[Vision2020] Why Not Give Christ Church the Silent Treatment?

[Saundra Lund]

Hi Donovan & Tom,

I absolutely agree with Tom on this:  ignoring Christ Church will NOT make
their political agenda for our community go away.

Speaking personally, I've called this community "home" since 1988 when I
transferred to the UI.  I fell in love with Moscow during my studies and
decided to stay if possible, and I was thrilled when my life worked out so I
could remain here.

I was aware of Doug Wilson almost from the beginning -- I used to listen to
him speak/debate in the area I believe used to be known as the Quad outside
the UCC building on the UI campus.  I remember well my reaction to his
positions:  interesting, entertaining fellow with some problems with his
"philosophical" thinking . . . not my cup of tea, but hey:  live and let
live.  He's certainly entitled to his *beliefs* just as I'm entitled to my
*beliefs*.

And, that's a position I held for many years whenever I heard rumblings
about what was going on with respect to CC/Logos/Cannon Press/Credenda
Agenda/ACCS/NSA et al.  That's a position I continue to hold, but I now
understand that in Wilson's World, he would use his theocratic power and his
minions and his twisted interpretation of the Bible to *punish* those who
*don't* share his views.  IMHO, that's a far cry from the tolerance I extend
to him and to those who have beliefs different from mine.

For years, in the name of tolerance, I mistakenly didn't look any further
than the difference of religion.  Now, my position has matured:  they are
certainly welcome to continue believe and worship as they choose, but I'm
drawing a big bold line between that and dishonesty, stealth candidates, and
theocracy.

According to Wilson and his minions, people who share his views are moving
*to* Moscow (he makes it sound like in positive droves, although I
personally think his perception is likely skewed given his interpretation of
the Bible) from as far away as Korea.  I don't think he's having luck
recruiting a ton existing community members to his flock, although if local
individuals and families are finding his church "home" a fit for their
beliefs, then that's their right.

It's not Wilson's theology that's dangerous for our community (although I
certainly don't agree with his interpretation), it's his stated mission for
his flavor of theocracy that's the problem:  his religious beliefs and his
stated desire for theocratic rule cannot be separated from each other.  If
he was just expressing his beliefs by "preaching and teaching and persuasion
and so forth" and encountering opposition, I'd be standing up for his right
to believe the moon is made out of cheese.

But, in spite of what he tells us Intoleristas and/or Non-Believers (defined
as those who don't share his particular flavor of religion/theocracy), he
*clearly* wants to put the force of law behind *his* beliefs to tell others
what they can or cannot do, what they can or can't believe.  Either we live
according to *his* dictates of The Good Life or we're punished in this life:
he hopes he can convince us to repent to Save Our Souls for the hereafter,
but if not, then in his theocracy, there's always legal punishment in this
life to get what he wants.  That's his goal for *our* community.  And he's
actively recruiting people to move to this community to help him accomplish
his worldview here.

Do you think that by not knowing and discussing this that the threat will go
away?  You have to look no further than Moscow Ordinance 2002-13 to see the
effect Wilson and followers had with a seat on the City Council.  And, it's
not difficult to imagine the negative impact on public education in *our*
community had Kirker/anti-public education stealth candidate Mark Beuchamp
been successful in his 2002 bid for a seat on the *public* school board.

Bluntly put, Wilson and his followers are going to keep right on marching
towards their goal.  Period.  It seems to me that we, as a community, have a
responsibility to be aware of Wilson & his followers theocratic beliefs and
stated agenda and be vocal in our opposition (assuming you disagree with
theocracy and laws that reflect a fringe vocal minority's morality).

Wilson views Moscow as a decisive point:
"In the 60s, my father wrote a small but enormously influential book called
The Principles of War.  In it, he applied the principles of physical warfare
to what he called strategic evangelism.  This idea of warfare is necessary
in order to understand a central part of what is happening here, and by this
I mean the concept of the decisive point.  A decisive point is one which is
simultaneously strategic and feasible.  Strategic means that it would be a
significant loss to the enemy if taken.  Feasible means that it is possible
to take.  New York City is strategic but not feasible.  Bovill is feasible
but not strategic.  But small towns with major universities (Moscow and
Pullman, say) are both."
http://www.christkirk.com/Sermons/2003/20031228notes.asp

No, being silent is not the answer; you can see from the quote above that
Wilson et al view the existing community as the "enemy."  And he doesn't
hesitate to bully those who disagree with him by applying provocative and
divisive labels, insulting our intelligence, and accusing those who disagree
with his flavor of religion/theocracy of the *very* things he and his sheep
are:  intolerant.

Knowledge *is* power.  To defend itself from this attack, our community must
be informed.  I'm trying to do my part.

But, what do I know?  I'm just a woman, and whom Mike Lawyer (Wilson's
assistant) felt justified in publicly declaring that God has turned Her back
on me by blinding & deafening me to Truth simply because I do not agree with
their *flavor" of Christianity.

Oh, yeah . . . that's what I want more of for my community . . . NOT!


Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
-Edmund Burke 

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com] On
Behalf Of Tom Hansen
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 5:37 AM
To: DonovArn@aol.com; vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Why Not Give Christ Church the Silent Treatment?


Mr. Arnold -

Sunshine has always proven to be the best disinfectant.  Ignorning something
will not make it go away.

Tom Hansen
Intolerista to the Stars
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
Behalf Of DonovArn@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 1:02 AM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Why Not Give Christ Church the Silent Treatment?


If you really want to stop Christ Church I would suggest that we stop giving
them a stage an audience. It seems to me the more attention you give them
the more they get and the larger the audience they get and more people join
their church. I say ignore them. If they are ignored they will have to spend
more time and energy promoting their ideals that are not in the mainstream.
I think those that keep bringing them up are just promoting them to the
young and weird of the world that eventually join the church, this is how
the Aryan Nations grew so big when I lived in Hayden Lake. 

Donovan J Arnold