Ripped from the local newspaper...
Church youth swallowing live fish in Fear Factor ministry
FLORENCE -- The Fear Factor ministry, part of First Assembly of God Church on Helton Drive, has been criticized for an activity that involved children swallowing live fish.
"Fear Factor" is a popular reality TV show on which contestants compete by participating in dangerous activities or by eating stomach-turning foods -- or live creatures -- for cash prizes.
Anthony Martin, youth minister at the church, defended the activity and said it was chosen to teach children about fear.
"We need to be realistic about what the Bible says about fear and not be afraid to share our faith in school," he said. "We can't let that fear rule our lives."
In teaching the lesson about fear, participants were asked to pull a number from a bowl that would indicate the number of live Comet goldfish to be swallowed. The number was between one and three.
Martin said 12 of the almost 20 children who participated advanced to this week's round of activities, which will take place tonight and involve a real coffin. Four teens will be eliminated from this round, and the final four will compete for $250 by the final week of the ministry.
Paula Keeton, manager of Pet Depot in Florence -- the store that sold the church the fish -- said she was "very irritated" fish were used in that way.
"It's against our policy to sell to people if the animal will be killed," she said, adding that a large purchase of an animal, in this case, fish, would elicit questions on the part of Pet Depot staff.
Keeton also said she considers the church's action animal cruelty.
"To me, it's the same as taking a dog or cat and killing it in front of a group of children," she said.
The Fear Factor ministry is part of the Elevate youth program at First Assembly. Martin said about half of the participants are members of the church, while others are guests.
Martin also said he had been contacted by the grandparent of one participant who was irate about the activity.
"We resolved the issue, and when I explained what happened and that we were using it to draw kids to Jesus to have a deeper relationship with him, she seemed to simmer down," he said.
Martin maintains that the children are not forced to participate, nor is there peer pressure involved. There is no alternative to the activity, however, and not participating means forfeiting the right to advance in the game.
Larry Bates is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Alabama and has also worked as a youth minister.
In the latter capacity, he said he understood the need to help kids "get real to get their attention so they can relate the 2000 B.C. principles to a 2000 A.D. reality."
Even if this experience of swallowing live fish is not traumatic, Bates said each experience we have changes us.
"This will have different effects on different people," he said. "For some, it may be positive; for others, it may not."
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