Disney cancels weekly worship

The Washington Times | January 4, 2003

[Dante3]

LAKE BUENA VISTS, Fla. - Walt Disney World is scaling back its Roman Catholic and Protestant services.

After Christmas Day worship this yaer, the theme park said it will no longer hold weekly services, although Christmas and Easter worship will continue.

Disney officials said space problems were partly to blame. But the resort's executive also said it no longer seemed fair to hold services for only two faiths when religious diversity in the United States is increasing.

Houses of worship surrouding the resort can meet visitors' religious needs, a Disney spokeswoman said.

Two Catholic Masses and one nondenominational Protestant service had been held at the resort each Sunday since 1975. No religious services are conducted at Disneyland in California or on Disney's two cruise ships.

The Rev. Richard Land, head of the public policy arm of the Southern Babtist Convention, said Disney's decision reflected "a lack of comprehension of how the real country lives and what's important to them."

[Dante3]

Disney actually said that it's not fair to hold relgious sevices for two faiths. Not fair? Come on, Disney.

[Glenn]

Come on, Disney.

Another misstep. Enough and they will fall.

[Fiddlstix]

Makes you wonder what old Walt might say.......

[areafiftyone]

They already mis-stepped. Did you know they have a gay week in Florida at Disney? They insist they didn't start it and that a Gay Group started it. But they haven't stopped it and it has been going on for many years now. They are soo disgusting to even allow that in a place that is geared towards children. I wanted to book a trip on that week and thank god someone told me about that before I did. Thankfully, it is now printed in all the travel books for Disney.

[ItsJeff]

Makes you wonder what old Walt might say.......

I think he'd say, "Who the heck worships God at Disneyland?" Is there a ChristianWorld exhibit? Has Mickey replaced Jesus on the crucifex? Instead of pews, do you sit in big teacups?

[areafiftyone]

Oh yuck!!! Sickening.

[TightSqueeze]

It really pisses me off when the holy-rollers attempt to attach some sort of twisted pretzel-logic religious meaning to an obvious secular world icon and gets miffed when the rest of the world doesn't buy into their vision.
WTF expects Disney to get any religion right, what should faithful follower expect from a church service at Disney? The true church weekly celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus. Church at Disney, a schism in the making, really, get a grip!

[Dante3]

I vaguely remember a controversy some years ago when Disney or a Disney affiliate hired a pedophile to direct a film in which children appeared. I can't recall the details.

[Redmen4ever]

Being a private enterprise, Disney can of course do whatever it chooses. Potential patrons of Disney will reward it accordingly.

If the real reason for Disney's choice is non-discrimination, Disney could have adopted objective criteria to determine which religions to allow to use its facilities.

For example, religions that constitute more than 10 percent of the U.S. population (according to some respected source).

Roman Catholics (considered not as a part of Christianity, but as a separate religion) would claim about 25 percent.

Baptists of all varieties about 25 percent (Southern Baptists being the largest component, at about half).

Other Protestants of all varieties about 25 percent.

And, this is the important thing, I don't believe any other identifiable religion (e.g., Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Bhuddist, or Mormon if separated from Christian, Pagan(!)) has more than abouit 2 percent of the U.S. population.

Considering that Disneyworld draws visitors from much of the world; in particular, Latin America, East Asia and the Arab/Muslim world, this would strengthen the case for Catholics, Hindus and Bhuddists and Muslims. That is, Disney might try to define its population by the markets it serves, not simply the country in which its particular facilities are located.

(I have always enjoyed worship services that bring together people from around the world. On the Army post on which I was stationed in Germany, we didn't have a Catholic chaplain, so a bunch of us attended mass in a nearby German town. This was truly a faith-deepening experience, as well as a bonding for us with our NATO allies.)

Another objective criteria is actual participation. That is, even for religions that (potentially) qualify, there is the question of actual participation. This is not simply an efficiency issue. Is there a critical mass, so the full effect ("blessing") of the service can be had by those who join in?

A third objective criteria can be sharing the experience with others. Wouldn't visitors to Epcot Center want to experience a true Muslim religious service at the Morocco exhibit? I would even think participation in a Eastern Orthodox Mass might be a thrill for U.S. Protestants (who traditionally and perhaps understandably have been more receptive to the Eastern Rite than to the Western).

BUT, it is obvious that Disney is NOT trying to be non-discriminatory by adopting objective criteria, and thus deferring to the choices of its customers.

The decent family-oriented people of the world, of the west (where Christianity dominates) or of the other parts of the world, where Islam, Hinduism and Bhuddism dominate, will not be provided on-site accomodations because this would be offensive to Pagans and Atheists.

No wonder Disney stock is underperforming (even in a down market)! They are running their company to serve their management instead of their customers, and thus not serving their owners.

[martian_22]

***Thankfully, it is now printed in all the travel books for Disney.***

Unfortunately, it is now advertised in all the travel books for Disney.

[txzman]

I ended my relationship with Disney a long, long time ago. None of this is new.

And if you think that just beacuse it has the name "Disney' in it that a movie or television show is safe for kids, you had better start watching some of their trash yourself. You'd be VERY surprised.

[areafiftyone]

I know. But it helps people with children who are unaware of that week and otherwise would be in for a disgusting surprise.

[Ligeia]

Any time I read about Disney's purge of Judeo-Christian values, I'm reminded of Frank Peretti's books in which he so vividly brings the spiritual warfare battles to life. If one has read Peretti and Ephesians, it's easy to see the demons sitting atop Sleeping Beauty's castle. Something like "Night on Bald Mountain" which I understand Disney has removed in the later version of "Fantasia."

the sequel
This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness (evil) of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. -- Ephesians 6:12

[Ligeia]

Sorry, I forgot to check my links...

This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness