The city already has enacted a program that blurs the line between church and state. In July 1999, Olathe became the metro area's first and only City of Character, a designation meaning that in the coming years, schools, businesses, law enforcement, city government and the media will all join together to create a community of integrity. Children will learn in the classroom what it means to have character, business leaders will discover how to choose and encourage employees of character, police officers will act as character role models and the media will remind everybody, in case they could ever forget, to practice building character. Each month, the mayor will announce a new word to set the tone for the coming weeks. As harmless as that seems, the City of Character program, created by the International Association of Character Cities, has inspired a rash of controversies throughout the country since its inception in 1998.
Principles offers Scripture-based seminars around the globe.
In potential Character Cities across the country, citizens and politicians alike have been surprised to learn about Gothard's IBLP doctrine, which emphasizes a hierarchy that places authority figures closer to God. That puts civic leaders above citizens, ministers above parishioners, bosses above employees and husbands above wives. Gothard's lifestyle guidelines extend to what followers wear, watch, listen to, eat and buy. Once, he called for the destruction of Cabbage Patch dolls because of their evil effect on children. Cast System Workers at the Disney catalog center find out there's nothing magical about being a telemarketer.