Dirt on my face. Weapon in hand. The Battle's raging. We're waging war. There's no time for apathy. No time for laziness. I can't stand by and watch my comrades be taken down. We have to do something. We have to fight. There's no other choice. This generation will not be lost. We will stand! We have the power through our General... Let's go get them back! Here we go. Raise your warcry and let's march. 
facegirl22
I am ablaze; I cannot stay silent. I am a holy inferno; I cannot be hidden. I will stay the course, no matter the repercussion.
joeljohnson 
I will fight to save my generation with all that i have, leaving no one behind. I will rally other soldiers to help build the army that WILL take back the 96 percent.
tknbk96
I am ablaze; I cannot stay silent. I am a holy inferno; I cannot be hidden. I will stay the course, no matter the repercussion. joeljohnson
I will fight to save my generation with all that i have, leaving no one behind. I will rally other soldiers to help build the army that WILL take back the 96 percent. tknbk96
"Nothing says ‘God’s love’ like an elite killing machine."
You might imagine that the disturbing quotes and photo above come from a group of disgruntled teens, ready to open fire in their school or even perhaps from the "evil-doer," religious fundamentalists (aka Islamic radicals).
No.
These posts all come from the website of Battlecry, the new evangelical movement for teens. The profiles can all be found on the fundy my-space-esuqe network where teens craft their "Battleplans" for winning over this fallen generation. Referring to each other as "trenchmates," they message back and forth about upcoming battles (at places like Spencer's, Victoria's Secret, and MTV) and ask for prayers and strength from God for all the angst that is being a teenager. They pour all their adolescent passion into this "war," honestly believing that they are "branded by God [with] the mark of a warrior."
The melding of marketing, militarism and melodrama is quite disturbing. The movement centers around a curriculum and traveling stage production that through spectacle encourages teens to join the war and fight for their generation. The rallies feature martial displays of weaponry with Navy Seals parading as god-like on the stage, brandishing automatic rifles and rallying the troops to action. The line between spiritual and actual warfare is invisible.
Of course, the battle is never about global issues that impact us all, like, I don't know, let's say, poverty, environmental degradation, HIV/AIDS epidemic, genocide, or domestic violence. Instead of protesting warfare, this movement glorifies it in the name of God and Christendom.
Scary.
Reporter Sunsara Taylor has taken on this group in a series of articles. Attending the rallies, she reports "from the frontlines," so to speak, even challenging Ron Luce, himself, the founder of this teen Army of God. Check out her work and the video clip of her debate with Luce on FOX (faux) News as well as the watchdog website, Acquire the Evidence.
No.
These posts all come from the website of Battlecry, the new evangelical movement for teens. The profiles can all be found on the fundy my-space-esuqe network where teens craft their "Battleplans" for winning over this fallen generation. Referring to each other as "trenchmates," they message back and forth about upcoming battles (at places like Spencer's, Victoria's Secret, and MTV) and ask for prayers and strength from God for all the angst that is being a teenager. They pour all their adolescent passion into this "war," honestly believing that they are "branded by God [with] the mark of a warrior."
The melding of marketing, militarism and melodrama is quite disturbing. The movement centers around a curriculum and traveling stage production that through spectacle encourages teens to join the war and fight for their generation. The rallies feature martial displays of weaponry with Navy Seals parading as god-like on the stage, brandishing automatic rifles and rallying the troops to action. The line between spiritual and actual warfare is invisible.
Of course, the battle is never about global issues that impact us all, like, I don't know, let's say, poverty, environmental degradation, HIV/AIDS epidemic, genocide, or domestic violence. Instead of protesting warfare, this movement glorifies it in the name of God and Christendom.
Scary.
Reporter Sunsara Taylor has taken on this group in a series of articles. Attending the rallies, she reports "from the frontlines," so to speak, even challenging Ron Luce, himself, the founder of this teen Army of God. Check out her work and the video clip of her debate with Luce on FOX (faux) News as well as the watchdog website, Acquire the Evidence.
8 comments:
heartbreaking...so heartbreaking...
I used to get literature for this all the time when I was pastoring in Joliet. I always tossed it as soon as I saw "Battlecry" on the front and didn't bother to look any further.
I am inspired by young people who are moved to share their faith with others and who have chosen values that are different from those the "world" espouses. I see that these people are encouraged to put prayer and scripture reading and scripture memorization before wasting time online or in front of the television. That's quite honorable. But to be cloaking it in the terms of war is frightening.
Paul, sweet Paul, why did you have to use so much warfare imagery?
I kind of wish that someone a little more moderate than Sunsara Taylor had taken on Ron Luce with O'Reilly. She doesn't exactly represent my views :)and it might have been a little more convincing if it wasn't someone who comes across as a radical leftist who argued with Luce. As it was, he came out looking like a saint. (Part of that was due to O'Reilly. I get that).
It is heartbreaking to see so many kids with such passion for the gospel, yet turned into this sickening moral warfare that glorifies violence, guns and combat.
Yeah, a commie atheist is probably not the most moderate voice, but I admired her cajones for confronting him and being able to de-ideologize his rhetoric.
I thought it was bad enough to grow up singing "Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war..."
Like MB, I am also inspired by teens who choose to take a stand and make a difference. Particularly when they impact our world in a positive way, such as volunteering with homeless groups, Katrina rehab, etc. But this Battlecry thing, combined with the newest "Christian" video game we recently discussed, highlights a growing phenomenon I wasn't aware of - grooming young people for actual war in the name God! Scary indeed.
Of course, Jenn, don't you know God's Kingdom is actually the USA?
When in times of war you have to rally the troops and get the kids ready to be shipped off to Iraq...they'll be old enough soon.
(Josh told me that...again, not a fundy myself, I rely on others to clue me in to the insanity that I perceeve in some brands of christianity)
Everyone should have a recovering fundy in their lives to help them figure out the madness in the world.
When I was working at the Presby church they were having some presentations on Christian Zionism. I jokingly asked the pastor (my boss) if he was a pre-millenialist or a post-millenialist. He looked at me like I was smoking crack. We had to a have a long discussion about fundies and second-coming theology. I found it hard to believe that he had never heard it before. He found it hard to believe I ever bought any of it.
TLS, you now have to let me know if you have to ask Josh about the difference between pre-millenialists and post-millenialists. :)
Yes, I will have to ask him...I vaguely remember something in seminary...as I recall we were reading about religious crackpots through the ages...or at least tht's how I understood it.
I hadn't even heard of the "Second Coming" until college. Before that when religious friends would talk about Jesus returning, I would tell them they were insane.
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