path of the global battle against AIDS. Right, James, of course abstinence is the best (only?) option to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa!?!

From an article of the same title in The Economist from last December:

VISIT Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, an upscale exurb of Chicago, and you are confronted with a puzzle. Where in God's name is the church? Willow Creek has every amenity you can imagine, from food courts to basketball courts, from cafes to video screens, not to mention enough parking spaces for around 4,000 cars. But look for steeples and stained glass, let alone crosses and altars, and you look in vain... The corporate theme is not just a matter of appearances. Willow Creek has a mission statement ("to turn irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ") and a management team, a seven-step strategy and a set of ten core values. The church employs two MBAs-one from Harvard and one from Stanford-and boasts a consulting arm. It has even been given the ultimate business accolade: it is the subject of a Harvard Business School case-study. Willow Creek is just one of a growing number of evangelical churches that borrow techniques from the corporate world... Willow Creek is based on the same principle as all successful businesses: putting the customer first. Back in 1975 the church's founder, Bill Hybels, conducted an informal survey of suburban Chicagoans, asking them why they did not go to church, and then crafted his services accordingly. He removed overtly religious images such as the cross and stained glass. He jazzed up services with videos, drama and contemporary music. And he tried to address people's practical problems in his sermons. An emphasis on user-friendliness continues to pervade the church. Mr Hybels's staff try to view their church through the eyes of newcomers (or "seekers" as they are dubbed). This means dedicating themselves to "total service excellence".

The article seems to be more about mega-churches tailoring their appeals in unusual ways to attract members.

From an article of the same name by David Kirkpatrick in the NY Times:

Some of President Bush's most influential conservative Christian allies are becoming openly critical of the White House and Republicans in Congress, warning that they will withhold their support in the midterm elections unless Congress does more to oppose same-sex marriage, obscenity and abortion... In the last several weeks, Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and one of the most influential Christian conservatives, has publicly accused Republican leaders of betraying the social conservatives who helped elect them in 2004. He has also warned in private meetings with about a dozen of the top Republicans in Washington that he may turn critic this fall unless the party delivers on conservative goals... Dr. Dobson, whose daily radio broadcast has millions of listeners, has already signaled his willingness to criticize Republican leaders. In a recent interview with Fox News on the eve of a visit to the White House, he accused Republicans of "just ignoring those that put them in office." Dr. Dobson cited the House's actions on two measures that passed over the objections of social conservatives: a hate-crime bill that extended protections to gay people, and increased support for embryonic stem cell research. "There's just very, very little to show for what has happened," Dr. Dobson said, "and I think there's going to be some trouble down the road if they don't get on the ball."... No one expects the same-sex marriage amendment to pass this year. Republican leaders have not scheduled votes on a measure to outlaw transporting minors across state lines for abortions, and the proposal faces long odds in the Senate. A measure to increase obscenity fines for broadcasters is opposed by media industry trade groups, pitting Christian conservatives against the business wing of the party, and Congressional leaders have not committed to bring it to a vote.

Bush and co. got the message:

• USA Today: Bush to back gay marriage ban ammendment
• Washington Post: Bush rallies gay marriage opponents
• Washington Post: Gay marraige ammendment fails in Senate
• Washington Post: Congress increases indecency fines tenfold

From an article of the same title on abcnews.com:

A female member of the Watermark Community Church, a non-denominational evangelical church in Dallas, Texas, reached out to her pastor after her husband had an alleged affair with another woman. But when the husband, identified only as "John Doe," failed to reconcile with his wife, he said the church's minister, Todd Wagner, shamed him from the pulpit. And the minister didn't stop there. When the husband tried to resign from the church, Wagner allegedly threatened to mail a dozen letters - half to Watermark Community Church members and the other half to members of other churches who know and have worked with John Doe - detailing the alleged affair. Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel of the Liberty Legal Institute, a Texas organization that fights for religious liberties, said the church is behaving this way because it feels it must save the marriage. "They love this individual," Shackelford said. "They love the people around him and want to do everything they can to bring him back into the fold and get his life straight on path." John Doe does not feel the love. He is suing the church over the letters and said he is no longer a member. But the church says its covenants, which Doe signed, does not allow members to leave the fold. "All members submit themselves and may not resign from membership in an attempt to avoid such correction," Shackelford said... A Texas appeals court will decide whether the Watermark Community Church went too far in its attempt to save a church member's marriage. A lower court has already ruled that the church is free to release private information about its members. John Doe's attorney says his client is now considering a civil lawsuit against the church for slander.

You'd expect an article with a title like this one to include some discussion of the legal issues, but it doesn't. The public shaming is probably not an effective method discipline these days, but it'd be interesting to hear what the relevant laws are...laws against slander, I guess.