[Vision2020] Christ Church...

[Ted Moffett]

Don and All:

Part of the political process that we all ostensibly have a right to 
participate in involves, as everyone knows, focusing on the conduct and 
impact of groups whose agenda someone disagrees with to galvanize opposition 
to said group.

In terms of Christ Church, St, Andrews and Logos, let everyone who wishes to 
comment on these groups and their agenda have their say.  And Christ Church 
and Logos supporters can have their say.  Pile it on!  The more the merrier.

What bothers me is the stereotyping and misleading "facts" being presented 
from any and all sides.

But then again, is this not how politics works?  If you can get your 
unpleasant stereotype to stick to your opponent, or promote misleading facts 
that make your agenda look good, you score points in the political arena.  
The issue in politics is often not TRUTH, but IMAGE.  And US vs. THEM is a 
real psychological motivating engine to create group unity to further a 
cause.

Part of the problem with progressives is they are too open minded and 
relativistic, too tolerant of other viewpoints, so they do not organize in 
groups with sufficient cohesion and power and fiery "true believer" fervor!  
This is one reason the progressives in America are on the ropes.

Certainly the true believers at Christ Church do see the dichotomy between 
them and the non-believers as a real division that makes a difference.  They 
do not see progressives in the phrasing of Mr. Kaag: "They" is us!  To deny 
this is to deny reality!

Anyways, I have spent some enjoyable times in Bucers, one night discussing 
St. Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God.  A rather 
interesting argument you rarely hear the faithful make.

Ted

>From: Don Kaag <dkaag@turbonet.com>
>To: Vision2020 <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] Christ Church...
>Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 07:57:13 -0700
>
>Visionaries:
>
>Is anyone else getting tired of the constant sniping at Christ Church and 
>Logos that occurs on this site?
>
>Is there nothing else in Moscow and environs that attracts people's 
>attention, or that is worthy of discussion? Let's talk about the aquifer 
>some more, or the paucity of decent restaurants.
>
>We live, ostensibly, in a free republic, with separation of church and 
>state.  No one, so far as I know, is holding a gun to anyone's head and 
>forcing them to attend Christ Church or to send their kids to Logos.  So 
>what's the problem?  Why can't the "progressive" people in this community 
>who talk loudly and constantly about freedom of speech, and equal treatment 
>for ethnic and gender minorities,  and whine about how George W. Bush 
>"stole" the presidency, allow the members of Christ Church the same 
>freedoms they trumpet so loudly for their various groups and causes?  Oh, I 
>know---the Christ Church folks are just not "like us"!
>
>I have lost count of the conversations with "progressive" friends, and 
>overheard comments in the Moscow High School faculty lounge and other 
>venues that dealt with "them" (i.e., Doug Wilson and his congregation...) 
>trying to "take over" Moscow.
>
>I have been told by friends that I should not patronize Bucers (and now the 
>new bakery on Friendship Square), because the people who own and run it are 
>members of Christ Church.  What has that got to do with the quality of 
>their coffee or their cinnamon rolls?  I like Bucers, although I would be 
>happy to have an alternative place which puts smokers off in a room by 
>themselves, plays soft classical music, has  intellectually-challenging 
>books to read, and serves reasonably good wine by the glass.  Someone else 
>open another place like Bucers, and I will spend time there, too.  The 
>Corner Club or the Slurp 'n Burp just won't cut it---I dislike second-hand 
>smoke and I loathe country and western music.
>
>If I bothered to take the time to do a religious background check on every 
>establishment I do business with in Moscow, I wouldn't have the time to do 
>anything else.  Perhaps it would save time if the City Council required any 
>business owned and operated by a Christ Church congregant to paint a large 
>cross on their window, or maybe they could be forced to wear a little cloth 
>cross sewn prominently to their clothing?  Then we would all know which 
>establishments were run by "Untermenchen" in our town, and could avoid 
>giving them our business.
>
>  Rumors abound.  "They" are soliciting other conservative Christians to 
>move here and join their congregation, in an attempt to take over the 
>political process.  "They" are trying to destroy the public school system.  
>"They", now that New Saint Andrews College has taken over the old GTE 
>building, will take over Friendship Square.
>
>Hey, reality check... "They" is us.  People who live and work and worship 
>in this community are members of this community.  Christ Church members 
>live here.  They pay taxes.  If they want to be involved in the political 
>process, or encourage their friends to move here, because it is a nice to 
>live and raise a family, more power to them.  And if they organize, work 
>hard, and are willing to donate time to community affairs, and they 
>out-organize the local "progressives" (who are already a political minority 
>in this most Republican of states...) and have themselves elected to local 
>and state office, that's the way the political process works.
>
>If you don't like it, you are certainly welcome to work harder, or open 
>your own school, or get more "progressive" friends to move here, or run for 
>political office.  Until then, find a new obsession, and stop complaining!
>
>Regards,
>
>Don Kaag
>
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