Flipping through an old journal, I found this entry that I thought was worth sharing.
I’m interested in respect. It doesn’t seem like the “church” respects individuals and their decision making process. I want to be treated with respect, not because of what I do, my “spiritual walk” or anything like that, but just because I am a child of God.
They don’t respect me as a person, only as a tool to be used in accomplishing their mission.
Though Dave Hasz talks a lot about how much he respects the interns, Teen Mania is constantly disrespecting them in pretty much every way. Unfortunately, the respect issue is not limited only to Teen Mania. For some reason, in the Christian community, respect is a lost attribute. We, who believe that God created and loves all people should be the MOST respectful of all. Who are we to disrespect his creation?
What do I mean by respect? I mean a deep and profound appreciation for all God’s people and how he wired them individually with their needs, wants, personalities, etc. Each person’s journey is unique, each person’s relationship with God is unique and each person has the right and the responsibility to think things through for themselves and make decisions based on that and the convictions of their conscience. When we force people to act and behave in certain ways in order to be accepted as “good enough,” we violate and disrespect this fundamental God-given right. We strip them of the permission to be who God made them to be, and if it goes on long enough, we strip them of their ability to even be or know themselves.
That ain’t right.
7 comments:
jeffsays:January 10, 2011 12:14 PMReply
That’s not a long post at all, but it does succinctly cover a lot of ground RA.
The worst I’ve seen is when people are DELIBERATELY manipulated into accepting their own abuse while being obliged to worship the cult leader; as the only allowable way to live.
While in a less deliberate fashion, cliques and other groups can be no less cruel.
But IMO any so-called Christian organization whose leadership doesn’t MASTER the Lord’s own meek and gentle side will in some manner Lord it over THE LORD’S INHERITANCE!
And as far as I can tell, he won’t be shy or gentle in HIS DAY, recompensing to those who have “beaten the servants.” And from what I’ve seen, leaders who manifest such despising of the brethren from their own forked tongues only manage to bring up disciples who are twice as bad as themselves. (Yeah, that’s an oblique scriptural reference.)
And what you call respect, but I often call “simple human decency” seems to be a good and vital distinction to make. 🙂
Shannon Kishsays:January 11, 2011 9:19 AMReply
Good post. My philosophy on life is that we should respect each other simply because we are all a part of the human race. I believe in the dignity of all people regardless of their background, faults, perfections, etc.
Lexi Searlessays:January 11, 2011 1:43 PMReply
You know, as a Honor Academy Intern and a Christian I must say I am really sad that this is what it has come to. As Christians we are supposed to be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down. I agree that there are things that Honor Academy needs to work on in the internship but doesn’t every ministry? I know that many interns have been hurt because of the structure of the internship. It’s hard, I know, I went through it. I was sick pretty much the entire two years I was there with something that doctor’s didn’t even know how to diagnose and I had some people thinking I was going to make it and others thinking I was going to just go home. Yes, every intern has a unique anointing and it should be used. But the fact is, God put Mr. Hasz in authority at HA. There is a reason for that. We as God’s children need to respect that and respect him. I believe that Mr.Hasz does love and respect the interns but remember that he is a man. If you have issues with Mr.Hasz you need to do what is right and take those things to him. Email him or call him, whatever, but if you have issues and have been hurt by him you need to take those things to him not blog your complaints on a website. Take what you have learned from HA, and now that you’re out of the “bubble” use it and grow. There are so many things to focus on, like your destinies and your callings. There comes a time when you have to let the past go and move on to the things that God has for you now. That’s all I have to say lol I know it’s alot but know that I’m not condemning anyone, just trying to make you think.
Recovering Alumnisays:January 11, 2011 1:56 PMReply
Hi Lexi,
Thank you for your thoughts. I agree that we should also go privately to the one who has hurt us, according to Matthew 18. Believe it or not, I have already done that. Please refer to the tab at the top “TM Response” and let me know if you think Teen Mania’s response is adequate.
heartsfiresays:January 11, 2011 3:42 PMReply
Lexi,
Most of us have gone and done this. A few of us a few times. I like you had a rather nasty illness that I will have for the rest of my life that started being symptomatic at the HA. I spoke to Dave about it and he did nothing about it. In fact someone I spoke to that was there this last year confirmed that he still treated interns rather badly if they were not well for an unknown reason. This blog isn’t just one person condemning Dave or Ron or Heath for no reason it’s a community of people that span 15 or more years of the Honor Academy that all have been harmed. There are people who graduated in 2010 people who were there in 2000 People there in 1996 all with sadly similar stories. All feeling like they have been harmed then ignored or lied to further and abused further AFTER they left the Teen Mania campus for good. The confrontation style in the bible points out how to continue and eventually tell the church at large. This blog is for those that have been hurt again and again to tell their stories to the church at large.
None of us expect Dave or Ron or Heath to change. The voices here will always get ignored by teen mania elites and we realize that for the most part. Occasionally we speak in such a way they cannot ignore but that is not often. That said it is psychologically understandable as to WHY they do so. Even if they hear people here they often will turn around and walk around campus where they will have upwards of 2000 people hanging on their every word. When a person lives in this type of bubble for a very long time they really do start to believe they are one of the most awesome people alive. Regardless if they mean to, they harden their heart to corrections that people try to make in them that could make their ministry better. This is where the issue comes because at the end of the day the ministry in and of itself has become a hindrance to fixing the ministry. That said I at least pray daily for those at the HA so that no one should ever hurt like we did again.
Anonymoussays:January 11, 2011 9:58 PMReply
Luce/Hasz/Stoner are much like the President of the United States. They feel highly of themselves, they surround themselves with people that fawn over them and tell them that they can do no wrong, and they completely miss the point of their being in authority and don’t listen to the person(s) that put them in authority. Shame on TM as they will feel the wrath of God soon enough.
wanderersays:January 22, 2012 6:41 PMReply
Lexi,
I know this comment is very late, but I hope you (or others) will still see it. I’ve worked with TM and also with other organizations, and did you know that it’s actually NOT the case that all organizations have so many people who have negative/hard experiences? I’m not talking about people who are would say they are “hurt/recovering”, I’m talking about people, like you, who say it was a hard experience but you learned a lot.
In healthy organizations people leave with pretty much ONLY a good taste in their mouths. In healthy organizations, NO ONE ever reminds each other that their leaders are human. The reason is that everyone knows it, and the leader never puts themselves in a position of such power that people feel the need to remind themselves that the leader is human.
Hope this makes sense…. it’s just I hear over & over “Dave Hasz is only human” and “yes, I’ve had a lot of hard things happen during my internship, but God taught me a lot.” It doesn’t have to be that way… really, it doesn’t.