I appreciate everyone's prayers and kind words over the past week. I may occasionally post more about my father as I continue to grieve and process losing him. However, I plan on getting back to my regular kind of blogging. Thanks for being there for me. I know that it can get wearing to listen to someone hurt and grieve and there is little or nothing you can do about it. So, your presence here matters.
I learned this week that I am a member of a cult. Nancy Grace was kind enough to let me know that churches of Christ are a cult - well, she got a guest to say it and then took it as gospel truth. OK, this will be my one and only address of Nancy Grace on this blog.
Here is the place where I play the "church autonomy" card. One of my favorite things about churches of Christ is the idea of autonomy. There is no governing body that controls any congregation. I like this. Structuring congregations this way saves from widespread abuses. So, when a cult like Church of Christ emerges - and they do - its influence is limited and usually dies out.
The thing is that any church, when their "essentials" are confronted, can look cult like. In a pluralistic culture, anything absolute can appear cult-like. Too far into any direction, no matter what direction, and cultishness and cult-like behavior and expectations emerge.
What we need to do with Nancy Grace is to love her and not rag all over her. Nancy Grace is not my enemy.
4 comments:
Chris/Fajita,
I came across your blog from another one - it's been awhile since I've visited. I'm so sorry to hear about your father passing away. That was a beautiful poem you wrote back in 1994.
I was really, really nice in my letter to Nancy. I was pretty upset after seeing the news clip on TV. I just wrote to her that I thought it was poor journalism to drag these poor people through the mud by calling them cultists on TV after they had just lost their preacher. Also - if she had really WANTED to know what the CoC was like, why didn't she bring a CoC minister on TV rather than a Baptist minister? It's just news media. They are there to stir the pot and get ratings... not to be objective and really report the truth. If they don't report the truth during election campaignes, why should we expect it about religion? ;) I agree... poor Nancy really needs our prayers.
So sorry to hear about your father. My mom has been very ill and last week her doctor told her she might have an anuerism. It was the first time I really sat and thought about what it would be like to loose her. I'll keep you in my prayers. God bless and heal your heart.
Chris/Fajita,
I came across your blog from another one - it's been awhile since I've visited. I'm so sorry to hear about your father passing away. That was a beautiful poem you wrote back in 1994.
I was really, really nice in my letter to Nancy. I was pretty upset after seeing the news clip on TV. I just wrote to her that I thought it was poor journalism to drag these poor people through the mud by calling them cultists on TV after they had just lost their preacher. Also - if she had really WANTED to know what the CoC was like, why didn't she bring a CoC minister on TV rather than a Baptist minister? It's just news media. They are there to stir the pot and get ratings... not to be objective and really report the truth. If they don't report the truth during election campaignes, why should we expect it about religion? ;) I agree... poor Nancy really needs our prayers.
So sorry to hear about your father. My mom has been very ill and last week her doctor told her she might have an anuerism. It was the first time I really sat and thought about what it would be like to loose her. I'll keep you in my prayers. God bless and heal your heart.
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