[Vision2020] Give the High School to NSA? Forget it!

[Mark Seman]

Hi Rose,
Forgive me please for the delayed response, but as one of the most
least-read individuals on V2020 (which is more of a reflection on my
personal inclinations than the public schools I have attended) I had to do
some research to better understand what you (& Doug Wilson / NSA) were
saying.  Maybe I also should have changed the subject line earlier to help
eliminate confusion.

I have not suggested giving NSA the high school, 1912, HIRC, Aquatics
Center, or any other facility or financial support.  I was suggesting that
NSA be considered in whatever community planning efforts occur for Moscow.
As with all the other entities I listed and some of those I didn't, NSA is a
member of this community.whether they or others like it or not.  I am
promoting inclusion rather than exclusion and I would like to see more
members of this community involved with the planning and development of this
community.  Part of this process involves the development of increased
understanding and dialogue, which in my mind benefits all.

I am not oblivious to the ideology of the NSA institution (although I
venture I'm much more ignorant that knowledgeable of NSA) and I feel they
have their life to live, just as we all do.  As someone who's religious
education is just as lacking as most of my other forms of education, I am as
linearly distant to an NSA ideology as one can be, but because of circular
models I know I am as far left as I am near right.  I have no religious
agenda other than wanting to live in a place that has people as different
from me as they are the same - the one caveat that I feel is missing from
Moscow is a willingness (ability) to work together.  In one sense, I feel
the polarization exhibited in Moscow is just a microcosm of our national
(and potentially global) division.  I can also view it as part of a larger
process of coming together and I'm just anxious for the divisive phase to
pass.  I'm trying to be as tolerant of it as possible, but like others my
patience is waning.

I went to the Bucer's "cigar smoke-out" to mingle.  I met about six people
from the "in crowd," and I really hoped to meet Joan that night, but I was
not so lucky.  Even so, the event was most enjoyable and I had a great time.
Why shouldn't my mind be open to mingling with the "others", especially when
there is an invitation to?  I feel the same about MCA.  I try to attend many
gatherings, usually because of what's on the agenda, sometimes just out of
curiosity, often because of my personal agenda, but I avoid extreme
frequency.  I don't quite fully understand why this is my pattern, but I
suspect I'm after a broad-based knowledge of what's going on.  At this time
I don't have a focused attention to any particular issue, but I do focus on
certain concepts.  Maybe I am following Neville's path of good intentions
and maybe I'll get my ass kicked, but unlike him I can leave anytime.

Doug Wilson follows his belief system; his church & NSA policy may be highly
structured after it, but the congregation and students, while they may
buy-in to the institution, do have free will.  At some point in time I look
for a breakdown of defense mechanisms and a better understanding of what
working together can accomplish.whatever institutional ideologies are held,
personal connection is the way I'd like to see progression.  I do not look
for this community to embrace and financially support any single
institutional or individual's ideology, just its very own.  I think it is
through these personal connections that Moscow can and needs to develop its
own ideology.  The proverbial melting pot, but within a participatory
foundry.

Most all of us understand what it takes to be good neighbors and responsible
citizens.  Some are likely to play the system for increased personal or
institutional gain without further consideration.  I'm holding out that they
are few and the perceptive others will see a wider community within their
structured doctrines.

Mark
* * * * * * * * * * *
Mark Seman, Architect
Heather Seman, Landscape Architect
Full Circle Studios
1404 East 'F' Street
Moscow, Idaho 83843
v 208-883-3276
f 208-883-0112
FCS at Moscow.com

-----Original Message-----
From: DonaldH675 at aol.com [mailto:DonaldH675 at aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 1:15 AM
To: FCS at moscow.com; m1e2y3e4 at moscow.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Give the High School to NSA? Forget it!

Hi Mark:

There are doubtless many worthwhile uses of the *old* Moscow High School (if
a new building is constructed) but NONE of those ways include giving a
building to a religious group.  Quite aside from the very important issue of
separation of church and state, it is outlandish to suggest that a school
whose philosophical positions that are odious to a large number of taxpayers
in this community should be the recipient of community largesse.

While I understand your desire to build tolerance and understanding in
Moscow, it is impossible to imagine a situation where the intolerant
philosophy of New St. Andrews is rewarded by our naive forbearance - think
Neville Chamberlain. I direct your attention to the New Saint Andrews web
site: http://www.newstandrews.org/news/catalog/13conduct.pdf
which states in part:

"We also warn students, for the protection of their souls and the peace of
the College, to avoid false teaching and errant doctrine.  We expect
students will neither embrace nor promote, formally or informally, historic
or contemporary doctrinal errors, such as Arianism, Socinianism,
Pelagianism, Skepticism, Feminism, the so-called Openness of God Theology,
etc. among their fellow students.  If students do come to embrace such
errant doctrines personally, they promise by their signed pledge to inform
the administration immediately and honestly in a letter offering to withdraw
from the college.  For more information about these doctrinal errors, see
.......Seraiah, The End of All Things (Canon Press);  Beisner, Evangelical
Heathenism (Canon Press); and Wilson (Doug) ed. Bound Only Once (Canon
Press)."

New Saint Andrews is free to demand a lock-step response to Doug Wilson's
interpretation of the scriptural *truth.*  (A right you notice that is
denied to the students of NSA). But it is certainly not in the best interest
of this community to pretend or imagine for a nano-second that his *vision*
should be financially supported in any way by the rest of us.

Rose Huskey

"One cannot level one's moral lance at every evil in the universe. There are
just too many of them. But you can do something, and the difference between
doing something and doing nothing is everything." Daniel Berrigan


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