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In a message dated 12/1/2005 10:58:46 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Just a small, but significant omission, but isn't the prohibition on crying
"fire" falsely? After all, when there is a fire, do you prefer a toasty
ignorance to a frightening awareness?
I am perplexed by referring to the teaching ministry of a pastor as a kind
of bullying.
The teaching ministry of the Christian community is essential to, and
central to, its identity and function.
Pardon one biblical cite to demonstrate the point:
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world. Amen."
(Matthew 28:19-20) (AV 1917).
We may not agree with the teaching at any particular
moment. Perhaps one supports married priesthood and the Church does
not, perhaps one supports ordination of women and the Church does not.
Still, let's not pretend that there is something newly rude or unmannerly about
the teaching ministry of the church.
The founder of the Christian Church saw many who turned away and never
return when he invited them to consume his flesh and blood. He saw a
wealthy young man walk away when he was challenged to break the bonds over his
heart that his wealth had tied. His cousin landed in jail when he engaged
in public teaching on the licitness of marrying one's sister in law while one's
brother yet lived.
There should be a bumpersticker: "Offenses Happen."
The bullying epithet is particularly troubling because, if I understand the
facts, this was not some minister who'd shown up at a local version of the
Metropolitan Community Church, and was there to decry the perversions of
the truth of the Gospel. Instead, he inhabited his own pulpit of the
church he pastored, and from there he taught according to the historic teaching
of the Church and the Christian tradition on the subject of homosexual
conduct. While I'd oppose application of the epithet in many other
circumstances, no doubt, why does fulfillment of the historic,
On the other hand, perhaps this is just another instance where a society
chooses to treat discourse as bullying because it touches one of the sacred
cows. It brings to mind the story about the elderly North Carolinian, who
responded to each of the preacher's declamations, with "preach it,
brother!" So he declaimed gambling, and she retorted, "preach it,
brother!"
And he declaimed drinking, and she retorted, "preach it,
brother!"
He declaimed carousing with painted women, and she retorted, "preach
it, brother!"
And he declaimed dipping snuff.
And she griped, "now you've gone from preaching to meddling."
Jim Henderson
Senior Counsel
ACLJ
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