Down with Upward

Today was our boys last basketball game at Upward basketball.  It's a program sponsored by the local baptist church.  They do a great job of making it fun by having a light and fog show for the kids to run through before each game.  Cheerleaders form a tunnel and parents make almost as much noise as the booming loudspeaker voice.  They take time to sit down and talk teamwork values with the kids and the refs are more interested in teaching 8 and 9 year-olds the game itself than making sure every call is precisely right.  In short it is a great venue for this age group and a great idea.

But the real purpose is evangelical missionary work.  Their extensive marketing creates a captive audience and at least a portion of this audience does not attend their church, so before each game some one gets up and offers a fairly extensive witness of how they came to Christ.  Because of work lately I've only had the opportunity to come to two games; the first game I enjoyed that part of the spectacle.  Today the guy giving it made me just want to spit.

Earlier this week during practice Michelle noted that during one of their team 'sit-down and preach' sessions Brigham was pulled out into the hall by one of the senior preachers/program directors.  By himself.  Without his mother or even her permission.  She saw it happen because she watches like a hawk.  She told me that she felt very uncomfortable and like she ought to get up and go see what was going on out there.  They weren't doing this with the other kids.  Just mine.  Following the conversation the preacher escorted Brigham back to the gymnasium and gave a sly but very obvious thumbs up to Brigham's coach. This had not been an incidental conversation, it was a targeted hit job.

We don't hide the fact that we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Some call us Mormon's after a prophet and author of a book we believe is scripture.  Our boys wear a lot of BYU gear and for heaven's sake #1 is named Brigham.  We are not in your face about it but it certainly not something we are ashamed about.  Evangelicals have a significant problem with us though for the life of me I can't figure out why.  Mitt Romney was vilified by them and yet Donald Trump is nigh unto Christ in their voting block--need I say more?

After practice and on the ride home Michelle spoke carefully with Briggie about the conversation he had been subjected to out in the hallway.  "Beegie-what happened out there?" "We just talked.  It felt kind of weird like I was in trouble or something."  "What did he say to you?"  "He asked me if I believed in Jesus and if I read the bible."  "And what did you tell him?"  "Oh I told him that I love Jesus very much and that I believe that the bible is true!"  

The little shit was being subversively cornered by an adult preacher--without his parents consent--and he had the gumption to bare testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  His only regret was that he didn't remember to bare witness about the Book of Mormon.  He was proud of this encounter.  Possibly his first conscious effort to share the gospel with others.  And I am very proud of him too.

I'm proud of Michelle as well.  I wanted/want to line those two dudes up against a wall and go 4-degree on their asses.  She asked me to slow down, think about it and come to a level response.  Then she forbade me from doing anything.

I'm not sure what sort of venomous seeds they feel they have the right to plant in such a dishonest way but I will tell you that pisses me off more than I can express in words.  I was there.  His mother was there.  During anyone of those games they could have very easily approached and conversed with us in regard to religion.  Invite.  Welcome.  Embrace and love.  Don't go behind my back to a minor in a one on one situation.  Don't subvert our morals and attempt to twist the views of my children without my express and implicit permission.  That is crooked and disingenuous.

We came to the Upward program for the shared christian values that could help our children become men.  But now that I know what they truly value I'm not interested.  They speak of love and they speak of truth but their actions are dishonest and their intentions are stained with dishonor.  I'll have a hard time allowing them to ever step into those churches or participate in Upward basketball ever again.

Though through it all I am very proud of BGB.  I'm glad he's proud of it.  He still doesn't know the evil intentions of that man and he won't for a long time.  Because I'd much rather he felt the goodness of that spirit he felt while baring testimony of Jesus Christ.  Well done Brigham.

And I admit, the fact that the mormon kids were some of the best on the court made me smile in a bit of an unrighteous way too.