The Halo Effect

I came across the term "Halo Effect" in college psychology. I think of it in terms of how it is used (often times unintentionally) in the practice of hiring people. How this works is that the potential employer sees one characteristic or strength in a potential job candidate, and they are willing to look past all other (sometimes crucial) weaknesses or deficiencies because they highly prize the one strength.

I thought of the Halo effect when I read an article in yesterday's (October 7) version of the New York Times. Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Popular Video Game at Church tells the story of how a growing number of churches are using the popular video game Halo to attract adolescent boys to church.

The video game is extremely popular (hence the one strong characteristic). The video game is also extremely violent (weakness number one). It is so violent, that it cannot be purchased by anyone under the age of 17 (weakness number two). In spite of the violence and age restriction, churches are making the video games available to adolescent boys 17 and under (weakness number 3!).

The article quotes Gregg Barbour, the youth minister of Colorado Community Church (a church that uses Halo to attract teens), as saying, "Once they come for the games...they will stay for [the] Christian message." " We want to make it hard for teenagers to go to hell," Mr. Barbour wrote in a letter to parents at the church.

To my basic Christian sensibilities, the idea of using violent video games as an evangelistic tool seems blasphemous and dangerous. Churches struggle so hard to be relevant that it seems we forget that we are to be countercultural...to be in the world but not of it...to offer a voice a peace when surrounded by violence.

It is ironic that the article was next to one about the growing sexual violence against women and children in the Congo...and another article about more violence in the middle east.

The article does site the challenge the church faces of reaching out to adolescent boys and young men. I don't have an answer for that. But it is not so very hard for teenagers to go to hell--there are plenty of hells on earth. Just turn off the video game and look around. And then maybe we can convince young people that virtual and real peace is a much higher characteristic to prize.

I'd be interested in any thoughts on the subject.

Journey On...