Posted by Paul R. Kopenkoskey | The Grand Rapids Press February 23, 2008 09:00AM
GRAND RAPIDS -- The battle lines have been drawn between a greedy entertainment media empire that glamorizes sex and drugs and an army of teens ready for combat.
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"We're fighting the devil's ways of getting in your life."
Learning to ward off entertainment media's sexually charged messages is a key reason Wells signed on to attend Teen Mania Ministries' Acquire the Fire rally next weekend at Van Andel Arena.
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She will be in good company. Already, 5,800 have registered to absorb the high-energy rally's message, with a projected 6,500 expected, said Jamin Wunderink, director of recruitment for Grand Rapids Acquire the Fire.
Despite its good intentions, some of Acquire the Fire's rhetoric is disquieting to those who say its intolerance against homosexuals and militaristic tone skew Jesus' message of peace and love.
The Rev. Jim Lucas, chaplain for the Grand Rapids-based support group Gays in Faith Together, agrees too many movies and commercials glorify promiscuity, but the cost of getting that message across is too high for gay teens struggling to integrate their faith with their sexual orientation.
"That kind of message causes an enormous amount of unnecessary struggle and pain for the teenager who is realizing that he or she is attracted to others of the same sex," Lucas said.
"You are shoving gay youth out of the Christian community because you're telling them they're not welcome there."
ress Photo/Dave RaczkowskiPastor Jorge Ballivian, center, will be attend the Acquire The Fire teen rally at Van Andel Arena with Tri-County High School students, from left: Kelsey VanEk, Hannah Hackbardt, Josh Waldon, Justine Wells and Jade Wells.More:
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/02/acquire_the_fire_teens_prepare.html