Wednesday, May 02, 2007

"Just" a frustration

In a featured Letter to the Editor printed on the opinion page in today’s Prince Albert Daily Herald, a Tony Thompson wrote:
"Editor, Daily Herald:
The ministerial of Prince Albert, made up of various Christian denominations within our city, recently forwarded an e-mail to me requesting my participation in a planning event to respond to city council’s approval of the application for a gay pride parade. The response would focus on ways to “touch our city with an awareness of what is good and not good in this situation.” My vision, as a faithful and committed Christian, of what is good and what is not good is somewhat different from that of others within the ministerial."

He responds to this email with his opinion, taking time to discuss some of the differences in the history of the Church and how the church has historically dealt with those who saw things differently than they did.

He touches on the arrogance of his colleagues, and our human ability to make mistakes, and a few other broad brush strokes he paints the ministerial with.

Then he winds up with this:
"As a Minister within the United Church of Canada, and as one who is called to raise my prophetic voice in support of justice in our time, I commend city council for its decision to grant approval to the application for a gay pride parade."

There you have it, “justice.”

Now, just as you're getting your typing fingers ready to go, let me clarify that this isn't a post on pro or anti gay pride parades. It's not even a post on "Homosexuality: Is it sin or isn't it."


It's a post about the fact that no such email went out from, or was forwarded by, the ministerial.

Nope.

I'm on the ministerial and I didn't get one. And I searched through my email to check if I missed one, but I don't think I have.

There was an email that went out from one single church, to others in the city. But to say the email was forwarded by the P.A. Ministerial just isn't true.

And it doesn't help things either.

With this kind of mis-information out there it removes any opportunity that any churches who are on the ministerial had, to enter into a helpful discourse with anyone. We are all painted with the same brush strokes instantly and unfairly.

That frustrates me.


And before you get all hot and bothered about the "Gay Agenda" or bla bla bla, simply remember that by doing so, we may become guilty of the same things Mr. Thompson has accomplished. Passing along misinformation that confuses and accuses.

8 comments:

  1. How very nice of Mr. Thompson.

    Someone with an agenda alright. God bless you for having a clear head and good sense in dealing with an attempt at poo-stirring.

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  2. It is interesting how a few well chosen words paint a picture to the reader that can be very different from the actual situation. Using terms such as "arrogance" and "justice" as well as "prophetic voice" colours the readers mind with pictures that maybe are not real. Especially in light of a non-existent e-mail sent by the Ministerial.

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  3. Hello Randall...

    Mis and Dis information paint a picture that is not necessarily true to hide the real motive of the person who wrote it. If Your post is a neither pro nor con, then what you believe and teach is all that matters.

    That someone did this to begin with just paints a clearer picture of his motives. hmm... what did he really mean to say?

    "Voice in support of justice" - I did not know this was a justice issue, I think Gay Pride is a social issue first and foremost. Arrogance is just another way of saying "uninformed really!"

    Whether we support the gay pride movement is a chance to dialogue, understand and support, OR not. That the topic was discussed and later approved is a Proud Moment, as this subject can be appreciated by any community in Canada. Not that many communities across Canada support it, especially on the Prairies, Alberta is right up there on the Arrogant Hate List.

    Jeremy

    "The only gay in the village!"

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  4. Have you contacted him as a representative of said organization, asking if you might clear up the misinformation?

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  5. We are in the process of doing just that.

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  6. I want to read the full article, Randall, but, as President of the Prince Albert Ministerial Association I appreciate and applaude your concern that an organization that is seeking to understand and pray for each other is being maligned. I want to give Mr Thompson the benefit of the doubt if he unknowingly thought the ministerial had officially sanctioned such an email. As a minister in Prince Albert, he has always been welcome to attend the monthly meetings and he would know that we have not discussed any "issue" this year, other than the inappropriate use of the ministerial list. I'm going to do my best to see if that was the case and attempt to address it as graciously as possible. In the end, God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
    Dan Stroman

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  7. My question to your ministerial is whether this UCC minister is even a Christian. As a former UCC minister, I can attest to the fact that about 50% of UCC clergy do not have a theology that comes close to being in line with what most Christians in the world believe.

    As for the UCC ministers email error, perhaps it is an error. As for his error on sexual doctrine, the ministerial should challenge him on it. Stanley Grenz's book "Welcoming but Not Affirming" would be a good study. Challenge him, he might just change his mind. I did.

    In the least, the UCC minister should issue a public apology to the ministerial.

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  8. I missed the original editorial, but I did catch Pastor Greg's clarifying reply and Rev. Fryters' comments.
    I agree with your blog response.
    I, not being on the ministerial, was not privy to information about Dan's comments about the ministerial list, but will ask Dan to expand on his comment to me privately on Thursday morning.

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