“WEB ONLY: Expanded Online Content: Answering Readers’ Concerns.”

From the Editor Some readers of YouthWorker Journal raised questions about a guest column by Ron Luce and a review of “The Way of the Master” evangelicalism series published in our July/August issue.

We ran some reader letters in the Feedback section of our September/October issue, but much remained to be said. We are providing more information here because the questions raised are important and deserve a fair hearing.

Here’s what you will find below:
-Ron Luce’s “Battle by the Bay” column, YWJ— July/Aug ’06
-Expanded reader responses to Ron’s guest column
-Editor’s comments
-Our review of “The Way of the Master,” YWJ— July/Aug ’06
-Expanded reader response to the review
-Editor’s comments

Ron Luce’s “Battle by the Bay” column, YWJ— July/August ’06

Battle by the Bay
After two years of planning, our first BattleCry event took place in San Francisco in March with more than 25,000 kids. Our goal was to encourage young people to engage the culture and start reaching this generation through their local communities.

As part of the event, we decided to have a rally at the San Francisco City Hall to unveil the Teenage Bill of Rights, which declares young people’s right to set the pace for their own generation rather than letting the anchors of media, violence, and pornography shape their generation. This is the same city hall where homosexual marriages had been performed.

Approximately two weeks before the event, we learned that groups were planning a counter protest. Three days prior to the event, we found that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors issued an official condemnation of the BattleCry rally, which is interesting coming from “the most tolerant city in the world.” Little did we know we were about to put our fingers into a hornet’s nest.

As we arrived at City Hall, we found about 50 male protesters dressed in drag. They had blow horns and were chanting and screaming, “Christian fascist, go away!” as well as other phrases. This was a stark contrast to the 300 young people who arrived at the BattleCry rally thoughtfully praying and pensively considering what they were finding themselves in the middle of.

The protesters lumped all Christians into one group. They assumed that because they had been treated in a hateful way by other Christians they were about to experience the same from us. Nothing could have been further from the truth. As the hateful cries continued, these young people loved on them and prayed for them. This became the media story.

The San Francisco Chronicle came out with two positive stories commenting on the fact that the youth were kind to these very hateful protesters who were accusing them of being unkind. Soon we found ourselves in a national media flurry, as NBC, CNN, FOX, Focus on the Family, “The 700 Club,” and Bill O’Reilly picked up the story.

Fighting the Culture War
There is a culture war in America today; and instead of sitting back passively and letting those who have no morals win, we need to speak up and be salt and light in this world. If we are true followers of Christ, it is our responsibility to create an environment where we let conviction, character, and Scripture help us set the tone for what our culture is all about.

Some people don’t care if we keep our Christianity in our churches, in our youth groups, or in our stadiums. But as soon as we bring our faith to the public sector, where others have dominated for so long, they get riled up and angry.

Isn’t the public square where we as Christians are called? We have been silent for too long; and as a result, we have allowed them to dominate our culture. Freedom of speech has been used to justify more violence, sex, and vulgar advertising than ever before.

It is time to encourage young people to let their voices be heard. They are young and innocent, and it is hard for anybody—except for people as confused as those in San Francisco—to put them down for wanting what is pure for their generation.

Youth leaders should provide practical ways for kids to voice their opinions and set the pace for our culture. For example, if they walk into a mall and see a poster of Victoria showing all of her secrets, they can go to the manager of Victoria’s Secret and say, “This is offensive to me. Would you please take it down?”

Someone involved in the San Francisco BattleCry event walked into a convenience store where he saw pornography displayed openly. “Is this legal?” he asked. When the clerk refused to do anything, the young man walked outside, pulled out his cell phone, and called the police.

It is time for our young people to be good citizens by reporting those who disobey the law.

Ron Luce is the founder and president of Teen Mania Ministries.

Expanded reader responses to Ron’s guest column
Some readers appreciated Ron’s guest column, like the reader below. But even more readers were disturbed by what Ron said. Below you will find detailed and thoughtful critiques of the column by two readers.

Luce Reader 1:
My immediate reaction to seeing Luce’s name is that I don’t really know what to think. There are times that I think Luce has given over to over-dramatization, but then again, I haven’t read his book yet (it’s on my tentative summer reading list).

As a whole, I enjoyed to the article. It was a great demonstration of what happens when we respond with the love of Christ instead of with condemnation. I even agreed with most of the second section “Fighting the Culture War”. However, when I read the last sentence I felt like I was just smacked in the face. Luce talks about loving people and voicing our Christianity in the public square. Then to end the article he makes the statement that “it is time for our young people to be good citizens by reporting those who disobey the law”.

What?

I’m asking myself if Luce is seriously ending his article this way. He moves from radical-love-of-Christ to being a narc/rat and a “good citizen”. Maybe I missed a couple steps in his logic, but after I reread the last section I realized that he never included those steps (if he even took them).

My complaint here is that Luce tagged on an entirely different subject as a summary statement for his article. This is poor writing, poor logic, and just plain ridiculous. Other than that, I liked the article.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Joel Heald, Volunteer Jr. High youth worker College Church of the Nazarene, Bourbonnais, Ill.

Luce Reader 2:
Saddened over the Cry for Battle
Since the last page in YWJ is designed to “Stir it Up,” I’d like to respond to Ron Luce’s “Battle by the Bay.” There is no doubt that Ron Luce’s Teen Mania has poured great amounts of effort into serving teenagers and youth leaders. I do not question Ron’s motives and I am confident we all desire to honor God, follow Jesus, and serve teenagers. I would however, like offer a plea to any ministry who uses war-like language to guide and motivate the teenage community. Here’s why I thi