The video: A local television station in Houston has discovered a hot new fitness craze: Christian pole dancing classes. The workouts, set to upbeat Christian contemporary music, are offered every other Sunday, for women only, and you have to present a program from your church to get in. The instructor, Crystal Dean, is a former exotic dancer who wants to show that pole dancing isn't just a "stripper thing," one local TV reporter said. (Watch a TV report below.) "God gives us these bodies, and they're supposed to be our temples," says the Pole Fitness for Jesus instructor. "We're supposed to take care of them, and that's what we're doing." While wearing really high heels, of course.
The reaction: "Jesus is a pretty accepting cat," says Nitasha Tiku at New York. He's OK with a million forms of worship, so why wouldn't he be down with "Lucite-heels and winding one's body around a metal pole?" Worship is one thing, but this sounds more like "clever marketing," says Chanell Gautreaux at Gather. Even if "there really is spiritual enlightenment to be found spinning with your leg wrapped around a pole," it's hard to imagine the Son of God sending his disciples to this class. Here's a look at this new way to spend the Sabbath: