Mrs Kioski

I came across an old letter from IHOP (The International House of Prayer) today that was addressed to me. A few years ago I came across this organization through a church i visited a couple of times. For some reason i gave them my address for additional info and my email address (big mistake). You see, no matter how many emails you block and letters you throw away they find new ways to get their junk mail to you. It’s really annoying.
All positive interest in this group left me once i heard about their end times theories. They are convinced that Christ is coming back to earth in the next 50 years. Aaaaalrighty. Personally, i dont think that we need to be trying to figure out when Jesus is coming back. IHOP is also very obsessed with the abortion issue. I am highly pro-life, but i think that they take it a bit too far. They pop up in the news every once in a while and other such things.
The letter I found today kind of freaked me out. I havent read very much of the junk that they sent me, but i decided to see what they had to say in this. They made it sound like they were trying to gather hundreds of youth to join forces with them to help their cause. I couldnt help but getting a frightening image of walking around the Twin Cities and seeing reps from IHOP all over the place. IHOP commercials on TV, IHOP billboards, IHOP tv shows. They made it sound like that is their dream. To be a community that the world cannot ignore.
To top this off, it reminds me of the organization that my parents belong to. These people have great motives behind their movements, but they are going about it all the wrong way. They are so persistant it is scary. There is a point between being devoted and overly obsessed.
I look at what Caedmons or Jars are doing and i get inspired. They are changing the world in a dramatic way that doesnt force people to think a certain way. IHOP’s message ends up being one of panic and fear (the world is coming to an end!) and force (we will be heard!). Personally, I enjoy living in a country where I am allowed to make my own decision on what i think about abortion and the Bible and other issues.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 10th, 2006 at 11:52 pm and is filed under Religion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.