Campus Crusade for Christ drops 'Christ'

[sinkingfeeling]

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/07/christ-jesus-evangelical/1

The global evangelical para-church Campus Crusade for Christ is changing it's name to 'Cru."


Here's what the soon-to-be-Cru site says:
We were not trying to eliminate the word Christ from our name. We were looking for a name that would most effectively serve our mission and help us take the gospel to the world. Our mission has not changed. Cru enables us to have discussions about Christ with people who might initially be turned off by a more overtly Christian name. We believe that our interaction and our communication with the world will be what ultimately honors and glorifies Christ.

And it turns out that "Campus" had become passe. The web site touts that the movement launched by Bill and Vonette Bright as a campus ministry in 1951 is now on 1,029 campuses. The group claims 37,900 new souls for Christ over the last five years.

That sounds exciting until you do the math -- about seven converts per campus per year.

Sellers told the group:

We believe wholeheartedly that God has given us this new name. Our team understands that our name is really for the benefit of others. Ultimately, it's not about our name, but how we live out our mission everyday.

[The Magistrate]

1. And a Motley Cru It Will be Indeed, Ma'am

[malaise]

8. DUzy Sir!!

I say Scru Cru :hi: :D

[Robb]

19. Zing!

Nothin' but net, your Honor. :rofl:

[A HERETIC I AM]

2. I would love for a DU baseball fan to turn this into a batting average. n/t

[rucky]

3. That's hip and edgy. The kids will think it's da bomb!

[Arugula Latte]

6. "Cru" is to Religion as Michael Steele is to Republicanism!

Yo, it's off the hook, ya'll!

:rofl:

[Solly Mack]

4. That's just so hip of them.

Snicker

[hifiguy]

5. Was it something he said?

:shrug:

[Arugula Latte]

9. They took the Christ out of Cru! It's the War on C.C.F.C.!

What will Bill O'Reilly say?! :wow:

[sfpcjock]

7. I think "for Mohammad" would have been

a nice touch.

[wtmusic]

10. Christ needs a better agent

He should at least get "CRU Featuring Christ".

[Lars39]

11. I wonder if there's a Rev. Moon connection.

[indurancevile]

17. campus crusade was founded by this texas oilman's brother.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKbrightH.htm

[Lars39]

27. Reminded me of this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x79947

[banned from Kos]

12. That is hilarious! "Crusade" is the offensive word!

But I am just a lowly secular humanist - what do I know?

[Kurmudgeon]

13. "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

[Newest Reality]

14. Was he hurt?

I hope Christ didn't fall too hard.

[MineralMan]

15. Grand Cru?

Sounds tasty to me.

Or maybe they're referring to the L.A. vegan restaurant Cru.

Or, since cru means "raw" in French, maybe they're converting the organization into a sex club. Oh...wait...

[Manifestor_of_Light]

16. campuscrusadeforcthulhu.com is gone. Dammit.

[cliffordu]

18. Who could blame them? Fucker never showed for ANY of the meetings

and never brought food to the potluck.

Except all those raw carp.

[NeedleCast]

20. And Jesus Said: "Go Forth, and Be Sneaky About it!"

Translation: "We're removing christ from our name because it's easier to blindside people if they don't know it's coming."

[deutsey]

28. LOL

Sneakiness has been Campus Crusade's MO for as long as I've known about them. Not that they hide what they're all about. They've always been very upfront about who they are as an organization. It's the formula they use to lure and scare people into converting.

I've been to a couple of their events because a friend of mine was into them. The events were about rock music and its impact on society...maybe they'd refer to the occult or even Satanism. Although they were very upfront about the topic, once you're there they follow a very subtle set of steps designed to lure you into their confidence and then make the hard conversion sell:

As an ice breaker, put everyone at ease by having a trivia quiz about popular rock musicians ("Who sang lead vocals on this song" type of stuff). This is supposed to be fun, no mention of Satanism or Jesus, etc.

Start the presentation by saying you're going to provide an unbiased look into the rock industry...start with objective facts and figures etc. to convey yourself as a trustworthy source.

As the presentation goes on, begin injecting some disturbing quotes and facts here and there--often out of context or of questionable reliability--about rock music (famous so-and-so killed themselves because of drug-induced despair, so-and-so said their music was inspired by spirits, etc.)

Slowly continue to ramp up the lurid details until you're using horrific illustrations of hell, pointing out all the ways rock music corrupts souls, and how that means eternity in hell.

Then the "if you were to die tonight, do you know where you'd spend eternity?" pitch.

I think they really thought they were being subtle about what they were doing, but I guess because I went to a few of these shams I could see through them. I would go because I liked my friend and because I thought these things were pretty amusing.

[elocs]

Dupe, again.

[elocs]

21. It's been called "Cru" for at least all of this past school year in my college town. n/t

[damntexdem]

22. As Cru, will they all have to row funny boats?

jus askin

[fascisthunter]

23. I Guess gawd isn't on their side....

[Taverner]

24. They should change their name to "Students against knowlege"

[The Straight Story]

25. Cru Crux Cran? (nt)

[Courtesy Flush]

26. All three words had fallen out of favor

Campus: Implied intellectualism

Crusade: Pisses off the Muslims

Christ: Long-haired liberal.

[slackmaster]

29. Indeed. They should change their name to The Sunday Afternoon Mah-Jong Club.