Hyperbole?

hy·per·bo·le:  exaggeration: deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect.

I recently heard a pastor make a statement in a video message that had me actually say out loud, "What did he just say?"  I could not believe what I was hearing.  In fact, overall, the video message was more akin to that of a "Shock Jock" (a DJ or radio host who uses provocative language and broadcasts his or her extreme views) than of a mature man of God.

He actually said,  "Let this be a church populated by the unconverted dressing immodestly".

Really?  Let's leave out the "dressing immodestly" part of the statement and address the "populated with unconverted".   Isn't that what most seeker friendly churches, that water down the gospel, are populated with?  Is not the church to be populated with God's people who gather to worship Him?  Of course, there are unconverted people there; but, do we really want the church to be populated with the unconverted?  Of course not.  In fact, the unconverted should be very uncomfortable at church, regardless of how they are dressed-even when the Christians are loving to them.

So, why did he make that statement?  I say it was because he didn't want to be accused of being a conservative, legalist.  However, was it a biblically correct statement?  Oh, you say, it was simply hyperbole--he was simply exaggerating to make a point that we should not judge how the unconverted dress when they attend our church .

I would say, if that is what he meant, then that is what he should have said.  If this was hyperbole; it is at best, inappropriate and at worse, dangerous, confusing and misleading.

I could go on and on about this particular video address; but, will save my full review for another time.  I think church leaders should spend a little more time in really listening to messages and being more discerning in which ones they use to "teach" their people.

  Needless to say, I was disappointed.  This same pastor actually stated, that the "mature" should be corrected if they dress immodestly.  I ask you, "If one is indeed mature in the faith; would they still be dressing immodestly?"   Additionally, this pastor did not use the word, "most" when talking about groups of people.  He did not say "most" young ladies don't understand; he said, "young ladies in particular simply don't have a clue"  He did not say "most" men; he simply said "men...young and old".

On a side note:  Is Esther really a good role model for modesty?  I think not; but, that's just me. I would rather think that Queen Vashti is a role model for modesty.  Of course, some of you might think that the Queen should have submitted to her husbands drunken request that she be paraded in front of the Kings men while they were all "three sheets to the wind".

Basically, the video painted all men "young and old" to be weak, lust-filled, leches who can't control themselves and all women to be mindless shop-alcoholic "fashionista's".

Conclusion:  The message was both verbally, audibly and visually manipulative.  The background music was even hauntingly similar to that of the soundtrack to the original motion picture "the Exorcist".  If I had heard this message and was a young woman who was new in the faith, I would actually be afraid to attend any gatherings (church or non-church) where men are present, unless I was clad in a burqa.  But, then again, I might still be concerned that my eyelashes were too long and that I was blinking them to often and would only feel safe around men if I had on a pair of dark sunglasses, as well.  Oh Hyperbole!  What a powerful and manipulative form of speech.