"violent, confrontive prayer"

That little line comes from the linked article in Harper's on the New Life Church. Specifically, Pastor Ted is referring to how Christians can reclaim the cities of America... through "violent, confrontive prayer." I can't help but think that is thinly veiled code for racial/ethnic/religious-based ass-whoopings. This is in the same vein as "I'm gonna load up this here gun and meet that new non-Christian immigrant family's mailbox with violent, confrontive prayer, and possibly a burning cross as well."

The author describes the dining habits of the flock of New Life in Colorado Springs with the following:

It is not so much the large populations, with their uneasy mix of sinner and saved, that make Christian conservatives leery of urban areas. Even downtown Colorado Springs, presumably as godly as any big town in America, struck the New Lifers I met as unclean. Whenever I asked where to eat, they would warn me away from downtown’s neat little grid of cafes and ethnic joints. Stick to Academy, they’d tell me, referring to the vein of superstores and prepackaged eateries —P. F. Chang’s, California Pizza Kitchen, et al. —that bypasses the city. Downtown, they said, is “confusing.”

Ah, yes... confusing. Yeah, it's tough having choices. Like what to eat, or what to wear, or whom to vote for. It's hard having those tough tough choices. I guess it's best to cede control and let someone else tell you what to do. It's so much less confusing.

Well, speaking as one of those confused City dwellers, I say, stick to the exurbs, it's safer for you there. And when you do come to my town for some religious themed vacation, I'll be sure to give you excellent direction to food and entertainment.

(And now thanks to the wonder of Google the New Life Church, us Reprobates, Ben's Chili Bowl, and a directory of DC"s strip clubs are all linked together. I can't wait to see what ads we all have in common.)