How to Kill a religion

How to kill a religion...
It's the middle of the winter and you're bored: how about plotting to destroy your church? It's not as hard as you think. Here are the four easy steps to denominational death:

1) Separation – Gather together the most energetic, creative, socially conscious new members of your church in one big room. Let's call them the "Boosters." Tell them that they're special, wonderful people. Continue by telling them that they're so amazing that they have different needs from the rest of the congregation, which would be better filled by meeting with other Boosters than bothering with the rest of the church.

2) Isolation – Arrange for the Boosters to have their own meetings at times when no one
else is in the building. Encourage them to take on new leadership roles and responsibilities, but only in groups made up entirely of Boosters. Casually mention that non-Booster committees are "boring" and "don't get anything done."

3) Disaffection – Lead small-group worship services where each Booster gets to talk about their own problems, but isn't required to respond to what anyone else has to say. They'll get used to concentrating on themselves instead of learning how to listen and worship as part of a
congregation. If a few of the Boosters do sneak off and attend the regular Sunday-morning
service, they'll complain that the service is "boring" and "doesn't speak to me," and leave.

4) Rejection – After the Boosters have been meeting for a few years, tell them that they can no longer use the church. Do not invite them to New U classes. Let them find their own heartbroken way back – they will if they're really UU, after all. This scheme is guaranteed to be effective. After a few years, only weary refugees from other religions will be left in your church – hardly a group that can maintain its numbers, much less threaten the right-thinking world with a liberal faith.

There's even a name for this plan. It's called the YRUU youth group. And you wonder
where all the young adults are...

(a conclusion tomorrow)