[Vision2020] response to G. Dickison
keely emerinemix
kjajmix1@msn.com
Thu, 1 Jan 2004 08:20:09 -0800
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Happy New Year to all of you.
While responding fully to Greg Dickison's post regarding liberalism on =
the Palouse would take many more KBs than I feel entitled to jam your in =
boxes with, I do believe that a response from an evangelical Christian =
is required, and so I gladly step up to the plate.
I am a committed, Trinitarian, evangelical Christian who holds to the =
historic doctrines of the faith as enunciated in the Nicene Creed. More =
to the point, I love the Lord Jesus Christ and would hope that I would =
die for the One who so graciously died for me. Further, most of the =
arguments that I will make here are issues that I raised both in a May =
2002 letter to Doug Wilson and in a 90-minute discussion he and I had =
afterward, and many of them I repeated in my questions during the town =
meeting at the Kenworthy. I am also privileged to be a member of the =
Moscow School District Board of Trustees, although of course I write as =
a private citizen and my thoughts are not intended to represent anyone's =
other than my own. =20
Some of you might remember the two questions I asked Doug Wilson that =
night at the town meeting -- first, could he explain how Christ Church's =
hope for the eventual collapse of the public school system tied in with =
their religious, social, and political views; second, did he have any =
regrets or apologies to make regarding his assertions about slavery, his =
public conduct during the ensuing debacle, or the possible damage to the =
Gospel he might have wrought among members of our common Palouse =
community. I understand that some were offended by the editorial =
content that preceded my questions, and that's fine. I would repeat =
everything again in a heartbeat, hoping, of course, for different =
answers -- but I think we can all agree that a member of the local =
school board who fails to defend the school system when they are =
publicly attacked in her presence is not worthy of the position.
Given that a foundational notion of the Christian gospel is that I'm =
"worthy" of inclusion in the Church only because of the sacrifice of =
Jesus Christ, it seems all the more important to speak as a recipient of =
that amazing grace in pointing out to Mr. Dickison and those who agree =
with him that their treatment by the community -- those who post to =
V2020, those who choose Wheatberries over Zume', those who organize to =
refute their views, vision, and vernacular -- is not "persecution" =
because of their Christian beliefs. It's not even persecution, period. =
It seems clear to me that when you behave badly in the public square, =
people won't respond favorably. When you make divisive, outlandish, =
hurtful statements and seem to take a measure of glee in the ensuing =
uproar, your neighbors will choose to rebuke you, although many more =
will just try their best to marginalize you and hope you go away. In =
short, it's not "persecution" at work here, and certainly not that for =
the sake of the gospel. Nope. I'm sure the enslaved Sudanese =
Christians or the wrenchingly poor Latin American evangelical would do a =
better and more humble job of correcting Mr. Dickison on this point, but =
I'll give it a try: Those vocal defenders of Doug Wilson, and Mr. =
Wilson himself, find themselves in this situation because they've acted =
obnoxiously. They are simply receiving recompense for the scorn and =
derision they've heaped on the community, reaping what they've sown in =
their neo-Confederate-defending, Reconstructionist, militant dominion =
theology. And I would expect adherents of the strenuous life of hearty, =
robust pleasures so favored by Doug Jones to buck up and take it, well, =
like men, men who recognize that dishing it out with such gleeful =
pleasure rather obligates you to take it when it comes back. I would =
find boycotting a business solely because the owner is Christian, Bahai, =
Muslim or atheist repugnant, but I would gently point out that the =
affiliations and associations one chooses to continue in are hardly the =
same as embracing religious faith. I'm sorry that genuinely fine men =
like Gary Greenfield are caught in the middle, but it's not because =
they've made a decision for Jesus. It's because they've made a decision =
for Doug Wilson. Doing so is their right, and those who cannot =
countenance Mr. Wilson's views have a right to not patronize business =
owners who continue to support him. Again, it's not persecution -- it's =
the marketplace, the same one that Christian Libertarians applaud with =
such naked enthusiasm.
I have been a Christian for 22 years, and I have been criticized, =
mocked, and dismissed -- even my own mother has called me a bigot. Some =
of it might well be because I hold to truths that others don't, but much =
of it is likely because I have done so with a lack of humility, =
kindness, and intellectual integrity. I ministered to Mexican =
immigrants in Western Washington during the 90s and briefly led a small =
congregation. In the 30 or so sermons I've preached from the pulpit, in =
English and in Spanish, I have never felt compelled to defend slavery, =
the Confederacy, or a view of history that would equate slaveholders in =
the American South with the congregation of the saints. In explaining =
and defending the gospel for more than two decades, I have never =
represented "the good life" of fine wine and food, music, art, dance and =
humor as the point, or even A point, of the message of the Kingdom. (I =
seem to be stuck on themes of grace, love, mercy, sin, redemption, =
truth, justice, and sacrifice, even if I enjoy a delightful Merlot after =
preparing my sermons). As a resident of Moscow for almost two years, I =
have been unabashedly Christian -- and unabashedly well-treated by my =
many non-Christian friends here, not one of whom, I think, would =
consider me a violet shrinking from the cause of Christ. I have found =
Moscow to be a warm, generally kind-hearted community, and while general =
warmth and kindheartedness don't make for salvation, they certainly make =
for a pleasant way to live -- even as a Christian. (My sincere =
gratitude to my many friends at the Unitarian Church, who are some of =
the kindest people I've ever met and who have been personally and =
politically supportive of me when doing so might well have caused them =
difficulty). Undoubtedly I will rock the boat of community at some =
time, but I promise not to call it persecution, and I promise to do so =
humbly, with both oars in the water. I would ask Mr. Dickison to =
reconsider what "suffering for the Kingdom" really means. My hope is =
that no one ever is personally attacked, but I rejoice when error, =
falsehood, and arrogance are, and I'll strive to be faithful in doing =
so. It's not my intention to post any more to V2020 -- I'm fairly well =
swamped as it is -- but I invite any of you to contact me off list if =
you want to take me to task, or to coffee -- kjajmix1@msn.com.
Sincerely,
keely emerine mix
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<DIV>Happy New Year to all of you.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> While responding fully to Greg Dickison's post regarding =
liberalism=20
on the Palouse would take many more KBs than I feel entitled to jam your =
in=20
boxes with, I do believe that a response from an evangelical Christian =
is=20
required, and so I gladly step up to the plate.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am a committed, Trinitarian, evangelical Christian who holds to =
the=20
historic doctrines of the faith as enunciated in the Nicene Creed. =
More to=20
the point, I love the Lord Jesus Christ and would hope that I would die =
for the=20
One who so graciously died for me. Further, most of the=20
arguments that I will make here are issues that I raised =
both in=20
a May 2002 letter to Doug Wilson and in a 90-minute discussion =
he and=20
I had afterward, and many of them I repeated in my questions during the =
town=20
meeting at the Kenworthy. I am also privileged to be a member of =
the=20
Moscow School District Board of Trustees, although of course I write as =
a=20
private citizen and my thoughts are not intended to represent anyone's =
other=20
than my own. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Some of you might remember the two questions I asked Doug Wilson =
that night=20
at the town meeting -- first, could he explain how Christ Church's hope =
for the=20
eventual collapse of the public school system tied in with their =
religious,=20
social, and political views; second, did he have any regrets or =
apologies to=20
make regarding his assertions about slavery, his public conduct during =
the=20
ensuing debacle, or the possible damage to the Gospel he might have =
wrought=20
among members of our common Palouse community. I understand that =
some were=20
offended by the editorial content that preceded my questions, and that's =
fine. I would repeat everything again in a heartbeat, hoping, of =
course,=20
for different answers -- but I think we can all agree that a member =
of the=20
local school board who fails to defend the school system when they =
are=20
publicly attacked in her presence is not worthy of the position.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Given that a foundational notion of the Christian gospel is =
that=20
I'm "worthy" of inclusion in the Church only because of the =
sacrifice=20
of Jesus Christ, it seems all the more important to speak as a =
recipient of that amazing grace in pointing out to Mr. Dickison and =
those who=20
agree with him that their treatment by the community -- those who =
post to=20
V2020, those who choose Wheatberries over Zume', those who organize to =
refute=20
their views, vision, and vernacular -- is not "persecution" because =
of=20
their Christian beliefs. It's not even persecution, period. =
It seems=20
clear to me that when you behave badly in the public square, people =
won't=20
respond favorably. When you make divisive, outlandish, hurtful =
statements=20
and seem to take a measure of glee in the ensuing uproar, your neighbors =
will=20
choose to rebuke you, although many more will just try their best to =
marginalize=20
you and hope you go away. In short, it's not "persecution" at work =
here,=20
and certainly not that for the sake of the gospel. Nope. I'm =
sure=20
the enslaved Sudanese Christians or the wrenchingly poor Latin American=20
evangelical would do a better and more humble job of correcting Mr. =
Dickison on=20
this point, but I'll give it a try: Those vocal defenders of Doug =
Wilson,=20
and Mr. Wilson himself, find themselves in this situation because =
they've acted=20
obnoxiously. They are simply receiving recompense for the scorn =
and=20
derision they've heaped on the community, reaping what they've sown in =
their=20
neo-Confederate-defending, Reconstructionist, militant dominion =
theology. =20
And I would expect adherents of the strenuous life of hearty, robust =
pleasures=20
so favored by Doug Jones to buck up and take it, well, like men, =
men who=20
recognize that dishing it out with such gleeful pleasure rather =
obligates=20
you to take it when it comes back. I would find boycotting a =
business=20
solely because the owner is Christian, Bahai, Muslim or atheist =
repugnant, but I=20
would gently point out that the affiliations and associations one =
chooses to=20
continue in are hardly the same as embracing religious faith. I'm =
sorry=20
that genuinely fine men like Gary Greenfield are caught in the middle, =
but it's=20
not because they've made a decision for Jesus. It's because =
they've made a=20
decision for Doug Wilson. Doing so is their right, and those who =
cannot=20
countenance Mr. Wilson's views have a right to not patronize business=20
owners who continue to support him. Again, it's not =
persecution --=20
it's the marketplace, the same one that Christian Libertarians =
applaud with=20
such naked enthusiasm.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I have been a Christian for 22 years, and I have =
been criticized,=20
mocked, and dismissed -- even my own mother has called me a bigot. =
Some of=20
it might well be because I hold to truths that others don't, but =
much of it=20
is likely because I have done so with a lack of humility, kindness, and=20
intellectual integrity. I ministered to Mexican immigrants in =
Western=20
Washington during the 90s and briefly led a small congregation. In =
the 30=20
or so sermons I've preached from the pulpit, in English and in Spanish, =
I have=20
never felt compelled to defend slavery, the Confederacy, or a view of =
history=20
that would equate slaveholders in the American South with the =
congregation of=20
the saints. In explaining and defending the gospel for more than =
two=20
decades, I have never represented "the good life" of fine wine and food, =
music,=20
art, dance and humor as the point, or even <STRONG><EM>A</EM></STRONG> =
point, of=20
the message of the Kingdom. (I seem to be stuck on themes of =
grace, love,=20
mercy, sin, redemption, truth, justice, and sacrifice, even if I enjoy a =
delightful Merlot after preparing my sermons). As a resident of =
Moscow for=20
almost two years, I have been unabashedly Christian -- and unabashedly=20
well-treated by my many non-Christian friends here, not one of whom, I =
think,=20
would consider me a violet shrinking from the cause of Christ. I =
have=20
found Moscow to be a warm, generally kind-hearted community, and while =
general=20
warmth and kindheartedness don't make for salvation, they certainly make =
for a=20
pleasant way to live -- even as a Christian. (My sincere gratitude =
to my=20
many friends at the Unitarian Church, who are some of the kindest people =
I've=20
ever met and who have been personally and politically supportive of me =
when=20
doing so might well have caused them difficulty). Undoubtedly I =
will rock=20
the boat of community at some time, but I promise not to call it =
persecution,=20
and I promise to do so humbly, with both oars in the water. I =
would ask=20
Mr. Dickison to reconsider what "suffering for the Kingdom" really =
means. =20
My hope is that no one ever is personally attacked, but I rejoice when =
error,=20
falsehood, and arrogance are, and I'll strive to be faithful in doing =
so. =20
It's not my intention to post any more to V2020 -- I'm fairly well =
swamped as it=20
is -- but I invite any of you to contact me off list if you want to take =
me to=20
task, or to coffee -- <A=20
href=3D"mailto:kjajmix1@msn.com">kjajmix1@msn.com</A>.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sincerely,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>keely emerine mix</DIV></BODY></HTML>
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