I came across this article via Rod Dreher's Crunchy Con blog. The title there? Evangelical bodybuilders strongarm Catholic kid
Posted on 03/24/2009 11:07:52 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Only after the Strongmen had torn the phone books and smashed the ice slabs did I figure out how Team Impact and their “feats of strength ministry” worked. But by then it was too late. By then my 10-year-old son had already accepted Jesus Christ as his personal lord and savior.
Before we continue, I’d like to make it plain that I have no problem with Team Impact, in particular, nor the Southern Baptist Convention, in general, with which Coppell-based Team Impact is affiliated. Also, I love Jesus Christ.
It’s just that I’m Catholic. We are raising our son Catholic. When my wife went out of town that weekend and said to us, “You boys have fun,” I’m pretty sure it never crossed her mind that I might accidentally turn the boy into a Baptist. A few stitches? That’s almost expected. But adopting a belief system that prevents him from dancing?
I take full responsibility. When the boy asked if I’d take him to see Team Impact, I should have paid more attention to the venue, a Baptist church down the street from us. Instead, after he described what Team Impact did, I said, “You swear? They blow into a hot water bottle until it explodes? Awesome! Get your coat!”
We sat in the fifth pew. The small sanctuary was full, maybe a couple hundred souls. Behind the altar (if that’s what the Baptists call it), there stood a tough-looking backdrop of chain-link fence lit with red theatrical lights. Music played of the sort you’d pick if you had to pump up a crowd of Baptists. Then three big guys in tight tank tops ran out and performed feats of strength.
Every Thanksgiving, we do feats of strength at my house. These feats are usually performed for cash and always by inebriated dads. Head-to-head pie eating contests without using your hands, followed by sit-ups. That sort of thing. The Team Impact show involved less alcohol and more breaking of stuff.
They attacked ice slabs with flying karate moves. They chopped stacks of wooden boards. They rent the aforementioned phone books (along a line parallel to the spine, which struck me as inefficient, until I saw that their method produced half a phone book that, each page separated from the spine, could be thrown into the air, producing a dramatic “raining phone book” effect). They blew up a red rubber hot water bottle (a feat they claimed, if performed improperly, could explode your lungs and kill you).
Needless to say, the boy and I were mightily entertained. But then I sensed a thematic shift in the program. One of the Team Impacters took the mic, and, instead of crushing it, he launched into a disquisition on the meaning of life and how Jesus had helped him decide not to buy a boat. Something like that. Honestly, I kinda tuned out at this point—until the Team Impacter asked who in the audience wanted to be saved.
“Raise your hand,” the bodybuilder said. “Don’t be shy. Who wants to be saved tonight, to accept Jesus Christ as his personal lord and savior?”
My son’s hand went up. Uh-oh.
Then the Team Impacter summoned to the altar the dozen or so people who’d just been saved (that’s all it takes, apparently, just raising your hand). I figured the boy wouldn’t much care for getting up in front of a bunch of strangers, and he’d ask me whether he had to do it. I’d tell him that he was okay, seated right next to me. But no. Up he jumped, without hesitation.
I had to smile, seeing my son up there receiving applause for having been saved. I thought about Fr. Roch and Fr. Henry, the Cistercian priests who’d baptized my son, and what they’d make of these tank-topped men crusading for the boy’s denominational allegiance—especially Fr. Henry, who is dead and able to haunt me. The woman seated next to me, seeing my smile, asked, “Are you proud of your son?” I told her I was, knowing she’d misinterpret my response.
After the applause died, the boy trotted off with the other newly saved people to another room, again without hesitation, where he was given a Team Impact New Testament. On the way home, as I was considering the best way to begin the conversation about what had just transpired, the boy said, “Dad, I hope I’m not in trouble.”
“No, no,” I told him.
“Because when I went back to that room, I gave them some information,” he said. “They had a sheet, and at first I was just going to put down my name and the date I was saved, but then this grandfather, he said, ‘Why didn’t you put down your address and phone number?’ I didn’t want to make him angry, so I told it to him.”
It was, as they say, a teaching moment — about how Baptists are different from normal people, about how telemarketing works, and, most important, about how Mom doesn’t need to know everything that happens when she’s out of town.
I came across this article via Rod Dreher's Crunchy Con blog. The title there? Evangelical bodybuilders strongarm Catholic kid
I hope this part was tongue in cheek ... “We are raising our son Catholic. When my wife went out of town that weekend and said to us, “You boys have fun,” I’m pretty sure it never crossed her mind that I might accidentally turn the boy into a Baptist. “
Team Impact are evangelical, born-again Christians first. Their religious denomination is way down the list of branding them spiritually.
Besides, Baptists can dance. Most even drink now and then. Doctrine, legalism and dogma are way down the list of most modern-day evangelicals, while scripture and righteousness are way up on the list.
Just *my* opinion.
Brings back memories. I used to be on a similiar strength team.
The author sounds disappointed that his son has received Eternal Life. Apparently, all his years in church have failed to lead him to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Oh, well. At least he got in some good cheap shots at us scary, menacing Baptists.
I think he wrote this piece with tongue in cheek somewhat. I don’t see anything in there that should offend a Baptist with a sense of humor.
I missed this aspect ...
“the Cistercian priests who’d baptized my son, and what they’d make of these tank-topped men crusading for the boy’s denominational allegiance”
They were not crusading for a denominational allegiance.
As a baptised Episcopalian, I can attest that infant baptism is a promise made by the parents and the Church to raise a Christian child. I can also attest that baptism in a Baptist church does not mean membership in a denomination— it is a public affirmation of a decision to become a Christian, often referred to as a public testimony of faith. There is a separate step to joining a Baptist church as a member.
The author seems to have trouble separating faith, religion, doctrine and denomination. Also is a bit lost between (benign) prejudice/ignorance and facts.
Be nice to have a sit down conversation with him.
I too truly hope it was tongue in check. If so, it was pretty good humor. (spoken as one married into the Baptist church)
If not, he should say 10 mea culpas and three mea maximas, and all will be forgiven, right?
;-p
I don't know about disappointed...he sound more bemused to me. Going to a church no more makes you a Christian than going to a garage makes you an automobile. Christianity, like "choice", is a verb.
I consider myself fairly literary and sophisticated, and I can't make out what this article is trying to say. Look at it one way, the author mocks a personal decision to follow Christ. Put another way, he seems to be presenting the view that his faith superiors would look at this attempt to kindle the Spirit in a youth as some kind of "cult programming". (Visit the webpage for the cartoon illustration of a small boy held upside down by a weightlifter.)
Seems to me that whatever means God wants to use to reach into the heart of a young man and tell him he needs to decide for himself if he wants to follow Jesus Christ would be viewed as a good thing. Well, based on the Biblical command to be "either cold or hot" in your Christian faith.
Reads like it was written by a Catholic who goes to church regularly; every Christmas and every Easter and knows practically nothing about the bible and literally nothing about being a born again Christian.
I should have included, “God has no grandchildren.” Every generation makes it’s own decision as to walk into the open arms of Jesus Christ, or walk the other way. As a parent, the author cannot make his son a Christian. His son has to do that, and I would have congratulated him wholeheartedly about his decision as to where he wants his life to go than condesendlingly chuckle it off. But I guess that kind of firm and encouraging story wouldn’t get published on a big website with colorful pictures of a cute little boy hanging upside down from a scary looking weightlifter.
Mythbusters proved that someone of average strength (i.e. Adam Savage) could tear a phone book in half that way.
What I find the most disturbing about this whole article, and please bear with me as this is not meant to offend anyone, but merely make a point I feel is going to be very important for ALL Christians to realize in the coming weeks, months & years.
God has warned us that our churches will be “infiltrated”, so to speak, by those who will attempt to sway us in our faith into accepting false prophets, etc...
To all those people who rely on denomination, dogma, and doctrine MORE than they look to GOD in all things let this be a reminder!!! Unless you have a firm relationship with GOD and Jesus, and you rely on man alone to tell you HOW you should worship, pray, or believe, and if you have in your mind that you alone know right from wrong, etc... then chances are that you will be at even GREATER risk of falling than those who have perhaps never known God before in the times ahead.
EVERY CHURCH ON EARTH - HAS been corrupted by man to some extent. This is only going to INCREASE in the times to come — again, GOD HIMSELF has warned us of these things...
I hope this man comes to realize that putting down your fellow Christians just because they don’t believe EXACTLY as you believe isn’t going to really endear you to many people, and if it causes another to stumble in their walk with Christ then I would imagine the Lord will have a few things to discuss when you are standing before him.
It is not my intention to disparage ANY denomination, or ANY Christian. This article just reminded me of these things which have been on my mind for the last few days... Hearing some “Vatican insider” saying the “Pope was horrible” kind of made me sit up and take notice that these things may be coming quicker than we ever thought possible...
No matter what your “flavor” of Christianity is — just please remember... Look to GOD first in all things. Judge a man by his ACTIONS, not his WORDS. The Lord said you will know them by their fruit. There will be saints among all denominations during the Tribulation. If we are going to work together to glorify God, it is my firm belief that we have GOT to stop dividing each other. If we all have God truly in our hearts, and we all accept Jesus as our Savior who died for us (whether through Confirmation, or adult baptism, or raising your hand and publicly affirming such) then we are ALL more alike than we are different...
As I said, I know this isn’t exactly on topic with the thread, but I felt led to post these thoughts here. I hope people will reflect on this, and take these things into consideration...
Getting baptized when you are an infant does not redeem your soul. Nor does attending mass or confessing your sins to a priest.
Being a Baptist, I KNOW that the article was a slap at Baptists’ beliefs. Don’t try to tell me otherwise. The writer is obviously completely ignorant about Baptist beliefs.
My pastor will say nothing at all about dancing or even drinking, as long as the drinking does not lead to drunkenness.
You don’t get Saved by raising your hand when someone asks you to do it. I know atheists that have done that.
In this particular case, it would be the Catholic author, unless he was being “tongue-in-cheek”. I just saw some of his attitude and comments directed towards Baptists, as a group, as being possibly hurtful to others.
Sorry I wasn’t clearer in my post! :)
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