I didn’t expect to be that prophetic:
Those letters to the editor keep showing up in the paper.
I have previously written about the commitment announcement of two males and the reactions in letters to the editor in the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal here [original diary], here [part 2], here [part 3], and here [part 4].
Five letters to the editor in support of the announcement were published in the Monday, November 5th edition of the paper. Four more letters expressing support appeared in today’s edition.
Excerpts from the November 5th edition follow. The headers for each letter were provided by the paper.
Abuse of pastoral power
“…The news report that I watched explained that a local pastor encouraged church members to write to the paper in opposition. How did our community become so misguided….?
…Encouraging a congregation to speak out against a private issue like this is an abuse of pastoral power…”
Ouch. That had to have left a mark.
There were two letters from Columbia (the city in Missouri). The first:
Stick to Your Guns
“….I hope that you stick to your guns over this issue and hopefully let people know that with all the hate, wars, and genocide going on in the world, there is nothing wrong with two people declaring their love and commitment to each other publicly…”
The second:
Shouldn’t Throw Stones
“…First of all, I’m a conservative and I see no wrong in publishing an announcement showing two people who are making such a commitment to each other…
…Shame on them for throwing stones when they should not…!”
Okay, that one definitely left a mark.
A letter from Florida (the state, but I haven’t checked if there’s a city by that name in Missouri):
Love is a Christian Concept
“…The commitment of these two men to each other in no way harms the family or other marriage relationships…”
A succinct letter:
It’s Time to Open Minds
“….I know this is a very conservative area we live in and it was a risky decision but it’s about time our community opens their eyes and minds…!”
In today’s paper:
Attitude is not Christian
“…My pastor, who is definitely NOT gay, has never said anything negative about gay people or their lifestyle. He believes that only God has the right to judge anyone. I can hardly believe that these people who have been writing to you [in opposition] or pulling their ads from your paper call themselves Christians…!”
Another letter:
Are We to Judge Others?
“…What a controversy we have just because two gentlemen want to share their celebration of love with us.
Are we to judge others?
We’re asked not to…
…’They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love.'”
A pastor from a nearby town weighs in:
<blockquoteLooking For A Scapegoat
“…The real causes of failure in relationships are mostly financial, lack of commitment, unfaithfulness, inappropriate exposure of children to our culture, and inadequate teaching by parents, teachers and pastors.
Instead of accepting responsibility for our many failures, it is much easier to look for a scapegoat to condemn which eases our guilty consciences…”
And, finally, a short letter from someone in Minneapolis, Minnesota:
Focus is on Wrong Thing
“…It’s sad that the fundamentalists get all bent out of shape over something so harmless yet say nothing about Bush ruining our country and destroying the Constitution.”
Remember that phrase: “…ink by the barrel.” I must admit after reading today’s paper, for one brief instant, the thought crossed mind that the paper might be piling on and that those folks who were so offended by the original announcement have probably had enough public chastisement. Nah.
Pass the popcorn.