Saundra,
I'm glad you have enjoyed living in Moscow since '88. Being a lifelong
resident here (just over 35 years now) I also decided that Moscow was
the place I wanted to raise my kids. While I'm "aware" of Doug Wilson,
I don't feel threatened by him in any way. So these guys have a church,
they back a private school, they have some unpopular views on certain
things, whoopdedoo. I'm sure I have some views (probably not quite as
politically volatile as some others might have) that go over in Moscow
like a fart in church, but that's just me.
I guess if people want to get themselves all worked up in a tizzy over
"little" things, that's fine. It just again proves to me how good we
have it in Moscow when we can spend time worrying about seemingly
unimportant things.
Im also amazed that I agree with Donovan on something again!
DC
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Saundra Lund
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 6:23 PM
To: thansen@moscow.com; DonovArn@aol.com; vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Why Not Give Christ Church the Silent
Treatment?
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
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