i hear quite a few horror stories from parents and teachers about a number of churches in our area that market to kids during school hours. to these folks, these specific churches get some sort of preferential treatment. i don’t get too bent out of shape about it myself, but when you have a school call a general assembly to promote a student event at a church, that is just bad form.

when I asked a Powell High administrator this morning whether the
Grace Baptist event underway is of a more evangelical and/or religious
nature, he replied "Oh, it is."

Given that confirmation, I asked the administrator why this
invitation from Grace Baptist was not extended through some before or
after school channel, rather than through a general assembly during
school hours. He indicated that it was because "nobody would come." He
added that the general assembly was approved by school system personnel.

i get that some people feel they work on behalf of higher power and the separation of church and state is something to subvert for your greater good. but when i don’t believe your leader or mine ever said anything of breaking the law, or manipulating the law, to spread my word. if you don’t think your gospel message is good enough that youth would not invite their friends in the first place then think of a new way to spread your message.

besides, a motivation bait and switch to salvation isn’t going to help anybody. ugh!

update: the folks at nashvilleistalking have picked up the debate talk & this post. one thing i shared in comments there was a quote of tony campolo, "democracy is not where the majority rules, but where the minority is safe."