Youth Alpha 2007

What's Life All About?

... You decide

Visit http://uk.alpha.org/ to find your nearest Alpha course.

Youth Alpha Course
Beacon Centre
Coney Hall High Street
Bromley
Every Friday at 6:45-9:00 aimed at ages 14-19

For more info contact flaston1

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Youth
• Alpha
• 2007
• Decide
• Life
• About
• Meaning
• Confused

[sweetsweatyfeet]

What lurks behind the seemingly moderate window dressing of the Alpha course is a full blown program of fundamentalist Christian indoctrination. Agnostics and fence sitters are targeted by Alpha because they are much easier to indoctrinate.

[flaston1]

@sweetsweatyfeet It's a shame that this is how you perceive Alpha. An Alpha course run properly should certainly not be a programme of indoctrination. The purpose of the alpha course is to encourage independent, critical thought by allowing people to discuss issues with each other. There is absolutely no pressure to agree with Christianity. I agree that there are many agnostics on the courses but this is because they have not decided and are more open to examining and discussing different views.

[sweetsweatyfeet]

@flaston1 I took Alpha at the behest of my girlfriend and in no way could i say independent critical thinking was encouraged. Yes they encourage questions but THEY (the course leaders) provided the answers. They were not interested in learning anything from skeptics and unbelievers and pretty much insulated us from the the other breakout groups. Assigning me to the hard core believers and course leaders.

Peer pressure and emotional appeals played a huge role in the final sessions.

[flaston1]

@sweetsweatyfeet That does sound like a pretty awful experience. I'm sorry to hear that. One of the main points that the Alpha material stresses to small group leaders is that they must not answer any questions themselves so that people can feel more comfortable about sharing their own thoughts. Only in the last few weeks are they permitted to share some of their own views but only if guests ask them directly.

[flaston1]

@sweetsweatyfeet The course is designed precisely to avoid the experience you had, I'm sad to hear your story. I suppose by allowing people to run courses independently of those who set it up originally, however good the training and course material is, there is always a potential for some leaders to lose some of the fundamental principles of the course.Some people are so desperate to get that across how great Jesus is that they use any means and possible and this can be very unhelpful at times.

[walterfarms]

This is not the best for the audiance that I currently have but would be good to introduce the first session for youth and the topic of living in a dark world.

[flaston1]

That's fair enough, you know who you're showing it to so I'll be happy whichever way you decide to use it. In our course, people wouldn't have been at the course unless we used something like this to get them thinking and questioning a bit so I made it to be a promotional video but that was just our course. If you do want it, I'd be happy to send you the proper thing on DVD.

[sweetsweatyfeet]

@flaston1 A former course leader sent me this on youtube:

"As a former Alpha course leader, you hit the nail right on the head. This illustrates how an Alpha course is split up. Several events of good discussion, followed by a healthy dose of peer pressure at an event like a restaurant which is all intended to weaken one's critical thinking faculties... followed by a "holy spirit day" in the second half with the intention of forcing commitment through endless appeals to emotion and authority".

[zzzzJAGJEETzzzz]

@sweetsweatyfeet I agree completely

[PeteUtonic]

"What is more harmful than any vice? - active sympathy for ill-constituted and weak: Christianity" - Nietzsche

[walterfarms]

I appreciate the offer and will certainly keep your offer in mind. Right now I have it bookmarked for the future. We are currently doing an adult version but I am praying for a youth oriented group in the summer or the fall.