Friday, May 06, 2005
It feels like a part of me dies when I read this
A church in North Carolina has decided to give up on asking its liberal members to repent of their misguided notions, and has asked all Democrats to leave the church for good. A number of others left in protest, but the majority of the congregation apparently rose and applauded. I find this chilling -- forget tax-exemption and separation of church and state, what happened to peacemaking, loving the unlovable, and that other crazy stuff that Jesus preached? The kos blogger refers to eliminationist tendencies, which are undeniably and frighteningly spreading on the right in this country, but I just think of a religion of acceptance and renewal that is increasingly comfortable writing off or cutting off whole swaths of itself and the world that just seem too challenging. When will they recognize that they are eviscerating their own faith?
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6 comments:
I could get to a link from Kos to the Asheville newspaper, but could not find the story. Until I do, I wonder if what really happened is that the church excommunicated people who refused to follow the rules of the church, who just happened to be Dems (i.e. over abortio of gay marriage). Id have to see the actual story.
well, that link was to the spot where they *hoped* the story would appear -- there are a bunch of other links there, including one to a video that I can't view, and to individuals describing the broadcast, one of which adds "I also called the station to confirm and was told they did run a story earlier today about no Democrats allowed at this church anymore. I was told that they are going to run a shorter version of the story on the 11 pm news."
Seems pretty clear. Obviously, this is breaking news, so there will be more out there tomorrow...
Well, I thought about that, actually.
And, it strikes me that it is a far cry from "we'll excommunicate you if a) are gay or b) have an abortion" to "we'll excommunicate you if you vote for a Democrat."
There are plenty of things that Republicans do that are arguably unBiblical (esp. as regards the poor), why not excommunicate anyone who votes, then?
As I've always wondered and occasionally asked: Who gets to decide the hierarchy of sin?
Presumably this church is opposed to divorce. Are they going to excommunicate everyone who voted for Reagan?
Medley
uncorked.org
Presumably this church is opposed to divorce. Are they going to excommunicate everyone who voted for Reagan?
heh.
:)
More thoughts on this, as even the Reagan analogy fails because Reagan actually *was* divorced.
Kerry is neither gay nor has he had an abortion.
No, he just doesn't choose to use the power of the state to enforce a particular religion's point of view on those issues.
And for *that* the people who hold that religious view would excommunicate those who vote for him?
Is every religious belief to be legislated then, with the coercive power of the state?
Isn't that "theocracy" and something this country is not supposed to be about?
I really don't understand what these religious extremists want, if it's not to completely overturn our Constitutional republic.
By making it a 'sin' to vote for someone who will not enforce your religious point of view through law and policy, what other conclusion is left?
And, again, it's interesting that the they choose to harp on just the issues related to sex and not, say, killing, war, poverty, greed, stewardship, or any of those other Biblical values.
-Medley
uncorked.org
here's the news story:
http://newsobserver.com/news/ncwire_news/story/2378881p-8756854c.html
"The minister of a Haywood County Baptist church is telling members of his congregation that if they're Democrats, they either need to find another place of worship or support President Bush."
so much for the "church rules" being apolitical...
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