I've no objection to -- in fact it seems fine -- a pastor or other leader joining in some silly and perhaps slightly humiliating play: e.g. slide down into a tub of jello just as the kids are doing.
The dunk tank (or pie throwing) isn't the same. Somebody is humiliating another. Participation is voluntary, yes, but the ball thrower is acting against the dunkee. All in fun? Maybe. I still don't like it.
2 comments:
I've mostly seen this in situations in which the authority figure is effectively granting permission to humiliate them in this small way, if you can hit the target, in order to raise funds for some good purpose. Usually it's the principal of a school, and most of the people throwing balls are students or even teachers from that school whose lives he exercises ordinary petty dominion over. In that sense, it strikes me as a healthy (and sadly temporary) reminder of the social equality they properly share as citizens. The public school is a secular, US-government backed organization so it's fine that the ritual endorse that equality given that social equality is fundamental to the US governmental ideal.
In the context of the church, or 'a' church, authority has different connotations. I haven't seen a pastor on the dunking stool; that's usually reserved for witches or suspected witches.
I have seen pastors there during a youth group event -- and photos to commemorate it, which brought on the post.
Your point about the difference between the school and the church is a good one.
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