Re: Preoccupation: Was Do non-U.S. .....

From: Sondra Brasile (sbrasile@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Jun 03 2003 - 10:56:49 EDT

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    Joel,

    Oh, thanks for explaining, now I understand where it came from. :)

    Sondra

    >From: Joel Cannon <jcannon@jcannon.washjeff.edu>
    >Reply-To: jcannon@washjeff.edu
    >To: sbrasile@hotmail.com (Sondra Brasile)
    >CC: asa@calvin.edu
    >Subject: Re: Preoccupation: Was Do non-U.S. .....
    >Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 12:06:44 -0400 (EDT)
    >
    >Sondra said:
    >
    > >
    > > Joel,
    > >
    > > What about Rich seems to be more preoccupied with homosexuality than the
    > > rest of us 4 or 5 people who were involved in the debate?
    >
    >Snip
    >
    > > So I'll get down to the question, "what IS your problem"? Why the
    > > defensiveness, do you feel you have you been attacked in some way?
    > >
    >
    >
    >I take it that this is an honest question that goes beyond your
    >irritation.
    >
    >
    >I have many problems. Discussing homosexuality is not necessarily one
    >of them, particularly if it is civil and thougtful (I had planned to
    >post a response to one of your posts, but I am not sure that I will
    >have time after this). It is a legitimate issue, and I contributed,
    >seconding the recommendation of Richard Hays book, "The Moral Vision
    >of the New Testament." (the discussion would be elevated significantly
    >if more had read and learned this book--BTW he would oppose Burgy's
    >position). It is an exceptional example of deep biblical knowledge and
    >civil, rational discussion about an intense and emotional issue. While
    >I find that American evangelicism is obsessed with the issue in the
    >sense that they have made it (rather than the gospel or "what is the
    >gospel") the issue on which to stand (I find that to be true of my
    >evangelical Episcopal brethren to an alarming degree), I have not
    >found the other four participants to be exceptionally obsessed or
    >preoccupied. I have to say (and I say it to him each time it comes up
    >here) that I think Burgy demonstrates a significant amount of courage
    >and restraint saying what he says. Most of us don't like being called
    >heretics, which is usually what it comes to.
    >
    >Regarding me, since I have so many problems, I think a better question
    >than, "What is my problem?" would be the question of how we got to
    >the post you were reacting to. The thread started, as the title "Do
    >non-U.S. Christians say God Bless America?" implies with my question
    >of how the non-U.S. subscribers reacted to a memorial day, civil
    >religion, "God Bless America" post. The whole thread about
    >homosexuality started with Rich's response to a Canadian subsriber's
    >reaction with the statement, "Canadians are often afraid to preach the
    >gospel lest the gays protest."
    >
    >That strikes me, and I suspect many others as gratuitous. Other than
    >the word `Canada,' it had nothing to do with the post he responded to or
    >how other Christians feel about American civil religion. In my
    >opinion, it reflects, some sort of preoccupation, or obsession. It is
    >almost like a verbal Rorshsach test. Instead of putting inkblots in
    >front of people and asking what they see, we put random words and see
    >what they say. Just as a sexually preoccupied person always sees
    >sexual objects in the inkblot, it seems to me that Rich will have the
    >reaction "homosexual" (or perhaps liberal jewry) to a large number of
    >words. If the word Canada produces comments about homosexuals, one
    >wonders what significant word would not inspire comments about
    >homosexuals (for all Canadians reading this, I do think Canada is
    >significant!!).
    >
    >When Jan de Koning asked how "God Bless America" became homosexuality,
    >I expressed my opinion. Rich's response, which if I had clipped the
    >whole into my post, would in my opinion make some thoughtful people
    >ask just what preoccupied meant if Rich was not that. I had the same
    >reaction to reading it that I have when I listen to my mother say with
    >real conviction, "I am not old." Perhaps I should have resisted the
    >temptation to say so.
    >
    >
    >So that may give you some hint of what my "problem" is.
    >
    >------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    >Joel W. Cannon | (724)223-6146
    >Physics Department | jcannon@washjeff.edu
    >Washington and Jefferson College |
    >Washington, PA 15301 |
    >
    >
    >

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