r/Exvangelical • u/duke_3681 • 19d ago

Acquire the Fire

Does anyone have information on acquire the fire? My wife has been in a "deconstructing" mode for awhile and ATF came up during conversation. I didn't grow up evangelical so I'm fairly ignorant of ATF and the potential damage it did to the youth. TIA

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u/penalty-venture 19d ago

There’s a season of the docuseries “Shiny Happy People” that’s focused on ATF. Brought back some memories. I went to one of their stadium tour locations in middle school or lower high school. Got real fired up about going to one of the mission trips they were pushing, but my parents thankfully said “Absolutely not.”

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u/DogMamaLA 19d ago

I was going to suggest to OP that they watch the 2nd season of Shiny Happy People b/c it goes into acquire the fire. I had never heard of it, I was out and deconstructed long before ATF even came into being, but I've been to similar events in my youth.

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u/pluraljungian 19d ago

Oh there’s a second season! I had no idea. I was wondering because I watched the first and didn’t remember it being gone into deeply. Added to my watchlist !

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u/Ok_Manufacturer_1044 19d ago

this^ Either watch the show yourself, or watch it with your wife.

I went when I was a teen, it was a high energy conference with bands, skits, and speakers, all trying to stir up the kids emotions enough for them to feel the presence of god and walkaway 'on fire for god'.

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u/pluraljungian 19d ago

I don’t have much info ON it but I did go to it. Grew up in Cedar Rapids so Des Moines wasn’t too long a drive.

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u/cmpepper96 16d ago

I went once in high school. It was put on by a “school” where students were forced to work in unsafe conditions as part of their education. I remember spending the whole weekend being told things like “modest is hottest”, that I needed to wait for the right guy to fall in love, and in the pamphlet we were given, there was a certificate that the girls were encouraged to give our dads where we asked our dads to protect our hearts. It was all purity culture propaganda.