I'm too busy to write much, but there is a great article in the always entertaining Willamette Week about a teen conference put on by homeschoolers Alex and Brett Harris. For those who spent any time in church, Alex and Brett are the younger brothers of Josh Harris who wrote, "I kissed dating goodbye".
You can say what you want about the content of what the Harris's preach, but uh, those are some ambitious genes in that family.
(Thanks to the readers who linked to this.)
Thats quite an interetsting article. Christian teens have been hearing about “their generation changing the world” for years and years…and yet nothing changes.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
I tend to think they are to involved politically for anyone to really take them seriously. It sounds like they are just going to end up getting used by the Repulican party…
They did so much work for Mike Huckabee (which i can sort of understand) but now they say they support John McCain. I’m just not sure what values they think McCain has that make him part of the “Rebelution”
[Comment ID #33537 Will Be Quoted Here]I think McCain is the last hope for those who want to ‘take back America for conservative values’.
As far as ‘seeing what happens’, I’m pretty sure they will keep on selling tickets at $35 a pop and enjoying the good life. It is hard to believe they can find an audience for this stuff after 2 terms of Bush. What a disaster! The war in Iraq took the focus off Bin Laden, so he’s still at large. Then there was hurricane Katrina, and the Feds sat around twiddling their thumbs while New Orleans disappeared under water. Our dollar has lost something like 30% of its’ value in the last couple years. Gas is over $4 a gallon. I mean, for the guy who was going to ‘restore America’ after the Clintons, he’s starting to look like wiley coyote at the precipice. Dehydrated Boulder anyone?
The best part about those kids is that their motto/slogan/catch phrase is ‘do hard things’. Their target market is high school kids, whom they’re trying to get practice their hyper-legalistic anti-dating and anti-romance lifestyle. You’d think that a couple of kids who refer to public high schools as cesspools would be able to understand that ‘do hard things’ probably isn’t the brightest slogan to be telling a bunch of high school kids unless you’re after a chorus of ‘that’s what she said’s.
These guys are crazy motivated to make a name for themselves. I’ve seen articles on them in the Willamette Week, Portland Monthly, and Charisma Magazine (just to name a few). Makes me wonder if they are really in it to spread their message or just trying to become famous? Maybe they saw the money and success of older brother and decided they wanted that kind of attention. Lotta young people would rather be recognized in the public eye then legitimate. Hopefully we don’t have two Christian celebrity wannabes on our hands (a la City Church), but rather two kids who actually want to make an impact on young people’s lives. I’m all for that.
You can bet their dad is 400% behind them prodding and pushing. He is huge into “owning your own business.” Plus.. in the WW article it said daddy even was a speaker at their getup. AND daddy told them to STOP debates and read books one summer. . .. HUGE daddy control in their lives. AND daddy believes he controls their lives until they get married.
There is SO much below the surface on this that WW was not privy to.. nor are we.. but can make lots of speculation knowing how daddy believes he needs to control children till married or dead .
Living Life, check out the comments under the WW article. They completely support your theory.
And if that isn’t enough –read SGM Survivor blog–just google it.
It will make your hair stand on end and make the MFI experience a walk in the park. If you think we have seen control issues here just read away and weep.
They are controlling and manipulative yet present a different front to the outside world. It will be worth your time to stop by there. Unfortunately I can validate all that is said since I know a family stuck in their church in the DC area.
I am sick with how culted and controlled by they have become. They have lost their true personalities. They worship the ground their pastor walks on and would not think of making a move without their leaders permission on everything. Their care group has taken over any ties with family or friends, they even carry pictures of them in their wallet.
Homeschooling is a must –practically required and mandated and every word they share is ‘what a sinner they are’. I complimented them on their cute
children and they said ‘yes but they are sinners!’ I’m like who talks like that?!
So read away -its worth a thread of its own. And guess where their pastor Joshua Harris went to church at one time–yes you guessed it Portland Bible Temple. Does anyone here remember that? Yes he seems like a nice guy
but read the real story by the their own survivors. Those who escaped- barely!
or just click here:
SGM Suvivors
It worked well for their brother so maybe they are trying the same thing
Joshua made quite a name for himself at the time and even had a cool book cover. Just wish the church they came out of looked as cool.
Great marketing campaign though and isn’t this the dynamic that happens-
why have one Royalty Family Member when you can have 3 or 4.
Now how can I market my family as well?
Said it before and I’ll say it again
is this a church or a multi level marketing campaign?
Tony Perkins would be proud!
[Comment ID #33642 Will Be Quoted Here]
Let’s see, a Great Marketing Scheme or a College education, get a Job, Sweat of the Brow to get a mortgage…
Ok, I’ll take the marketing scheme!
well… college education is not even on their radar….. gregg preaches AGAINST college. . “you don’t need to go to college to be successful”
Yes and than they call on so called “professionals” when they need help
doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, architects –am I missing anybody?
Yes and those degrees and working credentials just fall from the sky don’t they!
Must be nice to just float on a cloud and expect to get everything
handed to you on a golden platter or is it silver?
When will these people wake up or is it our own fault for constantly
coddling them and giving them attention? And for doing what exactly?
Even the Royal Families children have to join the military for a time of service.
Sorry for the double send–but hey maybe it will get heard this time!
Well they do for some people. How did SPFD and SPWS get theirs?
Sorry. I couldn’t resist.
You’re so right Anna–the rest of us had to go through registration
buying books and attaining those pesky credits to get our degrees.
How wise of you to see the difference though. Maybe next time a degree
will float down from the sky and I can skip all that trouble and expense.
Hey I’m ready to recieve a degree from City Business Church Blog
anytime they want to bestow one.
How much is a PHD these days?
[Comment ID #33554 Will Be Quoted Here]
Did anyone see that the twins were also interviewed on the Hour of Power, Robert Schuler’s televangelist show? Pretty funny considering they don’t watch tv. yep, just gettin’ their name out there.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=omtrIBxVcKE&feature=related
[Comment ID #33561 Will Be Quoted Here]
What YOU said! so true, so true …
That would be an interesting local piece of knowledge.
[Comment ID #33643 Will Be Quoted Here]
Inquiring minds NEED to know! We’re really tryin’ to figure that out, since it doesn’t seem to work for everyone to have a seminar or motivational speaking business. The grief behind the scenes of that particular teaching really affected a family I knew there. the celebrity just gets worse as each harris family member comes of age.
Uh, the commenters and other sources and magazine articles report that with some of the income generated the wondertwins will be attending Patrick Henry college. no doubt to help curb the porn problem in the dorms there that were reported there in the book God’s Harvard.
Now girls going to college on the other hand, that may be a different story.
[Comment ID #33667 Will Be Quoted Here]
Or lawyers.