[Vision2020] Does size matter?

[thansen@moscow.com]

That is just it, Joan.  I am sure that the Dougster does speak for his 
850 "people".  They dare not step out of line and speak independently.  That 
goes against the very teachings of Christ Church.

Dontcha think?

Tom Hansen
Currently celebrating his 55th year of independent thought.

> In a response to Donovan Arnold, which I've unfortunately deleted, Eric 
> Engebretsen observes that Doug Wilson's followers represent the "largest 
> church movement" in Moscow, or on the Palouse, or some other such regional 
> claim of enormity.  My question is, on what exactly does Eric base this 
> claim?  Doug's famous "I speak for 850 people" speech at city hall during 
> the fight over the breast ordinance?  I hope not because, by my estimate, 
> more than half of that number are in fact the children of church members 
> and, as such, not yet old enough to vote.
> 
> Or is Eric basing his claim on percentage growth?  If so, then that's 
> tricky, too.  The Church of Auntie Establishment has one member, me.  But 
> say I managed to convince Melynda and Rose to leave the Quakers and join the 
> C of AE -- then my church would have grown by 200%.  Surely that would make 
> me the fastest growing church movement.  Now, if I could just convert my 
> sisters, my mother, and my agnostic border collie, I could terrify you all 
> with my religious take-over plans.
> 
> It's claims like Eric's that push people over the edge.  They skew reality, 
> for both community members concerned about Doug's agenda, and for the 
> Kirkers themselves, who might wonder when big enough will finally be big 
> enough.  Just for a change of pace, I suggest we stop for a moment and take 
> a good look around us.  Judging from the steeple, it looks to me like a new 
> Mormon stakehouse is going up on the hill behind Wal-Mart.  Moscow's two 
> Catholic churches seem rather full and vigorous; the Lutherans, the 
> Nazarenes, and the Presbyterians are no slouches.  We have at least three 
> Baptist churches, and possibly more.  (Given the old Baptist penchant for 
> splitting the congregation and having the splinter groups meet in living 
> rooms and warehouses until a new church can be built, they can be hard to 
> count.  The same is true of Evangelical churches.  They rise, they grow, 
> they split.)  We have Christian Scientists, Scientologists, the Impact 
> Church, the Rock Church, the Ba'Hai, the Pagani, Seven Drums, Muslims, Jews, 
> Congregationalists, Unitarians, and my old friends the Quakers.  We have 
> atheists, agnostics, and those who worship every Sunday at the Church of the 
> NFL.  The Palouse is a broad place, religiously and philosophically diverse.
> 
> So I think we should try to keep that ongoing and vital diversity in mind as 
> we continue our debate about the future of this town.  I don't care about 
> Doug's religious movement; I care about his worldview, and his use of 
> religion as a platform from which to launch what is self-evidently a 
> political agenda, all disingenuous claims to the contrary.
> 
> Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
> 
> "I say I'm cutting, boy, but you're not bleeding."  -- Foghorn Leghorn
> 
> 
> 
> Auntie Establishment
> Serving Idaho's liberal elite since 1993
> 
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