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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>This was the highlight of my day. Spot on. I love
it when someone can say succinctly what I think and feel, and what I hear
echoed by those I love (Mormon, Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Muslim, Pagan,
Native American, wiccan, agnostic, and atheist).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Speaking here (by permission) for friends and
family:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>"None of us want to force anyone into a box
with our own label of rightiousness. Yet we are all constantly under
attack by those who would make us conform to their version of "holy", and who
feel put upon and disenfranchised because we all are not in alignment with
them......</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>It is truly ugly when the EXTREME voices are
able to paralyze everyone else. We don't care if you say </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>"Merry Christmas", "God Bless", "Goddess Bless",
"Happy Hannukah", "Feliz Novidad", "Merry Yule", "Happy Holidays", "Solstice
Blessings", or any other holiday greeting. We are just pleased you
want the best for us! We just want the best for you </FONT><FONT size=2
face=Arial>as well. Get over yourselves and your control issues. Find a good
therapist, change denominations,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> or just get a grip on reality, and render
unto the rest of us some flippin' slack!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>So if you are narrow minded enough to spoil it for
everyone who doesn't see it exactly like you see it, our advice
is:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=2 face=Arial><U>JUST STAY THE HECK HOME AND LET THE
REST OF US GET ALONG WITH ENJOYING OUR HOLIDAYS</U></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=2 face=Arial><U> WITH NICE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
SO FLAMING RIGID. STOP SPOILING<STRONG> OUR</STRONG> HOLIDAYS
WITH</U></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=2 face=Arial><U><STRONG> YOUR</STRONG>
RELIGIOUS INSECURITY."</U> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Thanks for the rant space---and a Happy
Holidays from Thanksgiving thru Imbolc to the Visionaries!
Blessed Be for The Winter Solstice AND Merry Christmas. Wishing each of you well
and a Non-Contentious New Year.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Debi Robinson-Smith with </FONT><FONT size=2
face=Arial>Family and Friends</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=thansen@moscow.com href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">Tom Hansen</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">Moscow Vision 2020</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, November 22, 2014 7:05
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Why do
Jesus-followers want to discriminate?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="">Courtesy of today's (November 22, 2014)
Spokesman-Review</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style=""><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="">--------------------------------------</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style=""><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; CLEAR: both"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="">Why
do Jesus-followers want to discriminate?</SPAN></FONT></H1>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><EM style="">The Rev. Paul Graves</EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">For some time, I’ve watched the
political skirmishes that pit religious people and/or organizations against
cities, counties, states or our country. It’s past time that I publicly ask my
question: Why do religious people want the right to discriminate against
other people? </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">The issue bubbled to my surface
after watching news reports of the owners of The Hitching Post in
Coeur d’Alene fight against the city’s human rights ordinance. Because of
their religious beliefs, the owners wanted to be able say “no” to same-sex
couples wanting to be married.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">So I’ve done some research on
the countrywide legal quagmire on the laws that give religious organizations
the “right” to discriminate against persons they would rather not serve. The
whole issue is very complicated and very legalistic – no
surprise there.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">It all seems to begin, at least
legally, with the national Civil Rights Act of 1964. Then in 1990, the
Americans with Disabilities Act became law. Title III of that act exempted
“religious corporations, associations, educational institutions or societies”
from various forms of discrimination. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">That exemption effectively gave
those religious groups permission to discriminate if they thought it was in
their best interest. And there’s the rub for me. (As in columns past, I can
only speak out of my own Christian tradition. I have no right to assume
anything of other faiths.)</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">Simply put: As I read of how
Jesus lived, and taught his followers, I see no evidence that discriminating
against other persons had any place in his actions or his motives. So why do
some of his followers think it is their “right” to discriminate against
persons they’ve decided to be unworthy?</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">I’m genuinely puzzled about
this, folks. I’m not talking about the legal rights currently present in our
laws. I’m talking about the basic responsibilities that Jesus-followers have
based on our understanding of, to repeat a cliché, What Would
Jesus Do?</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">As I reflect on my puzzlement,
one curiosity I have is this: Why are churches and their members clamoring so
hard for “our rights” when Jesus never seemed concerned about his or his
followers’ rights? Jesus lived for others, not himself. He urged his followers
to do likewise.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">So how are we doing?
Inconsistently at best, is my guess. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">What really is the church’s role
in our American society supposed to be? I certainly don’t see our role as
establishing a theocracy, a government ruled by someone’s version of God and
religion. That isn’t what Jesus sought. Why should we? </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">I assert our faith role is to
influence our government to positive movement toward justice for all persons.
When we try to force religious views on the country’s population, we can
become a dangerous political machine. Again, that isn’t what Jesus sought. Why
should we?</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">When we work to support just
treatment for all persons, we more closely reflect the spirit of Jesus and God
than when we cry “foul” and seek special treatment to do what our “lesser
self” drives us to do. That isn’t what Jesus sought for any person. Why
should we?</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">When we manipulate the laws of
our cities, counties, states and country to put us in favored position with
those political entities, we fall into the trap of being just another
political entity. Churches are called to be different than that by God. Too
often, we settle for being no different.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><SPAN style="">I’m still puzzled by “religious
corporations, associations, educational institutions or societies” that are
willing to play compromised political games for some illusion of power. Our
power isn’t supposed to come from governments. Is it?</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 21px"><EM style="">The Rev. Paul Graves, a Sandpoint
resident and retired United Methodist minister, is the founder of Elder
Advocates. He can be contacted at <A
href="mailto:welhouse@nctv.com">welhouse@nctv.com</A>.</EM></P></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="">--------------------------------------<BR><BR></SPAN>
<DIV><SPAN style="">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style=""><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="">"Moscow Cares" </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><A style="" href="http://www.moscowcares.com/"><FONT
color=#000000>http://www.MoscowCares.com</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style=""> </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="">Tom Hansen</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="">Moscow, Idaho</SPAN></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style=""></SPAN> </DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P>
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<P align=left color="#000000" avgcert??>No virus found in this
message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A
href="http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 2014.0.4794 / Virus
Database: 4189/8613 - Release Date: 11/22/14</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>