Fundamentalist liberals

One mantra that is constantly sounded against "fundamentalists" is that they care more about their doctrines and laws than they care about people. What I noticed online yesterday makes me believe that many "liberals" are just as fundamentalist for their ideals as are the fundamentalists. Do they really care about people, or more about furthering their agenda? I ask this because of the Josh Duggar situation. Not content to "out" Duggar for his child molestation and hypocrisy, now they are now outing his victims!

[Note: This refers to some of these girls being identified before they chose to be, or without their consent. I guess we've know for a while who some of them are. This morning I noticed in one article that the Associated Press stated they "generally do not identify victims of sexual mistreatment...But" -- referencing one who has chosen to speak publicly. But this one and others were already identified before she spoke publicly. In the rush to judge Josh Duggar, the consideration for his victims was handled very poorly.]

13 Old Words, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• 13 Wonderful Old English Words We Should Still Be Using Today -- 'Fudgel (v): "pretending to work when you're not actually doing anything at all."'
• Ceasing to Fight for Our Christian Culture Only Prepares Us for Defeat -- "Scratch the soul of many a conservative and beneath you will find a villager."
• Cultural Cleansing of Christian Males -- "...if the founder of Christianity is the Son of God, then Christianity is a superior religion."
• I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me -- "Instead of focusing on the rightness or wrongness (or even acceptability) of the materials we reviewed in class, the complaint would center solely on how my teaching affected the student's emotional state."
• Isn't It About Time Climate Scientists Confessed? -- "...95% of the models have over-forecast the warming trend since 1979."
• Judge Rules Against McDonald's Owners Who Paid Employees With Debit Cards -- "McDonald's franchise owners Albert and Carol Mueller...broke the law by paying thousands of employees exclusively by debit card."
• Polygamy Is More Popular Than Ever -- "First comes love, then comes marriage, then as many concurrent marriages as you want?"
• When Christianity is just another consumer choice -- "Consumer culture exercises a domain over the person unimagined by previous generations."

A nonfundamentalist's response to an Unfundamentalist Christian

Below is a response to John Shore's 14 alternatives to evangelical Christianity, which alternatives he claims are "as biblical as any Christianity ever was." We shall see. The fact that he believes them doesn't mean they are biblical. Shore is a pastor in the Progressive Christian Alliance. He is the founder of Unfundamentalist Christians and a co-founder of The NALT Christians Project.

1. Jesus Christ was divine. In the course of his dutiful incarnation on earth he therefore easily (what with being divine and all) performed what to him alone weren't miracles at all. As a means of providing for the irrevocable reconciliation of humankind to God (and so of course for each person to him or herself) he allowed for his bodily execution on the cross; by way of (yet again) proving that he was divine he then rose from the dead; for the benefit of all people he left behind the totality of him/her self in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is readily and easily available to everyone.

Most of this could describe a biblical, evangelical or fundamentalist belief about Jesus. But what does Shore mean when he says Jesus was "divine"? He avoids saying that Jesus is God, and so that leaves me wondering. Then he ends up with the progressive himself/herself pronouns for God which many of us will not agree (neither biblically nor grammatically).

2. The Bible is not a contract stipulating the rules for being a Christian. It is an ancient, massive, infinitely complex tome comprising songs, visions, histories, dreams, parables, commandments, and more. Christians seeking to follow the Word of God must look to all the words of God, ever seeking within those words the spirit of Jesus Christ. This means never failing to choose love, compassion and charity over adherence to any Biblical "law" that in practice or spirit violates Christ's Great Commandment to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

3. Christianity is supposed to be all about nothing more (and nothing less!) than living a life of love, compassion, fairness, peace, and humility.

These two start out strong, but end up empty. The Bible is complex, and we "must look to all the words of God." Many fundamentalists fall to this error, as well as the liberals. We must interpret the words "in the spirit of Jesus Christ" but we are not at liberty to "cherry-pick" the spirit of Jesus Christ into whatever we want it to be. In practice, Shore's "unfundamental" version dismisses large portions of the words of God to make Christianity "about nothing more (and nothing less!) than living a life of love, compassion, fairness, peace, and humility." It is definitely about that, but not about "nothing more" than that.

4. The Biblical scholarship supporting the idea that Paul never wrote a word condemning natural homosexuality is more credible and persuasive than is the scholarship claiming that he did. Moreover, we remain mystified as to how any follower of Jesus could choose damning an entire population over obeying Jesus' Great Commandment to love God and one's neighbor as oneself.

First, Shore is selective about which Biblical scholarship he references, then is tricky by sneaking in the undefined "natural homosexuality". A lot of scholars understand Paul is talking about homosexual sex acts -- and "natural homosexuality" is an anachronism when slipped back into Paul's context. By "natural homosexuality" Shore means that some people are by nature (born) homosexuals, and so for them homosexual acts are not sinful. People with only heterosexual feelings whom preform homosexual acts are the ones Paul condemns. If you'll buy that, "I'll throw the Golden Gate in free." (Romans 1:26-27 is talking about natural acts -- not natural feelings. E.g. "natural use" KJV; "natural function" NASB; "natural relations" ESV; "natural sexual relations" NIV)

5. God does not want any woman automatically "submitting" to her husband or to anyone else.

Guess God forgot to tell Paul about that. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." Ephesians 5:22. This needs to be understood, but it does not need to be dismissed.

6. Using masculine pronouns to refer to God is strictly a matter of convention, a profoundly unfortunate necessity of the English language, which to date offers no satisfactory alternative. But God is neither male nor female. God is always, at once, both and unimaginably more.

God is a Spirit, and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. He is neither male nor female as we understand it humanly. But even if you buy into the modern gender unspecific pronoun grammar propaganda, this clearly is not a "profoundly unfortunate necessity of the English language." God is spoken of in masculine pronouns in the Hebrew and Greek as well.

7. The belief that throughout history God chose to introduce himself in different ways into different culture streams is more reasonable, respectful, and compassionate than is the conviction that there is only one correct way to understand and worship God.

Yet, the very one whom Shore makes the authority on the Great Commandment (love God and your neighbor as yourself) ALSO said that He was the only way that we might come to God (e.g. John 14:6). Now who's cherry picking? Focusing his ethic almost solely on one thing that Jesus taught (and the things he can make fit with it) and then disposing of everything else is exactly the kind of thing that Shore accuses the fundamentalists of doing when he says we "must look to all the words of God" -- and then not looking to all the words of God.

8. There is no support in the Bible for the morally repugnant idea that hell is an actual place to which God sentences people to spend eternity in mortal agony.

Yes, many people don't believe in a literal hell (and many people do). To say that there is NO SUPPORT in the Bible for it is simply living in a fairy tale world reading a fairy tale Bible that only says what you want it to say. More cherry picking. Again, it is a matter of understanding the support (or lack thereof) that the Bible gives to an eternal hell, and not just dismissing those passages.

9. God's will and intention is to forgive and teach us, not to judge and punish us.

God's will includes all the above, unless you cut out portions of the Bible (or don't believe the Bible at all).

10. Anyone desiring to mix Church and State has failed to understand the nature and proper role of either.

If we investigated this together we might end up miles apart (for example, how does he define "mixing"). But on a initial reading I can't find anything wrong with what Shore says about church and state. 

11. God can handle converting people. Our job is to love people.

Lacking further context with which I might disagree, I'll have to say AMEN and AMEN to this one!

12. An all-powerful God and the theory of evolution are not incompatible.

Some theory that some people have of their belief of God might not be incompatible with their theory of evolution. But the Biblical record of God's creation from nothing is incompatible with the common scientific evolutionary theories of origins. Both scientists and theologians know that.

13. Getting a divorce is painful, and if at all possible should certainly be avoided. But in and of itself divorce is not immoral.

Again Shore cherry picks the person he has made the authority for his ethic. Jesus taught that divorce puts one in an immoral situation. Even if we apply a few exceptions to this, the teaching of Christ on divorce applies to most of them. Shore intends to say that divorce is never immoral. But it is, according to Jesus.

14. The single most telling indicator of a person's moral character has nothing to do with how they define or worship God, and everything to do with how they treat others.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, by having love one to another.

One thing that strikes me about the "what Jesus said" theory of folks like Shore is illustrated by Matthew 7. They love to point out verses like number 1 and number 12 (which we all should love): "Judge not, that ye be not judged...Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." But verses that follow in 13 through 23, usually not so much:  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Possible Sacred Harp composer

A tentative study of the person who may be the composer E. F. Williams:

WILLIAMS, E. F. This might be Eli Fletcher Williams (March 23, 1838—November 15, 1923). He was born in Russell County, Alabama to South Carolina natives Eli Williams and Mary Hollingsworth Truesdale. Williams joined Company A of 34th Alabama Infantry in 1864 and served as a Private for 11 months. He was wounded in fighting at Atlanta, Georgia. He was paroled in North Carolina at the end of the war and returned to Alabama. On March 21, 1867 he married Lucy Adaline Kidd (1841—1914) in Elmore County, Alabama. The marriage was performed by Methodist minister Robert A. Timmons. Eli and Lucy had 8 children. They buried at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Eclectic, Elmore County, Alabama. He is a brother of one of two possible William Lafayette Williams who composed songs for The Sacred Harp. 
      117 TIMMONS  
      458 FRIENDSHIP

People may say, and other music quotes

"People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing." -- Florence Foster Jenkins

"In the old 'Southern Harmony; and the later 'Sacred Harp' there are songs and melodies which have not been excelled by any composition of the more pretentious writers and composers of the latter days." -- from the Winfield Enterprise, Marion County, AL, July 20, 1899

"Life is a song - sing it." -- Sai Baba

"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back." -- Plato

"Singing is my passion, my first love and the secret of my energy. Music to me is like finding my inner self, my soul." -- Kailash Kher

"The only thing better than singing is more singing." -- Ella Fitzgerald

"The Author, having different views upon the science of music from those published in other works, did not feel satisfied that they should lie hidden in mystery for ages yet to come, while, by an exposition of them, he may enlighten millions yet unborn." -- John Gordon McCurry, in his Preface to The Social Harp

"Some authors direct that A in la and fa shall be sounded as it is in father; but I greatly prefer the broad sound as in law, as being more musical and dignified." -- Samuel Wakefield, p. 9 in Minstrel of Zion 

 "This work seeks not a place in the higher departments of poetry and music. It is rather designed as a contribution to the songs of plain Christian people, who make little pretensions to highly cultivated musical and poetical taste." -- William Hunter, p. 3 in Minstrel of Zion

"Many of the airs in this book I learned in childhood from the sweet voice of my mother." -- William Hauser in his Preface to The Hesperian Harp

Does Jesus forgive you, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Does Jesus forgive you? Yes. Anybody care? Not really -- "After doing wrong, we usually want everything to be all right."
• Dealing with the Duggars -- "There is a difference in “lying to the public” and “not parading” dirty laundry down main street."
• Fast-food worker helps disabled patron -- "Then he asked if there was anything else he could get for her."
• For the Mouth Speaks -- “Sean told me that it isn’t the children who have cut off their parents; in fact, it’s the opposite. But the parents I’ve spoken with vigorously dispute this and insist that the elders have created a situation, structurally, wherein their children are unable to enjoy good, normal relationships with their parents.”
• Marine court-martialed for refusing to remove Bible verse -- “A United States Marine was convicted at a court-martial for refusing to remove a Bible verse on her computer – a verse of Scripture the military determined 'could easily be seen as contrary to good order and discipline.'”
• There Are 6 Types of Drowning — 4 That You’ve Never Heard of -- "Would you know when someone is drowning?"

Musically-minded quotes

Sacred Harp

"If God didn't want this, he would have cut it off way back then." -- Dewey Williams

"Sacred Harp music is defiantly old-school." -- unknown

“It’s different from mainstream church music. It’s primitive, enticing and ethereal, all at the same time. It’s a very powerful form of worship.” -- Renè Greene

"...the powerful and sometimes sorrowful old sounds of Sacred Harp are alien to modern progress and prosperity which does its best to ignore the harsher aspects of life and death..." -- F. E. Abernethy
Music

"You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note." -- Doug Floyd

"Music is a sensation of pleasure produced in the mind by means of sounds." -- Elam Ives, Jr.

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." -- Berthold Auerbach

Inappropriate dress?

On Yahoo Parenting, writer Rachel Bertsche asked, Should This High Schooler Have Been Suspended for Her 'Inappropriate' Dress?

Both the student and the author Bertsche elevate how the student feels above the school's rules. "Reay admits that her dress may have been an inch or two short of that, but says she was focused on wearing a dress that made her feel like she could conquer the world."

The proper question is not whether the student violated the rules, but whether the rule is appropriate or should be changed. The student clearly DID violate the dress code. The school's dress code (p. 16 ) states that "Skirts, dresses, or other similar attire must extend at least to the top of the knee cap, from the front and from the back." Bertsche points out that the student's dress “passes many schools’ 'fingertip rule'” and “is hardly inappropriate.” Whether Bertsche thinks the dress is appropriate or whether it doesn't violate some other school's rules is immaterial. The picture on the Yahoo Parenting page makes it clear that it did violate the rules of the school where the student attended. Dress code's are always questionable -- especially in how consistently they are applied -- but once a school adopts a dress code that is satisfactory to the community, students should comply with it. If the community is not satisfied with it, they should seek to get it changed. What they should not do is seek to encourage students to violate it.

There are certainly some technical issues in this incident that are questionable -- for example, whether the teacher or school allowed her mother the opportunity to bring appropriate clothing. But in the end it seems the student was suspended for her insubordination rather than her clothing. It's not clear, but she may have also violated the cell phone policy. 

Nevertheless, I think that this and other similar recent incidents signal the rampant modern belief that people should be able to do what they feel like, rules be damned. The writer ends her piece by quoting the student, "...all women need to realize that they should wear what they feel good in." But the simple fact is that we cannot go the route that always allows all, whether men or women, to "wear what they feel good in."

The Great Day, Judge Falkner

Falkerner, Judge. The song The Great Day was added to The Sacred Harp in 1860 (p. 386). It was composed by J. P. Rees. It originally had 5 stanzas "as sung by Judge Falkerner" of Alabama (whether or not the stanzas were actually written by him). "Judge Falkerner of Ala" is probably Thomas Jefferson Falkner. He was the son of Job Falkner and Mary Gulledge, born April 22, 1810 in Jasper County, Georgia and died April 22, 1895/6 in Montgomery, Alabama. One of his markers in the Marbury Baptist Church Cemetery (Autauga County, Alabama) reads "Rev. Judge Falkner April 1810 April 1896 A Baptist Minister & One of Gods Greatest." He was a lawyer, judge, Baptist preacher and held several offices in Alabama – including Senator. During the War Between the States he was a Lieutenant Colonel of the 8th Confederate Cavalry. "He was fully allied to the Democratic party." [Note: this song was replaced by Carry Me Home in 1902 and does not appear in any Cooper editions of The Sacred Harp. Nevertheless I found this man while researching other Sacred Harp composers and decided to include this information about him. The tune was removed from the Denson book in 1936 and then returned (with alto added) in 1966.]

Rest for the Weary

McDonald, William (March 1, 1820—September 11, 1901) was the son of Joseph McDonald and Mary Wilson, born in Belmont, Waldo County, Maine. He was a preacher, writer, composer and editor. He became a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1839. McDonald served churches in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts, as well as Appleton, Wisconsin. He was admitted to the Maine Conference in 1843. In 1855 he transferred to Wisconsin and pastored at Appleton. He was well remembered there; someone writing 50 years later described McDonald as "...the most eloquent preacher that ever filled an Appleton pastorate." He joined the New England Conference in 1859. He was an active member of the National Holiness Association, serving as both Vice-President (1868—1884) and President (1884—1893). He was also editor of the Advocate of Bible Holiness from 1870 to 1894. Within this movement he "urged Holiness adherents to remain faithful to Methodism" and "vigorously opposed the growing movement to organize independent Holiness churches." McDonald was editor of several songbooks, including the Wesleyan Minstrel, the Wesleyan Sacred Harp, the American Hymn & Tune Book, and Tribute of Praise. The latter book, co-compiled with L. F. Snow, became the basis for the 1882 official hymnal of the Methodist Protestant Church. McDonald married Frances Jordan. They are buried at the Forest Hills Cemetery at Jamaica Plain in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. In The Melodeon by J. W. Dadmun (see Steel, p. 102) the song Rest for the Weary (p. 18) is attributed to "Revs. W. McD. and J. W. D." John Julian credits the original poetry to Samuel Young Harmer, stating is was "slightly altered, and set to music by the Rev. W. McDonald of Boston, Massachusetts." If correct, taken with Dadmun's attribution, this may suggest that McDonald was the original composer and that Dadmun arranged it.

474       Rest for the Weary

A Golden Wedding.

A Golden Wedding.

  On Tuesday ult., the golden wedding

of Maj. B. F. White and Thurza White was

celebrated at their residence in DeKalb

county, this State. Many valuable presents

were made by the children and grand-children

of the aged couple. A large number of

friends partook of a sumptuous dinner. Maj.

White is the author of the Sacred Harp.

Among those present were thirty-four grand-

children, of which number our Mr. Byrd con-

tributed eleven. A still longer life to the

oldest couple in DeKalb.

Atlanta Sunday Herald, Jan. 11, 1874 -- page 8

Grace quotes

G.R.A.C.E. -- God's riches at Christ's expense (unknown)

"I would far rather convey grace than explain it." -- Philip Yancey

"Grace is ‘the last best word,’ the only unsullied theological word remaining in our language." -- Philip Yancey

Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display
Which drew the wondrous plan.
Philip Doddridge

"Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues." -- John Stott

"By the grace of God I am what I am." -- Paul

"My grace is sufficient for thee." -- God

High in Yonder Realms of Light

The hymn below was written by Thomas Raffles (1788-1863). According to John Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology, it was first published in the Supplement to the Evangelical Magazine for December 1808, and then in William B. Collyer's Collection in 1812. It originally had six 8-line stanzas. It was sung at his funeral.

1. High in yonder realms of light
Dwell the raptured saints above,
Far beyond our feeble sight,
Happy in Immanuel's love.

2. Pilgrims in this vale of tears,
Once they knew, like us below,
Gloomy doubts, distressing fears,
Torturing pain, and heavy woe.

3. But, these days of weeping o'er,
Past this scene of toil and pain,
They shall feel distress no more,
Never--never weep again.

4. ‘Mid the chorus of the skies,
‘Mid th’angelic lyres above,
Hark--their songs melodious rise,
Songs of praise to Jesus' love!

5. Happy Spirits! ye are fled
Where no grief can entrance find:
Lulled to rest the aching head,
Soothed the anguish of the mind.

6. Every tear is wiped away--
Sighs no more shall heave the breast;
Night is lost in endless day--
Sorrow, in eternal rest.

Ernst Friedrich and Carry Me Home

Friedrich, Ernst (September 1872—August 24, 1932) was born in Ohio, the son of [Name unknown] and Catherine Friedrich, who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany in 1852. He married Rose Wirth in 1905 and they had two children, Ernst Jr. and Alma. He worked as a typesetter in 1900, learning the trade circa 1895 at Franklin Type Foundry. He is listed in the 1910 census as a "Printer" at a "Music house" and in 1920 as a "Music Printer." At least from circa 1918 to 1922 (and probably longer) he worked for the Armstrong Printing Company, a Cincinnati printer who specialized in shape note song books. With Frank J. Reis, he sang the duet that W. M. Cooper used to arrange the tune on page 386 of The Sacred Harp, Revised and Improved, 1902. Ernst and Rose are buried in the Vine Street Hill Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

386      Carry Me Home (“as sung by” w/Frank J. Reis)

Frank Reis and Carry Me Home

Reis, Frank J. (January 1862—Janurary 12, 1929) was the son of Xavier Francis Reis and Helena Sutterer. They immigrated to the United States from Baden, Germany in 1853, and Frank was born in Ohio. Frank Reis married Mary Meineke (1861—1927) circa 1885. She was also born in Germany. He worked as a typesetter from 1880 through 1900 (based on censuses). In 1910 he was described as a "Printer" in the industry of "Music." In 1920 he is occupation is a "Prop" (proprietor?) of a Music Printing Company. Frank and Mary are buried in the Vine Street Hill Cemetery in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. With Ernst Friedrich, also a Cincinnati music typesetter, he sang the duet that W. M. Cooper used to arrange the tune on page 386 of The Sacred Harp, Revised and Improved, 1902. Cooper had the song book printed in Cincinnati, so may have became acquainted with them and their song through that process.

386      Carry Me Home (“as sung by” w/Ernst Friedrich)

Constitutional Convention and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Constitutional Convention delegates begin to assemble -- "Although the convention was originally supposed to begin on May 14, James Madison reported that a small number only had assembled."
• Oldest complete copy of Ten Commandments displayed in Israel -- "The 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scroll has never before been publicly displayed in Israel..."
• The Case Against Fully Shifting To Gender Neutral Bathrooms -- "Pushing for gender neutral bathrooms is a new and increasingly popular form of campus activism.
• The Shocking Truth of Church Budgets -- "...people...understand that ministry requires funding. But they intuitively smell something foul about how many churches’ offerings are being used." "Comparatively, what do churches spend on personnel, buildings and administration expenses? Those items consume 82 percent of the average church’s budget, according a study from the Evangelical Christian Credit Union."
• The Two [West] Virginias -- "...in July 1863, the 48 northwestern counties of the Old Dominion formed the State of West Virginia. Despite this political shift, new lines drawn on the map changed little of the personal loyalties which existed from township to township, household to household." Want millennials back in the pews? Stop trying to make church ‘cool.’ -- "I want a service that is not sensational, flashy, or particularly ‘relevant.’ I can be entertained anywhere. At church, I do not want to be entertained. I do not want to be the target of anyone’s marketing."
• WNBA, USA Basketball's silence on Brittney Griner risks double standard -- "One league that was not brought before Congress: the WNBA."

This day in history

* May 14 -- "Anderson Moffett...died May 14, 1835"

In Memory of "Goose," alias Joe Louis

Obituary of Al Leon Chapman (1938--2015) son of Robert Obie Chapman and Ellen Francis Hutson, one of the former players of a great Laneville HS basketball team (didn't see this mentioned elsewhere so thought I'd mention it here)

94 yr old graduate, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• 94-Year-Old Man Graduates From College, More Than 75 Years After He Started -- "Anthony Brutto of Morgantown enrolled at WVU in 1939 and started studying engineering, physical education and industrial arts before being drafted into World War II..."
• Doonesbury for Sharia – Leftist Rejects Drawing the Prophet -- "... it was the jihad mass murderers, not Charlie Hebdo, that brought a world of pain to France."
• Google's self-driving cars have been getting in accidents in California -- "Google and Delphi said their cars were not at fault in any accidents, which the companies said were minor."
• How a Darth Vader selfie showed the worst side of social media -- "People need to get their information from proper news sources rather than rely on drama queens who share things without thought on Facebook."
• Starbucks Will Not Have to Pay Cop for Hot Coffee Spill -- "... both sides agreed that they would be willing to accept the verdict if it were reached by a majority of the jurors and not necessarily all of them..."
• Texas students take aim at Jefferson Davis campus statue -- "Carleton said aside from the symbolism of the statues, they're works of art and should be preserved."
• Will Kraft let Brady stand alone if QB is suspended? -- "If Kraft means what he stated, then Brady will be on his own to appeal and fight league discipline."

Baptizing Baby Jack

An important and sometimes intense discussion between same-sex marriage supporters and Bible-believing Christians is whether this new direction of same-sex marriage success will result in limiting the religious and doctrinal practices of churches and ministers. For example, whether this will:

• require ministers to solemnize marriages to which they object 
• require churches to make facilities and services equally available 
• expose churches and/or religious leaders to civil lawsuits for discrimination 

Supporters give a resounding "No" and then wonder why conservative and evangelical Christians don't believe them. The incident in Central Florida revolving around "baptizing Baby Jack" is a good example of why the skepticism.

According to the article Gay Dads Claim Church Agreed to Baptize Their Baby and Then Abruptly Backed Out the same-sex fathers of "Baby Jack" wanted to have their baby baptized. A lot of the reporting is from their standpoint. From that point of view it is reported that "just three days before [the baptism] was set to unfold, McCaffrey said that Clark called and informed him that there was an internal debate at the church and that some congregants opposed the baptism." Susan Russell at Huffington Post has written Baptism, Baby Jack and the Bishop of Central Florida suggesting that the Bishop may "be guilty in 2015 of singling out LGBT parents seeking the sacrament of baptism for their children." Now there is a petition at Faithful America to "Make sure that no priest in your diocese ever again denies the holy sacrament of baptism to a child on the basis of the parents' sexual orientation." Clearly the LGBT movement is not just concerned about what happens in bakeries and flower shops -- they want to influence the religious decisions of denominational bodies and local churches.

This is probably a little more complex for Episcopalians than it would be for Baptists and other free congregational type churches -- since they are not simply governed locally. Nevertheless, it is clear that at least some people want to come into our churches and tell us how to practice our faith -- despite continually stressing that they do not.

As a side issue, I laughed a little when the "Reverend" Russell asked WWJD. What would Jesus do? According to Russell, "He'd baptize Jack." This in spite of the fact  -- even if you believe in infant baptism -- that Jesus never baptized anyone. I suppose that doesn't matter, if you ignore the Bible and make up its meaning as you go.