I don’t know if any of you have been following the news very closely these past few days, but among the smaller headlines, it turns out the founder of Domino’s Pizza has purchased a small area in Florida and is starting a Catholic-only town. There will be a Catholic college, prohibition of contraceptive sales and no adult programming on the local cable service. It is his vision to build a community that is protected against the evil of the world and that promotes healthy Catholic life.

Now, I hope I’m not alone when I say that this is the worst idea ever. I remember one time at youth camp, a fellow student stood up during the confession/sob-fest after one of the worship services and said how she wished we could all go and start our own Christian community and it could be like youth camp all the time. It wasn’t appropriate to stand up and ridicule her for such a stupid idea, so I didn’t, but that’s what I wanted to do.

That’s exactly how I feel about this town in Florida. I listened to a radio show this morning and heard several callers phone in and say how this was such a great idea because it would be so much easier to raise their children, etc. I actually tried several times to call in, but couldn’t get through.

Is it just me, or have these folks completely missed the point of Christian faith? Isn’t the point of our faith to be IN the world? How in the world is secluding yourself to a bubble of religion going to help accomplish the work of the Kingdom? Our calling as Christ-followers is not to provide a spiritually safe environment for ourselves and our families. Our duty as believers is not self-preservation. Our duty is to penetrate the evil of the world and redeem it. Our duty is to imbed ourselves in the world and win people to Christ. And Christ did not come to save us from the world. He came to redeem the world itself, and we are called to be His witnesses.

I can’t tell you how much this frustrates me. How can someone consider themselves a Christ-follower, look at the life and teachings of Christ, and somehow come to the conclusion that they need to live in a Christian-only community?

This is why I don’t believe in home schooling. This is why I probably wouldn’t go to a Christian university if I had to do it all over again. This is why I don’t believe in churches that offer programs for every night of the week. All of these inveitably lead to seclusion, not mission. Do I want my kids to become sexually active or watch adult cable? No, but I don’t want to have “bubble children” either. I don’t want my kids to be oblivious and unfamiliar with the world that surrounds us. I want to instill the faith and values in them that equips them to not only deal with the world, but to redeem it also.

Just by living in Plano, in the “belt buckle” of the Bible Belt, and working in ministry I feel like I am too far removed from the world. Who are my lost friends? I dunno. Who am I actively persuing and building relationships with for the Kingdom? I dunno. Just think how much worse it would be if I lived in a Christian-only city? Talk about ineffectiveness. Talk about irrelevance. Talk about ignorance. Geez.