Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 22:02     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:Former young life leader who now has her own kids. I left the ministry/ evangelical church a decade ago and went back to the Presbyterian church (PCUSA). Going back to a traditional church really caused me to reflect on how important the traditions, rituals, calmness/ order is in living in faith. So example, teaching my family about advent, lent, the epiphany, the church structure, ect.

YL is overstimulating and takes teens on an emotional rollercoaster at a time where they’re already dealing with a lot and sometimes encourage leaders to cross serious emotional boundaries with teens, not to mention you are constantly being asked to fundraise which made me feel icky. If you’re going to have your kids involved I’d make sure you over communicate with the adults involved and supervise closely.


This.is a great explanation of why it was problematic for myself growing up and now my kids. The camps are fun so I signed my kids up to do one but am now backing away from it. Its fun but the fun is actually what makes it problematic. Rather than religion being about doing good for yourself and others, its very emotional and cultish. Getting wrapped up in the emotion and being "all in" rather than exploring religion and actually doing something productive with it.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 21:48     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:Unless your child has truly special needs, they will be just fine. Time to start removing the bubble wrap.


Are you stupid?

The evidence against YL as a indoctrination center is overwhelming.
The evidence against YL as a racist organization that tries to control it's participants is also overwhelming.

This has nothing to do with "special needs" everything to do with being a good parent who investigates organizations they allow their child to associate with. Being a religious person should 100% prevent anyone from having their kid join an organization like YL.

Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 21:44     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Unless your child has truly special needs, they will be just fine. Time to start removing the bubble wrap.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 19:26     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with YL? Why do people on DCUM not like it? Would love feedback from other Christians that don’t like it


You can be religious and devout and still abhor all these stupid religious camps for teens which are just a hotbed of abuse and neglect. Pedos are drawn to these kinds of jobs.


Yes but pedophiles are drawn to anywhere there is kids. Look at any school district around here - the cops regularly catch some minor staff member or another engaging in inappropriate activity. It's just that usually (but sadly not always) they have enough policies in place that the abuse doesn't get as bad as it could or extend to as many kids as it could.

Rag on religious camps for teens for not having appropriate safeguards in place: that's valid and I'll join you all day on it. But don't for a minute think people who enjoy exercising sick and twisted power and control over kids don't take jobs in secular environments where there are kids too.


One problem with your thought process.
#1 places kids are abused in this country religious organizations. The more religious the more it happens. YL is about indoctrination and control. Their leaders are taught the words to say. Their history is horrifying.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:47     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with YL? Why do people on DCUM not like it? Would love feedback from other Christians that don’t like it


You can be religious and devout and still abhor all these stupid religious camps for teens which are just a hotbed of abuse and neglect. Pedos are drawn to these kinds of jobs.


Yes but pedophiles are drawn to anywhere there is kids. Look at any school district around here - the cops regularly catch some minor staff member or another engaging in inappropriate activity. It's just that usually (but sadly not always) they have enough policies in place that the abuse doesn't get as bad as it could or extend to as many kids as it could.

Rag on religious camps for teens for not having appropriate safeguards in place: that's valid and I'll join you all day on it. But don't for a minute think people who enjoy exercising sick and twisted power and control over kids don't take jobs in secular environments where there are kids too.


NP. Of course there are creeps everywhere. But creeps who are tasked with telling you what God wants you to do, creeps who are in a position of power in a religious setting where these kids parents have sent them and said the experience is going to bring them closer to God, those creeps have an extra level of manipulative ability and coercive control.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:44     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with YL? Why do people on DCUM not like it? Would love feedback from other Christians that don’t like it


You can be religious and devout and still abhor all these stupid religious camps for teens which are just a hotbed of abuse and neglect. Pedos are drawn to these kinds of jobs.


Yes but pedophiles are drawn to anywhere there is kids. Look at any school district around here - the cops regularly catch some minor staff member or another engaging in inappropriate activity. It's just that usually (but sadly not always) they have enough policies in place that the abuse doesn't get as bad as it could or extend to as many kids as it could.

Rag on religious camps for teens for not having appropriate safeguards in place: that's valid and I'll join you all day on it. But don't for a minute think people who enjoy exercising sick and twisted power and control over kids don't take jobs in secular environments where there are kids too.

It’s far more rampant and insidious in religious circles because they cover it up. A public school teacher caught abusing children is on the news and in jail immediately. A pastor (or other religious type) gets “faith counselling” and moved to a new district to prey on new kids. It’s incredibly damaging to claim it’s totes samesies. It’s not.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:40     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with YL? Why do people on DCUM not like it? Would love feedback from other Christians that don’t like it


You can be religious and devout and still abhor all these stupid religious camps for teens which are just a hotbed of abuse and neglect. Pedos are drawn to these kinds of jobs.


Yes but pedophiles are drawn to anywhere there is kids. Look at any school district around here - the cops regularly catch some minor staff member or another engaging in inappropriate activity. It's just that usually (but sadly not always) they have enough policies in place that the abuse doesn't get as bad as it could or extend to as many kids as it could.

Rag on religious camps for teens for not having appropriate safeguards in place: that's valid and I'll join you all day on it. But don't for a minute think people who enjoy exercising sick and twisted power and control over kids don't take jobs in secular environments where there are kids too.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:37     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:Former young life leader who now has her own kids. I left the ministry/ evangelical church a decade ago and went back to the Presbyterian church (PCUSA). Going back to a traditional church really caused me to reflect on how important the traditions, rituals, calmness/ order is in living in faith. So example, teaching my family about advent, lent, the epiphany, the church structure, ect.

YL is overstimulating and takes teens on an emotional rollercoaster at a time where they’re already dealing with a lot and sometimes encourage leaders to cross serious emotional boundaries with teens, not to mention you are constantly being asked to fundraise which made me feel icky. If you’re going to have your kids involved I’d make sure you over communicate with the adults involved and supervise closely.


It's funny that you view Presbyterianism as related to the church calendar when the old Scots who started the entire concept of being presbyterian were so opposed to any holy days not in the Bible (aka any day that wasn't Sunday) that they didn't celebrate any - not even Christmas or Easter. I mean - in many ways the Puritans and the Presbyterians were kindred spirits back in the 17th century.

-Anglican who grew up Presbyterian
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:36     Subject: Re:Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: I like that YL gives kids the opportunity to have fun without alcohol or smoking, but my daughters say that it tends to attract popular/mean kids. My daughters aren’t involved in high school but one wants to do college YL when she goes to college.


I forgot to add that it also encourages teens to get very close to their adult mentors.


+1

Also if you think kids are not drinking and having sex at YL you are a fool
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:35     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with YL? Why do people on DCUM not like it? Would love feedback from other Christians that don’t like it


You can be religious and devout and still abhor all these stupid religious camps for teens which are just a hotbed of abuse and neglect. Pedos are drawn to these kinds of jobs.


+1
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:34     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a teen in an Arlington neighborhood high school, I am alarmed by the way this org is working its way through the social networks that surround our kid. I feel like it is a pipeline to the alt right, trad wife, "traditional family values" version of white (literal) washed Christian belief and I do NOT like it. For reference, I had many years in a pentacostal interdenominational church that I attended in my college years. The technique of recruitment is identical. Don't let your teens do this, unless you yourself are there and can for certain determine their safety and the religious instruction align. Of course teens have free will, and once in college more freedom, but the way this thing is snaking through a public high school is very alarming.


+1


+1 Meridian too
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:10     Subject: Re:Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote: I like that YL gives kids the opportunity to have fun without alcohol or smoking, but my daughters say that it tends to attract popular/mean kids. My daughters aren’t involved in high school but one wants to do college YL when she goes to college.


I forgot to add that it also encourages teens to get very close to their adult mentors.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 15:09     Subject: Re:Experience with YoungLife camp
I like that YL gives kids the opportunity to have fun without alcohol or smoking, but my daughters say that it tends to attract popular/mean kids. My daughters aren’t involved in high school but one wants to do college YL when she goes to college.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 11:13     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Former young life leader who now has her own kids. I left the ministry/ evangelical church a decade ago and went back to the Presbyterian church (PCUSA). Going back to a traditional church really caused me to reflect on how important the traditions, rituals, calmness/ order is in living in faith. So example, teaching my family about advent, lent, the epiphany, the church structure, ect.

YL is overstimulating and takes teens on an emotional rollercoaster at a time where they’re already dealing with a lot and sometimes encourage leaders to cross serious emotional boundaries with teens, not to mention you are constantly being asked to fundraise which made me feel icky. If you’re going to have your kids involved I’d make sure you over communicate with the adults involved and supervise closely.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 17:26     Subject: Experience with YoungLife camp
Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with YL? Why do people on DCUM not like it? Would love feedback from other Christians that don’t like it


You can be religious and devout and still abhor all these stupid religious camps for teens which are just a hotbed of abuse and neglect. Pedos are drawn to these kinds of jobs.