[Vision2020] Cult Fantasy News Flash

[Michael]

Heather,

 

Your response to Keely imputes things to her post that are not there.  Keely
said that 

 

most of the folks at Christ Church, are reasonable, intelligent and sincere
in their faith.  For every unloving Kirk man, many of whom we're all
acquainted with here, I know there are several more, men and women, who love
Christ and are willing to love me in His name.

 

She was clear that she was speaking to the "theology" and resulting
"worldview" of Christ Church in her criticism, and she was very careful
about what she said about actual behavior within the home.  Within his own
circles, Wilson is a liberal feminist, and has succeeded to keep out the
more patriarchical, oppressive elements of American
fundamentalism-intentionally so (although the recent RC Sproul scandal has
caused him to warm up a bit to Phillips).  But this success does not
diminish the latent trouble with any sort of moralist, static, hierarchical
picture of submission in the home. Consider also the issues of theonomy, a
static use of "God's Word," southern slavery, the coolness of being
"medieval," the wooden insertion of our community back into Old Testament
story lines, and the failure to grasp the progress in our American legal
tradition over the last 100 years. Considering all this as well it does seem
that the theology and resulting worldview residing within the Kirk, and
latent within the broader tradition we are a part of, is something to be
concerned about - particularly from the vantage point of a contemporary
social liberal.  

 

Yes, you like your husband.  Yes, your husband can be funny.  But this is
fully consistent with the kinds of criticism you find here on Vision 2020;
the Kirk is intentionally a non-missional, elitist, exclusivist culture
building project where those loyal 'family' members are adored, and those on
the outside are despised.  The fact is many people, including myself, don't
find your husband very likable for objective reasons.  And not once have I
questioned his treatment of you or your joyful submission to him - although
I always question how each and every kirker can go on without challenging
the practice of our enemy theology.  Keely is a mature thinker, and I find
her far more able to "consider" alternative points of view than the typical
kirker. Because we kirk men are not domineering peacocks is precisely why my
wife has enjoyed her independent experience becoming free from the Kirk.

 

Michael Metzler 

 

 

First, I'd like to thank Keely for joining us for coffee. I'm glad to hear
that she enjoyed herself as did we. However, I'd like to point out that
there seems to be an alternative she's missed or at least is unable to
consider. Perhaps not all information out there in V2020 land and the blog
world concerning our church, our pastor, and our husbands is true. Perhaps
we, women whom Keely views as "reasonable, intelligent and sincere in their
faith", have a better grasp on our own situations and lives than those who
don't know us. We aren't merely "willing to endure" our husbands and our
theology  but rather enjoy (love) them both. Why would "intelligent" women
love living with domineering patriarchal peacocks? Maybe we're not actually
intelligent. Maybe we don't really love them. Or, the option you haven't
been willing to consider, maybe they aren't domineering at all. Longshot, I
know. But it is possible.

 

We don't "grieve, or are at least puzzled by, [your] Biblical feminism,
outspokenness against Doug Wilson, and [your] sharp theological
disagreements with Christ Church." I've been curious how you've drawn your
conclusions but unlike what has been asserted, we don't all mind when people
disagree. In fact, it can make community life a lot more interesting and
fun.

 

Hope we still seem intelligent when you realize that we are on the same page
as our husbands. We didn't mary stupid boys out of pity. We like them. 

Mine's even funny.

 

Cheers,

 

Heather Wilson

 

 

>keely emerinemix kjajmix1 at msn.com

>Tue Jun 13 13:25:27 PDT 2006

>Previous message: [Vision2020] Cult Fantasy News Flash

 

 

>I appreciate Douglas Hunter's wise comments below, as well as Joe's 

>point that we consider Doug Wilson separately from those unfortunate 

>enough to be shepherded by him.

 

>I had coffee yesterday with five warm, intelligent, delightful women 

>from Christ Church.  They have every reason to presume that I am as bad 

>and mean as some have depicted me, and yet they've decided to do what 

>mature women do -- spend some time with me and find out for themselves.  

>And I am grateful for the invitation extended, the warmth expressed, 

>and the trust presumed; I

hope I reciprocated with the same warmth and trust.  I have absolutely

>nothing against them and would welcome a friendship with any of them -- 

>as much as I grieve the bad theology they've embraced, or are willing 

>to endure,  and the hyper-patriarchal and hierarchical worldview it 

>produces that, I'm convinced, is as bad for men as it is for women.

 

>But I would imagine they grieve, or are at least puzzled by, my 

>Biblical feminism, outspokenness against Doug Wilson, and my sharp 

>theological disagreements with Christ Church.  That's fair.  In fact, 

>that's great.  I only hope that we can discuss it more.  I have no 

>doubt at all that it would be a loving, reasonable, intelligent and 

>stimulating discussion, because these women, like most of the folks at 

>Christ Church, are reasonable, intelligent and sincere in their faith.  

>For every unloving Kirk man, many of whom we're all acquainted with 

>here, I know there are several more, men and women, who love Christ and are
willing to love me in

>His name.   I feel he same way.

 

>That doesn't negate my concern and anger about what I know of Wilson's 

>world and worldview.  In fact, it heightens it.  I love a good roll in 

>the theological hay of debate, but what's of real consequence is that 

>real people -- good people -- get hurt by bad theology and worse conduct.

>Conscience compels me, then, to defend them and to defend the Gospel -- 

>to offer, with gentleness and respect, a reason for the hope that lies 

>within me; further paraphrasing 1 Peter 3:15, I might add that I hope 

>to offer a reason for the anger and concern that lies within me 

>regarding the Kirk, and I hope that I've done it with gentleness and 

>respect to the sincere and offered clear, truth-building rebuke when
needed.

 

>And so, I'd like to publicly thank my friend Heather Wilson and her 

>sister-in-law, Meredith Wilson, for a delightful morning yesterday.   (And 

>it wasn't just the delicious coffee cake and great coffee, either!)

 

>keely

 

 

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