Quahom1 said:
Nothing is created nor destroyed...only changed. Nothing is new under the sun, except to the perceiver. You seem to want the perceiver to consider life, as you see it...yet there are those who do not wish to see life as you see it. But you insist...to the point of invading their comfort zone (their space). You also wish to correct them in their erroneous attitude, in order to fit your concept of a perfect world...
That is called opression, and the beginnings of persecution.
This "liberal" view point is all fine and good, until one stands up and says NO, to you.
That is why there is a "walled garden approach" here at CR. It backs up those that say NO, to you.
Nothing personal, just not another's way of thought.
Vivez et laissez vivant...isn't that the motto of the day?
In simple terms, Q, it translates to
"get out of the Christian forum, we don't like your kind here."
Let me tell
you a story, Q. You are the story man around here, and I seldom tell tales, but I'll share one with you now. It's relevant.
My childhood church here in Greensboro is called
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. I have fond memories of ~13 years attending that chuch.
Mostly postive, and yet that is an understatement. Some of our family friends, people who have known me for 34 years, attended this church with us.
And the pastor? The one I know best, for quite a good span of years, was - and I'm sure still is - one of the
sweetest, kindest people I have ever met. Yes, I normally reserve one of these words for
womenfolk, but I cannot help but use it. What other word would convey this quality, which I always experienced as a
positivity, and a
Goodness, that never failed to evoke the Best - from the Pastor's friends, his congregation, his flock?
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection was, and is, a very small church, but it
always had a certain
character. This, as is often the case in congregations and service organizations, could be described as
more than the sum - of the constituent members. The church was a living organism, and it was there that I first experienced Christ's Love and His Light.
Yes, it is true that by about age 12 or 13, I was more content on many Sunday mornings to
lay in bed ... such that I can't say I participated as fully in the Sunday School classes for those last couple years as I might have. But this was an OPEN-minded congregation, Q, and these were
NICE people.
I don't doubt that some had minor differences of opinion, and in the adult Sunday School classes, I'm sure there were interesting discussions.
The church did its share of charity work, supporting Laotian refugees, and adopting more than one Laotian family over the course of the years, welcoming these people into the congregation, and assisting them as much as possible with the difficult transition to this country, and its foreign culture.
I remember some of these children by name,
Ku, if only because the Sunday School teacher could only seem to call him
cow ... but I also remember the parents, who were quite curious to me, being rather petite. I love these people, as I loved ALL the members of the LCR congregation.
And I still do, Q. I love them, 20 years later, even if I am out of touch with most of them, and will never see them again in this lifetime. My fond memories of VBS -
Vacation Bible School - along with most of these people, are somewhat buried these days. And some of that is natural, and even good. Sometimes I
do remember.
Unfortunately, what sticks with me
right along with my fond memories, and love for this period of my religious life ... are some events that
weren't so pleasant.
Suffice it to say, that a
very nice, pleasant Scottish family was
unwelcomed from the LCR family -
all at the behest of an individual whose name I can recall to the day. A gruff-looking fella, yet never before had I even
heard of this kind of thing happening ...
certainly not to an entire family, and from someone who clearly had no business telling them off.
I recall asking my parents,
What happened? And though I was but 13 or 14, my parents were always quite candid, and as open with me as was possible.
Why this individual felt that this Scottish family was no longer welcome at our church, I will never know. NO ONE knew, that I'm aware of.
But I lost many, many friends because of this. Some of whom I've never seen again, while a handful of families did move on to the same church here in Greensboro, NC - a
larger Lutheran church which my parents attend to this day. I enjoy the Christmas Eve service with them, which I make it a point to attend.
What is it, Q, do you suppose, that prompts one individual to
step in, and make such an
unwelcoming un-invitation? I do recollect that all we found out, was that the unpleasant experience for this family was something like,
"We don't like your kind around here. LEAVE."
Hmmm. Do you suppose the father of the family might have said something in a church council meeting that
the offending party didn't agree with?
Perhaps his
beliefs didn't suit the status quo. Perhaps he wore his tie crooked.
Q, I don't know. But
I do know, that this family was asked to
LEAVE.
And they did. And we did. And that little church congregation fell apart.
In it's place, there are a bunch of evangelicals ... and although the building remains,
the church does not.
So let's see ...
oppression,
persecution? In the name of religion?
Yes,
I know what these are. I know them,
this time around, from an early enough age ...
and it disgusts me.
I know the attitude, I know the mentality, and yes, in this case ... I think my friend is right.
History repeats itself.
We want a
member's only club, and so long as people are willing to seat themselves in the
Amen Corner, all is well. That is what your
french means to me.
There are others, in power these days, who are getting away with this kind of thing,
and anyone who dares to differ, or disagree, is now a terrorist, a traitor, unpatriotic, and
unwelcome.
We have a choice - as to whether we will reproduce this kind of energy, and
energize such ideas as
"You're not welcome here."
At least you're clear about it. You make your own
Faith, your own
point of view quite clear ... and you have no problem, as do others, posting that on
ANY forum which you choose. You do not hesitate, to state this
whenever, wherever, and however it may please you.
Strange, isn't it, that if I simply make the point, on the Christian board, that there is an
astronomical, astrological underpinning ... to such ideas as the ICHTHYS, as Aquarius (
aka, New Age), the Promised Lamb, and the golden calf, rather than even
discuss it, which I found that even the most conservative group here at CR were & are willing to do ...
strange, that for you, this is viewed as "an attack," and "
oppression ... the beginnings of persecution."
Oppression, my brother, is when
we are told what we may say, when and where we may say it, what we may believe, and HOW ... and when the "Free Speech Zone" grows smaller and smaller, day by day,
our every ALIENable right is gradually divorced from us ... and not even a civil discussion can go forth,
if it does not meet with the SANCTIONED APPROVAL of
THE AUTHORITY in question.
And persecution? How about being told,
You're not welcome here - we don't like your kind,
i.e., we don't like what you believe.
It's not that my
rude awakening as a kid was a one-time deal. You see,
it hasn't stopped since. I see it, I sense it, every day. And I try,
as best I am able, to NOT be on the offensive end.
Yet when the
majority - mob rules, dear one - can push the
voice of dissent, or in this case,
SIMPLY A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION, right on out the door? Ah yes. THIS I know well.
The AMEN Corner ... makes its stand.
amen brother, and I'll see ya ...
-andrew
