[Vision2020] The Great Debate

[debismith at moscow.com]

Who is this person posing as Dick Sherwin? Over the past few weeks, this guy has been 
frequently polite, decent, and interested in the opinions and ideas of others. He has agreed to 
disagree! He is turning into a Conservative with whom one can have a conversation! 

I'm liking this a lot. We have had few opportunities on V2020 for Conservatives and Liberals to 
engage in real discussion. I firmly believe there are many areas of agreement or compromise 
we often miss, just because we are so willing to demonize anyone who holds any view with 
which we disagree (indeed, Mea Culpa as well.)What would happen if we all simply agreed that 
a difference of opinion, faith, political stance, or life-style is not enough to make us sworn 
enemies? What would happen if we evaluated opinions from the standpoint of the other person 
being a good person rather than an idiot?  Don't know if I can keep that up for an extended 
period, but I'm willing to try.....Thanks, Dick, for helping me take a step back from reacting in a 
nasty way when nasty is directed at me! (Warning label here: Some Things Will Still Yank My 
Chain, I'm sorry but not so much....)
Debi R-S

From:           	"rvrcowboy" <rvrcowboy at clearwire.net>
To:             	"keely emerinemix" <kjajmix1 at msn.com>,
       	"Vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Date sent:      	Wed, 12 Jul 2006 09:52:21 -0700
Copies to:      	Subject:        	[Vision2020] The Great Debate

Keely, you did a good job last night until the discussion turned into a debate over whether 
homosexuality was a Biblical sin or not.  I am not arguing with your views here (even though I 
disagree with them).  I am just pointing out the fact the debate was supposedly centered on 
the effect Christ Church was having on Moscow and the surrounding area but it turned into little 
more than a debate over the acceptance of homosexuality.  

To be honest, I am not surprised over this, it is what one should have expected from any 
debate in Moscow.  Also, I stopped listening just before the first break, at 9:17, because I had 
some business to attend too.  I had lost interest by that time anyway, since the topic of the 
debate had turned into the single issue of homosexual accpetance.  Perhaps it got better after 
the break.

Still, I thought you did a good job and was impressed with your presence and knowledge.  
Kudos from me on your courage and presentation, even if I did not agree with all you had to 
say I had a lot of respect for how you handled yourself and how you presented.  I also thought 
Doug Wilson did a good job for the most part.  I will admit I thought he was a little evasive on a 
couple of points but I also thought the moderator allowed the debate to dwell on the single 
topic of homosexuality far too long.  This gave the apperance the debate was really just a cover 
to further some agenda of acceptance by the homosexual community over the airwaves.  Too 
bad, the debate was quite interesting up to that point.

Thank you for the opportunity to get to understand you better and to get to know a little more 
about Christ Church also.  By the way, I do definately believe a practicing homosexual can be 
a Christian.  I also believe homosexual activity is a sin and do not believe any rational person 
can read the Bible (any version) and conclude differently.  I say that while admitting I am not a 
Biblical scholar or seminary trained in any way.  I agree with you that Jesus' overwhelming 
message is that we love one another.  I just don't believe that loving one another justifies our 
sins.  Please understand, I don't rate the sin of homosexuality any differently than adultrey, 
rape, cheating, stealing, or any other sin.  Also, please believe me that I have been guilty of 
sins of my own and am still working on correcting many of them so I am not trying to be 
judgmental of you.  I am as much a sinner as anyone.

All that having been said, I apologize for the many slams I have leveled against you in the past.  
It was not Christian of me and I am ashamed of them.  I don't have to agree with you in order to 
accept you as a person and honor and love you as a fellow Christian, something we all forget 
to often.  Sometimes I, like most, let the flow of venom in the forum infect my judgment and 
bring out the worst side of me.  

Have a wonderful day...

God bless,

Dick S.