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A quick trip to the Come Together and Worship website—or even to Amazon.com—would have revealed that the music of Third Day and Michael W. Smith isn't exactly "Give me That Old-Time Religion" either. (Poor Michael W. Smith—Weblog has seen him misidentified so many times lately. Today's Times article calls him W. Michael Smith, for example. Even Grammy host Jon Stewart called him Michael K. Smith. There have been other recent examples, but Weblog can't remember the specifics right now.)

Outright bias aside, is there a point to be made here? After all, this isn't just "music by Christians, for Christians." This is praise music. As Jeff Gregg, a talent agent who helped put the tour together, told the Free Press, "This is not necessarily an entertainment experience. It's really a vertical experience between believers and God … When you add someone like Max Lucado, you've got both the praise experience and the teaching experience combined, much like a church service."

So here are the discussion questions. 1) How is a concert like this like and unlike a church service? 2) Would we want church services to have corporate sponsors? Why or why not? 3) Do the reasons we wouldn't want corporate sponsors for church services hold true for worship concerts? 4) Would the same concerns apply to black gospel music concerts? 

Jerry Falwell:

• Hate speech? | Jerry Falwell isn't the problem. Jihadism is. (Gary Bauer)
  
  
• Jerry Falwell still speaks for some Christians | It might be premature to write off Falwell's influence altogether over the most conservative of Christians who still rally to the call of a moral renewal in American culture (L. Sue Hulett, Newsday)
  
  
• Understanding must follow apology | Although Falwell also deserves consideration for his apology, the matter should not be dropped without more contemplation of the issue on his part and by all people of all faiths (Editorial, The Bakersfield Californian)
  
  
• Muzzling Falwell | But how much easier it is for the truly enlightened among us to dump on Mr. Falwell, a man who threatens no one, than to stand up against a repressive movement that threatens us all (Diana West, The Washington Times)
  
  
• Falwell: Prophet of hate | This interview marks the entry of hate speech into primetime, and a new onslaught of attacks on Islam and Muslims in America (Pakistan News Service)

Indian Christian protest anti-conversion law:

• Protests against conversion ordinance begin in Tamil Nadu | Over 3000 Christian schools and colleges, and the few Muslim educational institutions across Tamil Nadu, remained closed as community leaders began a daylong fast on Thursday to protest against the state government's ordinance banning forced religious conversions (Rediff.com)
  
  
• Christian protest over conversion plan (BBC)
  
  
• Minorites begin fast against TN Ordinance (PTI)
  
  
• Conversions will destroy Hindu society, says VHP International General Secretary Praveen Togadia | Says conversions are a political activity, not a religious one (Outlook, India)
  
  
• Earlier: Indian State Bans Conversion | Christians say Tamil Nadu ordinance threatens relief work (ENI/Christianity Today, Oct. 11, 2002)
  
  

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October (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46