[Vision2020] Blight-Mind Show-n-Tell

[Chasuk]

On Dec 30, 2007 9:08 AM, keely emerinemix <kjajmix1 at msn.com> wrote:

> This should be interesting.  In his gracious handling of my earlier apology,
> Gary neglected to answer the question I put to him.  Dale, meanwhile, is
> salivating over another chance to lift copy for his blog, and Paul R. will
> likely see the local relevance in this context.  Tom Hansen will provide the
> links to support a contention that the Kirk is at least as powerful and
> disturbing as the Aryan Nation, witty and intrepid commentators on Blog and
> Mablog and You Blog and We All Blog will chuckle and blather, and some of
> Moscow's most "tolerant" liberals will shake their heads and wish we would
> just leave these people alone to practice their version of a religion that's
> unenlightened anyway, what with that Bible thing and all.

I feel like I'm being poked here (I self-identify as "wish[ing] we
would just leave these people alone to practice their version of a
religion that's unenlightened anyway, what with that Bible thing and
all"), and it's pissing me off.  I feel like I'm persona non grata
here anyway, which is apparently what happens when you stop agreeing
with the cool kids.  Anyway, with nothing to lose, here is my
response.

First, Tom Hansen can't provide links to support a contention that the
Kirk is at least as powerful and disturbing as the Aryan Nation.  The
Kirk isn't just Doug Wilson, but also its congregants, who can't
legitimately be described as Neo-Nazis.  Maybe a few of them, but
contrast the percentages with that lovely group in Hayden Lake.

Have the Kirkers ever planned to forcibly overtake Idaho, Montana,
Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, for the purpose of establishing an
Aryan homeland?  Are they all anti-Semites?  Does Wilson have armed
guards who attack passersby?  Have they ever aspired to cause a race
war?  Has Wilson ever written anything as incendiary as this: "We
shall have [a national racial state] at whatever price is necessary.
Just as our forefathers purchased their freedom in blood so must
we....We will have to kill the bastards."  Richard Butler wrote those
words.  Has Christ Church ever been involved in bank robberies,
counterfeiting, bombings, armored car holdups or murder?

The Kirk preaches some stupid things, some destructive things, but how
many Christian churches in Moscow don't?  How many Christian churches
in Moscow aren't homophobic?  Don't the Roman Catholics and the
Mormons both have doctrines that forbid women the priesthood?  I've
met a few Moscovites (Baptists, every one of them) who argue that
being black is a punishment from God (the mark of Cain).

The Kirkers have been singled out, why?

> I repeat my earlier assertion:  I want the Kirk and its influence to end.
> Not by force, not by law, not by hatred, but by an understanding, finally,
> on the part of its congregants of how damaging this group really is.  It
> could end by corporate repentance and renewal, becoming something beautiful
> and true, or die from attrition caused by a Spirit-given whack on the
> forehead.  Only the people can decide.  One thing is certain, though -- it
> won't "die" because Andreas asked this question, and mocking the question
> doesn't make it any less important to answer.

I likewise don't want the Kirkers in Moscow.  I was candid about this
from my initial appearance on Vision2020.  However, their departure,
or their spiritual contrition, aren't very high on my agenda.  I like
a lot of the Kirkers.  I appreciate the businesses that exist in
Moscow which individual Kirkers own.  I don't want the Kirkers in
Moscow because I don't want to be reminded that otherwise intelligent,
loving people choose to believe stupid, destructive things.  The
problem is, if all vestiges of stupidity and destructive belief were
cast out of Moscow, the population would shrink dramatically.  If we
repeated the process over the entire world (but casting the offenders
into deep space), would we have 100 million left, out of 6 billion?
Would I remain? Would you?

I have about two years left in Moscow, and then I will leave.  I love
Moscow.  I will miss its peaceful streets and its boisterous students
(seemingly contradictory, I know), and I will miss Keely and Tom
Hansen and Bucers and One World Cafe and BookPeople.  I will miss the
distinction and the novelty of living in the most liberal and
enlightened community of an entire state, especially when that state
is perceived as a redneck utopia.  But I won't miss the
small-mindedness and the inability of these enlightened people to see
that they too frequently behave as the pot calling the kettle black.

Chas

http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Aryan_Nations.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=3&item=an