Sure they would. Starts to create a fact pattern. The mere absence from participation in a specific group tells nothing. A fact pattern is quite a different beast.<div><br></div><div>The churches and schools which you hint at below have been well analyzed on this list. Is there more to gain by further discussion? <br>
<div><br></div><div>I really don't think Tom was trying to make this another round of "lets beat on Christ Church." So why go there?<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 12:15 PM, Joe Campbell <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:philosopher.joe@gmail.com">philosopher.joe@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">What if we have further evidence that the pastor of a particular<br>
church thinks that Mormons are blasphemers? Would that indicate a<br>
reason for their absence from the list?<br>
<br>
What if a school affiliated with another church openly challenges<br>
secularists to "step into the alley" so they can be thrown "up against<br>
a wall, lifting wallets and the occasional gift card"? Would that<br>
indicate that, together with their absence from the list, indicate<br>
anything?<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 10:14 AM, Darrell Keim <<a href="mailto:keim153@gmail.com">keim153@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> So many churches are missing that I think assuming one is trying to send a<br>
> message by its absence from the list is unwarranted. Could be any number of<br>
> reasons why a church isn't a member of a specific interfaith group.<br>
><br>
> On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 12:37 AM, keely emerinemix <<a href="mailto:kjajmix1@msn.com">kjajmix1@msn.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>><br>
>> Well, my church, Rock Church, isn't listed.<br>
>><br>
>> And yet I have no doubt that the spirit of offering thanksgiving to<br>
>> Yahweh, the Allah of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- and genuinely loving every<br>
>> person that God created, without exception -- is utterly consistent with my<br>
>> church family's commitment to demonstrating and offering<br>
>> Shalom/Salaam/Gospel Peace to our world.<br>
>><br>
>> It's not that I feel the need to defend my church; it doesn't need my<br>
>> defense. But while I know there are a lot of good people of faith who<br>
>> didn't, for whatever reason, attend the dinner, the current climate of what<br>
>> passes for Christianity on the Palouse does raise questions about whether a<br>
>> church group's non-attendance is innocuous, meant to send a message, or was<br>
>> an intentional rejection of the event's purpose. I think that our church --<br>
>> a dozen very diverse people intentionally without a pastor, led by two women<br>
>> and two men, all imperfect but committed to worshiping Christ together and<br>
>> living out the Gospel in the homes, church, community, and world we're in --<br>
>> very likely wasn't aware of the gathering.<br>
>><br>
>> But maybe some were; I don't know. I do know that at Rock, we tend to<br>
>> equip, encourage, and expect our sisters and brothers to do whatever it is<br>
>> God has called them to do in the world, and do so as individuals; we don't<br>
>> "do ministry" as a church as much as we "do equipping" so that our people<br>
>> use their gifts, influence, and passion to serve their neighbors. As I<br>
>> imagine is the case with all of the faithful, we want to focus on being and<br>
>> not simply on doing. Our people collect Christmas presents for kids<br>
>> overseas, sponsor other children, practice and preach gender equality, work<br>
>> at the Food Bank at St. Mary's, minister at Good Sam, develop genuine<br>
>> friendships with people who feel unloved or outcast, volunteer with the<br>
>> disabled, pray consistently and fervently for peace, march in the LGBT Pride<br>
>> Parade, and seek out ways to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with<br>
>> our God. We assume that other Christians do the same, and so do<br>
>> non-Christian faith-living people, and so do those who reject religious<br>
>> belief but give to their community.<br>
>><br>
>> As I said, my point isn't to defend my church, although I'm always happy<br>
>> to introduce to others these people I love so dearly, and who, amazingly,<br>
>> love, respect, and support me -- that's not something I've ever had before<br>
>> in church. And I think Tom raises in his question some important issues,<br>
>> given the bigotry permeating the Palouse in the name of Christ. So I've<br>
>> answered his question, speaking only about my church as a part of it and not<br>
>> officially representing Rock here or anywhere else. As always, i appreciate<br>
>> Tom's profound and demonstrated concern for injustice, intolerance, and<br>
>> incivility -- in Moscow and elsewhere. I'm interested in what other<br>
>> Visionaires think.<br>
>><br>
>> Keely<br>
>> <a href="http://www.keely-prevailingwinds.com" target="_blank">www.keely-prevailingwinds.com</a><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>> > Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:44:06 -0800<br>
>> > From: <a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</a><br>
>> > To: <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
>> > Subject: [Vision2020] Curiosity Question<br>
>> ><br>
>> > Hi, V-peeps -<br>
>> ><br>
>> > I know that there are lots and lots of churches located here in<br>
>> > Vandalville.<br>
>> ><br>
>> > Just out of curiosity, can anybody "in the know" identify any local<br>
>> > churches NOT listed at . . .<br>
>> ><br>
>> ><br>
>> > <a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/interfaiththanksgiving/InterfaithThanksgivingProgram_111810_04.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/interfaiththanksgiving/InterfaithThanksgivingProgram_111810_04.jpg</a><br>
>> ><br>
>> > Thanks,<br>
>> ><br>
>> > Tom Hansen<br>
>> > Moscow, Idaho<br>
>> ><br>
>> > "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to<br>
>> > change<br>
>> > and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br>
>> ><br>
>> > - Unknown<br>
>> ><br>
>> ><br>
>> > =======================================================<br>
>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>
>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>
>> > <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>
>> > mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
>> > =======================================================<br>
>><br>
>> =======================================================<br>
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>
>> <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>
>> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
>> =======================================================<br>
><br>
><br>
> =======================================================<br>
> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>
> <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>
> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
> =======================================================<br>
><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div>