The length to which some Christians will invoke a pietistic-sounding excuse to justify their behavior can almost border on the amusing.
At Flatirons Community Church, where one demonstrates one's dedication to the Savior by chugging down microbrews and getting tattoos demonstrates fidelity to one's wife (which will last about as long as a stack of True Love Waits virginity pledges), twice a month four seats are offered on a helicopter so that men may extend those living in Colorado the privilege of being prayed over from above.
Given that Christianity holds that God is omnipresent (a fancy word for everywhere), it is not readily explained how prayers offered aloft in the air are really anymore efficacious than those sent up from terra firma.
These gimmicks might mean well in the attempt to lure men back into the institutionalized church which has grown increasingly feminized in terms of the activities held for the purposes of socialization and outreach.
However, in time these attempts at marketing will themselves deteriorate into spiritual dangers creating their own kind of religious caste system.
Don't drink the microbrews or get the fidelity tattoo?
What's wrong with you, dude?
You don't love Jesus or your family as much as the compliant members of the group?
Christian men often face ridicule on the job for not boozing and desecrating their bodies with human graffiti from wordlings in the workplace.
They don't need to end up the victims of similar treatment at church.
Mark my words, before hearing the last of this church where being hip and cutting edge are elevated to the status of Christian fundamentals, the only way to get a ride in the helicopter in this ecclesiastical version of the mile high club will be to let the pastor sleep with your wife or to commit some act of blatant criminality on behalf of the church.
Frederick Meekins is an independent theologian and social critic. Frederick holds a BS in Political Science/History, a MA in Apologetics/Christian Philosophy from Trinity Theological Seminary, and a PhD. in Christian Apologetics from Newburgh Theological Seminary.
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