Re: Young Life?
Posted by:
Chris Morris
()
Date: December 15, 2010 02:38PM
Phoenixgirl and others....
I grew up with Young life in the background (notice I said background). I've been to the camps, seen the brainwashing and mind games occur first hand. I've seen the people of Young Life (many of whom are pretty creepy) in action, and I would place some of them in the category of the most manipulative people I have ever met.
I grew up being made to go to church (by my dad and his new wife, my parents were divorced when I was very young). My mother gave me the choice about going to church. My dad and step mom changed churches (from a traditional, hymn-singing church to a rock and roll band type, with the projectors on the wall). Shortly after I began hearing more and more about this Young life. I wasn't thrilled at all. I hated being made to go to church for one and I knew this would be another thing I would be made to do. And like any other kid would do, I dragged my feet.
My dad and step mom began getting involved with this thing called Young Life. I didn't want any part of it, the people there were weird and the leader guy (a 50ish grown man) sort of freaked me out. I couldn't understand why a 50ish grown man would want to hang out with teenagers.
Anyway, the next thing I knew I was going to "camp" with others from the area. My dad and step mom went also. They sold it as a fun filled weekend that I'll never forget....one with a lake, a cabin for us to sleep in, great food, boats, a "blob", a rope course, zip line and other cool stuff a 14 year old would like.
I have to admit I was actually excited to go to Lake Champion.
That excitement quickly died when I got there and realized what was going on. Between these 'fun' times of ropes courses, swimming etc etc, were these meetings where adults would lead the kids in weird skits and lectures, and of course there was plenty of singing of songs that had nothing to do with God per se, but they put that spin on all of them. Editors note.....I specifically remember singing 'Brown Eyed Girl' no less than 25 times that week.
So this went on and on, I couldn't wait for the weekend to be over.
So finally, Sunday night came.....the last night. I'm thinking, thank god, tomorrow we're leaving. But that wasnt until we had our last get together with lots of singing (Again) and creepy lectures by old creepy men. Afterthe songs, it got real serious and they told us about god and about how people that don't accept god into their hearts are bad people.
That was when they made us leave the auditorium and walk outside to find a quiet spot where we could accept god onto our hearts. I walked out thinking..."wow, if I don't do this, does that mean that I'm a bad a person?" I didn't know, I was 14 years old and didn't know much of anything about life and was extremely impressionable. I found my quiet spot, despite my reservations, so I wouldn't be a bad person.
I went back, the leaders asked who accepted god...of course everyone cheered and it was all over (only after a few more songs were sung). Then we left the next day (thank god).
The next year, I got roped into it again, but was allowed to bring a friend per my step mom who was higher up in the organization now. After reading phoenixgirls post, I now look back and see my step mom as being a leader of sorts...brainwashing, etc etc. My best friend Drew and I went, but this time we were both old enough to see thru the whole thing for what it really is....a way for adults to shove their beliefs down throats of impressionable, young kids who aren't old enough to make their own independent decisions.
That was the last time I went and have never been to another Young Life event since.
For my wedding present, my dad and step mom gave my new wife (now my ex wife) and I a free trip to lake champion. I declined.
They have two kids of their own now, one 17 and another 14. They go to camp each year, volunteer there for a month in the summer. All I can think is that it's too bad that these kids are so brainwashed and weak minded to appreciate that the options they have a full right to explore are being shoved down their throat. I can't blame them though, who would want to be labeled the bad person Young Life described?
I'll be sad to see them grow up and literally get hit with the real world. These kids and these people from this organization think he world is sugar plums and candy farries, and it's not. This organization is scary and is dangerous to our kids self esteem. It was to mine--until my mom explained that going to church or being a member of YL doesn't make you a good person. Living how God would want you to live makes you a good person.
My dad and step mom are still very heavily involved in YL. My sister some sort of leader at her high school. My dad gives tons of money to this organization. It's scary.
It is because of my actual, first hand experiences that I believe Young Life is certainly a cult-like organization whose leaders prey on kids (see phoenixgirls post) who are too young to know any better and tell them they'll be bad people if they don't go with the program. What kind of "godly" organization would say that to a kid?