Simple protesting being a thing for amateurs, he encouraged his congregation to film the people going inside and to report their whereabouts to their friends and family. They've also stood outside to block traffic, and blasted people with bullhorns as they tried to go inside. (Of course, this doesn't deter anyone who was going in there to relive stress.)
When asked about the owner of the strip club, the Pastor Dunfrees replied with words of kind sophistry:
"Tom George is a parasite, a man without judgment," Dunfee said. "The word of Jesus Christ says you cannot share territory with the devil."
I have no idea what that means. Does he think that Mephistopheles shares a land grant with him because of that strip club? (Mind you, the club is 7 miles away.) It's important for us to update our ideas about cosmology and such since we are not in the middle ages any longer. A strip club down the street doesn't make your church less holy - only your personal devotion can determine your walk with God. Your neighbors can't affect that. But, I digress.
The strippers put on their favorite Helen Reddy songs and decided to fight back. Now, they protest in front of the church on Sunday mornings wearing sexy clothes and attracting potential clients to their club. So, thanks to this church's less-than-model behavior, the church members can't go to a service without wading through a sea of strippers. (That's probably the weirdest thing I've ever typed.)
And I don't want to be rude about this, but all of this happened because the church did not act wisely, and that church has now become a national laughing stock because of their immature actions. Do you think anyone in the press is going to treat the church members nicely when reporting this? Not likely. It's an ugly situation that isn't going to get any better while the two sides demonize each other and insist on being enemies.
I'm truly sorry that everyone involved in that strip club now only knows Christians as judgmental and hateful people. This could have been avoided.
(George Duncan over at End Times Tavern alerted me to this story.)
5 comments:
How would you suggest the church should have taken a stand on this issue?
In all things, we should act in love. Any action is fine as long as that is being observed.
Can they blow horns in people's ears while loving them? I don't think so. You can ruin someone's life by telling the whole town the visit strip clubs - but it won't bring them any closer to Christ, so why bother?
I would rather see a church focus on its own devotions and outreach so that they can love people into the church, rather than hating them away from it.
I would just like to be a fly on the wall when a male deacon tells his wife that he is going to the strip club for a church gathering, and she is welcome to come too.
This must have been discussed with someone before it was brought to the whole congregation.
I can't imagine why the strip club didn't have them removed from the property. The news report claims that the pastor offered to pay the bills of the strippers, and make sure that their children were taken care of. This church must have a lot of money to throw around.
If I were the owner of the strip club, I'd offer half off admission for anyone who brings in a flyer from that sunday's service, or no cover charge during the hours of 9am-12am on Sunday mornings or something like that. If this church wants to affect this club's attendance, I see no reason the club shouldn't do the same.
Instead of trying to shout people into the Kingdom (which by the has never worked) why wasn't the club owner and a few of the workers invited to a church function or dinner.
Did not Christ Himself fellowship with the "parasites" of his time?
Although I can understand the pastors anger, his actions are a bad witness to the patrons and workers at this club.
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