Second BattleCry Hits Detroit with No Protest

Critical protests that went against teens at the youth organization's first ''reverse rebellion'' in San Francisco were absent at this past weekend's second student outcry in Detroit.

By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter Monday, April 10, 2006

The battle was less fierce for the tens of thousands of students that continued Teen Mania's Battle Cry movement in Detroit.

Critical protests that went against teens at the youth organization's first “reverse rebellion” in San Francisco were absent at this past weekend's second student outcry.

Jumping off from its launch event in March, BattleCry drew 35,000 teens to Ford Field for two days of a “Lollapalooza for the Lord," as TIME dubbed it. In an urgent outreach to today's generation, what many youth leaders call the "lost generation," Teen Mania hosted its own counterculture movement for teens rebelling against the dominant MTV culture.

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Before swarming into the stadium venue, youths made their counter voices clear to the public in front of the Detroit city hall. The reversal against secularism rally followed what hundreds of young fellow believers did just two weeks ago to save this generation from the sex, drugs and alcohol that the majority of today's teens engage in.

MTV, which airs an average of nine sexual scenes per hour and more than eight un-bleeped profanities per hour, is watched by 73 percent of boys and 78 percent of girls aged 12-19 years old, according to Parents Television Council.

"The point of BattleCry is a group of young people who are coming together to take a stand for their generation," said Erika Herald, Miss America 2004 and BattleCry emcee, according to the DeMoss Group.

The first BattleCry rally, however, was met with more than 50 protestors criticizing the youth movement and calling the youths fascists. This time, in Detroit, no opposition faced the young crowd.

Detroit's BattleCry, featuring top Christian artists Delirious?, tobyMac and the Groovaloos among others, was broadcast live on the NRB Network Friday and Saturday.

"In keeping with the goal of the NRB Network to expand the kingdom of God through electronic media while providing relevant programming, airing the BattleCry rally live seemed the obvious choice to reach the teen population," said Troy Miller, senior vice president and Chief Operating Officer, in a released statement.

BattleCry is set to hit the opposite coast in May where 15,000 teens in Philadelphia are expected to carry out the third counterculture event.