Fox News constantly reminds their viewers that they are superior to the rest of the mainstream media, who only show young people protesting and doing "bad things." In their holier-than-thou Keeping The Faith segment, Todd Starnes gripes that there should be more attention focused on good news like the Passion Conference and you can only see it on GOP-TV.
The Passion Conference is a gathering that fills stadiums with god-fearing, young Christians who profess to help the poor and proclaim their eternal devotion to the word of Christ. Starnes writes,
"How encouraging is it to know that there are still young people in America who still believe in God and have no qualms about expressing that love for Him in a public setting like here in Atlanta."
They do raise some money to help the poor, they donate towels and socks to the homeless and advocate against human trafficking, but their true (unstated) purpose is to indoctrinate thousands of future Dominionist fanatics. While claiming to help the homeless, they support groups who denounce the very welfare system that would prevent so many homeless in our country.
This Generation268 Passion Conference is quite a moneymaker. Tens of thousands of college-age Christians pay a few hundred dollars to hear Dominionist leaders preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a vehemently, anti-gay gathering where the largely white attendees can proclaim their devotion to the values of their leader, and rejected Obama inauguration speaker, Louis Giglio. Their website explains.
DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PASSION GOD CONNECTED OUR STORY TO THE CONFESSION FOUND IN ISAIAH 26:8, SPECIFICALLY THE LAST PHRASE WHICH SAYS, “FOR YOUR NAME AND RENOWN ARE THE DESIRE OF OUR SOULS.”
THE HEART OF PASSION IS GOD’S GLORY, AND GOD IS MOST GLORIFIED IN US WHEN WE LIVE LIVES THAT ARE FULLY SATISFIED IN HIM. IN AN EFFORT TO FLESH OUT THIS DESIRE, THE 268 DECLARATION WAS CRAFTED AROUND THE FOLLOWING 5 STATEMENTS AND PRAYERS--
The language is very dramatic and rather frightening. The 5 statements essentially demand that you must be loud and fervent about your undying devotion to the hate-mongering of Giglio and groups like The Family Research Council (FRC), who protested the withdrawal of Giglio from the 2013 Inauguration.
All it took to bounce him from the program, however, was for homosexual activists to attack him for having given a sermon in which he declared that homosexuality is a sin--two decades ago...What many people do not understand is that when a conservative says “homosexuality is a sin,” it is a reference to their chosen sexual behavior, not to their inherent human dignity. Christian theology teaches that all people, including those with same-sex attractions, are created in the image of God, but it also teaches that all people--liberal or conservative, homosexual or heterosexual--are sinners who can be saved only by the grace of God.
Honestly, this is really just twenty-first century, hi-definition televangelism that appeals to a younger generation of this new "Moral Majority." They even have their own Christian rap star. Louis Giglio and his Atlanta megachurch are deeply rooted in Dominionist doctrine and he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, ICA.
Who are these "apostles" in the ICA?
Bill Johnson of Redding, California’s Bethel Church, Cindy Jacobs, Rick Joyner, Mary Glazier (Sarah Palin’s spiritual advisor), Lou Engle, and many other self-aggrandizing “chosen.” Johnson and Giglio proudly praise these extremists and align themselves with them... they refer to themselves as “God-chosen” and “That is what an apostle of God is: God’s appointed, anointed, authorized ambassador to maintain RIGHT government in his sphere of ministry.” They are truly impressed with themselves!
Sadly, the inauguration of any U.S. President must have a 'religious figure' to bless the office. Churchy people like Rick Warren or Louis Giglio are terrible examples of ethical purity, yet they are usually the ones chosen to give the blessing. The SLPC considers The Faith and Freedom Coalition and the FRC hate groups and they are closely aligned with the Passion Church.
If you defy their God-fearing, rigid proclamations and fail to repent for being born a sinner, you will undoubtedly suffer in eternity. When you unite an intimidation-based religious cult with a 'conservative' political agenda, you indoctrinate a whole new generation of misinformed Republican voters.
