Mashup: Disneyworld and Abortion

Perhaps you've heard of Walt Disney? Well, of course you've heard of him. You've probably even heard about Disney World or Disney Land, the very successful theme parks. You may have heard some crazy things about these places and the lengths they go to be the best - they sort trash by hand; they retouch the paint every night; they even have a character who dresses up like a vine and hides around the park in plain sight.

Cool or crazy, right?

Well, one story I've heard that stuck with me is how Walt Disney designed the park. Walt toured theme parks around the world, trying to see what worked and what didn't work.

Oh, and he also counted how far people would walk. Specifically, how far they would walk to find a trash can. On average, Walt figured each person would walk 27 feet to throw away a piece of garbage. Much longer than 27 feet and an average person would simply drop the piece of trash.

Flash forward to Disney World / Land today. Trash cans are situated so that you are never more than 27 feet from a trash can.

Walt wanted a park that was clean and fresh. Instead of posting a sign "Please don't litter" which can be interpreted as insulting or demeaning, Walt simply removed the barrier. He made it easier to get rid of the trash.

I think this is one way that church can grow. Not just in the literal put-a-trash-can-everywhere meaning, but in a metaphorical one.

How can we as a church remove barriers, rather than post prohibitions?

Let's look at one issue that most churches abhor - abortion. I'm pretty sure most churches believe abortion should be illegal. I don't say that churches are "against" abortion because I'm pretty sure that everyone on all sides agrees that in a perfect world, they'd be against abortion.

But how has the church responded to abortion? It seems like there is a lot of guilt and anger directed at those who have done it or are thinking of it; it seems like a giant blinking neon "DON'T DO IT."

But what if the church found ways to stop posting prohibitions and start removing barriers?

Instead of ostracizing teenage moms, taking them in?

Instead of preaching about the immorality of premarital sex, having an open conversation about the beauty of a family?

Instead of basing political decisions on who vows the most to overturn Roe v Wade, vote for whoever shows the most compassion?

These are just the ideas on the top of my head. I think it's something to consider. And I'm not just talking about abortion here - it was a convenient example. How can we as a church remove barriers instead of just posting prohibitions? How do we get rid of our "No Trespassing" signs and tear down our fences?