Best path to a younger flock?

Best path to a younger flock? Church asks older members to worship elsewhere

The United Methodist Church has told the 60+ age members of the Grove United Methodist Church in Cottage Grove, Minnesota to shove off. The church is closing in June and reopening in November – without them. “The church wants to attract more young families. The present members, most of them over 60 years old, will be invited to worship somewhere else. A memo recommends that they stay away for two years, then consult the pastor about reapplying.”

“‘Rev.’ Dan Wetterstrom...said that Methodists’ regional Annual Conference is paying $250,000 to restart the church. They have hired a specialist in starting new churches — Jeremy Peters.

“Peters, 30, has moved to Cottage Grove with his wife and two children. He is working with community groups, laying the groundwork for the relaunch, probably in November.

“‘It’s a new thing with a new mission for a new target,’ said Peters, ‘and a new culture.’”

Though the older members “will not be physically barred from attending,” they are not wanted, and “the expectation is that they will not” attend where they are not wanted.

“William Gackstetter said the aging membership has been asked to continue maintaining the church until it reopens without them.

“‘They want us to mow the lawn and shovel the snow.’ he said.”

“Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. Honour widows that are widows indeed.” 1 Timothy 5:1-3

“…mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Isaiah 56:7

Bully pulpit, bully hypocrite

Several days ago, PayPal released a statement on their website over the name of President and CEO Dan Schulman regarding scuttling their plans for an operations center in North Carolina:

"Two weeks ago, PayPal announced plans to open a new global operations center in Charlotte and employ over 400 people in skilled jobs.  In the short time since then, legislation has been abruptly enacted by the State of North Carolina that invalidates protections of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens and denies these members of our community equal rights under the law.

"The new law perpetuates discrimination and it violates the values and principles that are at the core of PayPal’s mission and culture.  As a result, PayPal will not move forward with our planned expansion into Charlotte."

According to Schulman, "This decision reflects PayPal’s deepest values and our strong belief that every person has the right to be treated equally, and with dignity and respect. These principles of fairness, inclusion and equality are at the heart of everything we seek to achieve and stand for as a company. And they compel us to take action to oppose discrimination."

Sincere minds must question the sincerity of "PayPal’s deepest values" and "action to oppose discrimination." Their deepest values seem to only operate in the United States, where the movement of the bandwagon is in the same direction of their decision in North Carolina. If these are their "deepest values" and not just measures of expediency why not boycott "discrimination" across the globe -- much of it quite unlike a bathroom bill?

Congressman Robert Pittenger, a House of Representatives member from North Carolina, stated, "PayPal does business in 25 countries where homosexual [and transgender] behavior is illegal, including 5 countries where the penalty is death..." PayPal has offices or headquarters in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; Istanbul, Turkey; Chennai, India; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Moscow, Russia and so on. Check their policies on homosexuality and transgender. I haven't tried to verify Pittenger's exact number, but anyone who wants to have a go at it can find where PayPal does business HERE on their own web site.

Prison? PayPal doesn't pull out. Death? PayPal doesn't pull out. Must use a certain bathroom? Oh, we can't have that! The difference is probably this. PayPal can have success bullying individuals, states & other governmental bodies, and politicians in the United States. That's not a workable business solution across the globe, so "PayPal’s deepest values" must stay close to home. With Congressman Pittenger, I too must say "Perhaps PayPal would like to try and clarify this seemingly very hypocritical position."

At least that's how I see it.

An officer of the law

North Carolina's Attorney General Roy Cooper says he will not defend a new state law that voids Charlotte's anti-discrimination ordinance. Will those who called on clerks to resign if they would not issue homosexual marriage licenses also call on Cooper to resign if he won't enforce the law? Same principle, isn't it?

Kasich's Kupkakes

Speaking at the University of Virginia, Ohio governor (and nondescript presidential candidate) John Kasich, weighed in (sort of) the issue of bakeries and homosexual couples, saying, "But if you're a cupcake maker and somebody wants a cupcake, make them a cupcake." Perhaps Kasich doesn't understand what is at issue, or perhaps he was just playing to the crowd (though no presidential candidate has ever done such heretofore). The issue that has been front and center is about not selling cupcakes (or other baked goods) to someone who walks in off the street, but decorating wedding cakes and such like for a homosexual ceremony, which draws the baker's ideas and creativity into contact with the viewpoint of the ceremony being conducted. Whether or not you agree with bakers who refuse to do so, one should fairly represent what is at issue. A candidate for president should be clear and honest about where he stands.

Selective indignation and downright hypocrisy

One of last night's links goes to an article that references George Will pointing out the hypocrisy of Apple CEO Tim Cook. Cook is one of many in the business world who has ascended his high horse and raised a stink to high heaven about the Religious Freedom Restoration Acts in Indiana and Arkansas. Their hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed, even if under-reported. Boycott Iran, Not Indiana quotes Carla Fiorina, for example, "When Tim Cook is upset about all the places he does business because of the way they treat gays and women, he needs to withdraw from 90% of the markets that he's in, including China and Saudi Arabia. But I don't hear him being upset about that."

Arkansas-based Wal-Mart came out against the RFRA in Arkansas. Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon urged the Arkansas governor to veto it -- while the retail giant rascal quietly goes about building its financial empire in countries where homosexuality is a punishable offense (e.g. in Zambia homosexual activity is a felony punishable by imprisonment; Ghana, 5 to 25 years in prison; Tanzania, not less that 30 years in prison) -- and to think, some pizzeria in Indiana only wanted (hypothetically) to not cater homosexual weddings.

Tim Cook and Doug McMillon -- I can see your mouths moving, but I can't hear what you say. But the hypocrisy comes through loud and clear.

Dust-up in Atlanta

* Atlanta Fire Chief says, "I was fired because of my Christian faith."

On Tuesday of this week, the mayor of Atlanta, Georgia fired the city Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran. This came at the end of a 30-day suspension. The cause traces back to a book Cochran wrote and published (originally for a Bible study at his church).

According to the mayor, he disagrees with and is "deeply disturbed by the sentiments expressed in the paperback regarding the LGBT community" and "Chief Cochran’s book is not representative of my personal beliefs, and is inconsistent with the Administration’s work to make Atlanta a more welcoming city for all of her citizens."

City council member Alex Wan supported the mayor's termination of Cochran. He stated, "I support the administration's decision to terminate Kelvin Cochran's employment with the City of Atlanta. This sends a strong message to employees about how much we value diversity and how we adhere to a non-discriminatory environment."

Wan's statement is revealing. In the environment where diversity is valued, the diversity of a Christian who believes homosexual sex is immoral is not valued. One can believe anything as long as you don't believe anything is immoral. (If I write a book that mentions adultery is a sin, have I violated the diversity code of the workplace?)

Fire Chief Cochran said, "LGBT citizens deserve the right to express their belief regarding sexual orientation and deserve to be respected for their position without hate and discrimination, but Christians also have the right to express their beliefs as well."

The mayor was careful to steer the discussion away from freedom of religion and free speech. “This is about judgment,” he said, “This is not about religious freedom. This is not about free speech. Judgment is the basis of the problem.” The mayor has made no claim that the fire chief discriminated against anyone, but rather said that Cochran "violated the city's code of conduct." Whatever that means. Perhaps this is related to a "he said-he said" controversy in which the mayor claims his administration was not notified of the book before it was published, while the fire chief said "the director of Atlanta’s ethics office had not only given him permission to write the book, but to also mention in his biography that he was the city’s fire chief."

Ultimately, as I take it, the best the critics have to offer is not that Cochran discriminated against anyone on the basis of "sexuality" but that he merely had the potential to do so! While many profess to be deeply offended, it appears many of them have never read Cochran's book and simply take issue with the fact that (they have heard) he believes homosexuality is a sin. According to some reports homosexuality is only referenced once in the 160 page book, as a sexual sin against God. I have ordered the book and hope to report back what I find.

The help

The Obamas say they're still affected by everyday racism. Treated like "the help"? That might be true, but the examples they give are less than convincing.

First Lady Michelle Obama told about a trip to Target. While there another customer in the store asked for her help reaching an item (The President's wife in 5'11" tall). The customer did not recognize her as the first lady of the United States. That's not treating someone like "the help". That's just asking for help.

The President stated, "There's no black male my age, who's a professional, who hasn't come out of a restaurant and is waiting for their car and somebody didn't hand them their car keys." Surely he intended that as hyperbole! Otherwise, I can't believe it.

Trying to identify with the plight of other African-Americans in the U. S. may be hard for this couple. After all, in a sense they are the most powerful couple in the United States. These stories don't say as much to me about discrimination against the first couple as it speaks to their own place of privilege. We underlings, "the help" who perform service jobs, should not be so far beneath them that they are insulted when identified with us.