Comments on: Open to Dialogue: Homosexuality and Messiah College http://patmccullough.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/ a blog exploring Christian origins, biblical studies, social/cultural history, method, education and the journey through academia Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:53:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Bendagen http://patmccullough.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/comment-page-1/#comment-247 Bendagen Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:41:00 +0000 http://pgmccullough.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/#comment-247 The intelligent response is dialogue. It is so refreshing to see a Christian college simply engage in a conversation about a very important social and cultural issue without resorting to an emotional exorcism of faith.<br/><br/>Kudos to this school for living out an approach more in line with the precepts of Christ. Afterall, He's the bottom line, correct? The intelligent response is dialogue. It is so refreshing to see a Christian college simply engage in a conversation about a very important social and cultural issue without resorting to an emotional exorcism of faith.

Kudos to this school for living out an approach more in line with the precepts of Christ. Afterall, He’s the bottom line, correct?

]]> By: slaveofone http://patmccullough.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/comment-page-1/#comment-246 slaveofone Mon, 14 May 2007 22:56:00 +0000 http://pgmccullough.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/#comment-246 Hmm... I have to wonder, however, what they are nonviolently resisting? Are they resisting other people's rights to hold beliefs or lifestyles different from their own? Pretty self-defeating if that's the case (i.e., I'm allowed to think differently of you, but not you of me"). I don't know if that is the case or not.<br/><br/>I also wonder whether their goal was an academic one or one more of individual propaganda... I'm all in favor of critical, professional, and researched dialogue and debate in the university setting...but if someone is simply going to show up at a school of higher learning and say, hey, listen to me because I'm talking, it shows not only lack of respect for place and context, but outright disrespect of it. Why should or would anyone in that context listen?<br/><br/>Perhaps my comments betray a woeful ignorance of the methods and initiatives of Equality Ride... Hmm… I have to wonder, however, what they are nonviolently resisting? Are they resisting other people’s rights to hold beliefs or lifestyles different from their own? Pretty self-defeating if that’s the case (i.e., I’m allowed to think differently of you, but not you of me”). I don’t know if that is the case or not.

I also wonder whether their goal was an academic one or one more of individual propaganda… I’m all in favor of critical, professional, and researched dialogue and debate in the university setting…but if someone is simply going to show up at a school of higher learning and say, hey, listen to me because I’m talking, it shows not only lack of respect for place and context, but outright disrespect of it. Why should or would anyone in that context listen?

Perhaps my comments betray a woeful ignorance of the methods and initiatives of Equality Ride…

]]> By: Patrick George McCullough http://patmccullough.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/comment-page-1/#comment-245 Patrick George McCullough Sat, 05 May 2007 19:01:00 +0000 http://pgmccullough.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/#comment-245 Thanks, Michael. I appreciate your perspective and praise for Messiah on this. Thanks, Michael. I appreciate your perspective and praise for Messiah on this.

]]> By: Michael Westmoreland-White http://patmccullough.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/comment-page-1/#comment-244 Michael Westmoreland-White Fri, 04 May 2007 18:22:00 +0000 http://pgmccullough.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/#comment-244 As someone who, after 10 years of struggle, has become a revisionist/inclusivist on GLBT persons in church, I have been a strong supporter of the Equality Rides. Messiah's welcome has been the best so far. Unlike with the Freedom Rides, the purpose of these rides has not been to test public facilities for compliance with Caesar's law, but for dialogue with fellow Christians who disagree. This has happened in many places, but I don't think any place else than Messiah prepared so much in advance. Instant institutional conversion was never the point, so I am not disappointed. As someone who, after 10 years of struggle, has become a revisionist/inclusivist on GLBT persons in church, I have been a strong supporter of the Equality Rides. Messiah’s welcome has been the best so far. Unlike with the Freedom Rides, the purpose of these rides has not been to test public facilities for compliance with Caesar’s law, but for dialogue with fellow Christians who disagree. This has happened in many places, but I don’t think any place else than Messiah prepared so much in advance. Instant institutional conversion was never the point, so I am not disappointed.

]]> By: Patrick George McCullough http://patmccullough.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/comment-page-1/#comment-243 Patrick George McCullough Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:35:00 +0000 http://pgmccullough.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/#comment-243 Thanks for the comment, Steve. That's a complicated aside to get into here, so perhaps I will take it up in a later post. It is an Anabaptist problem in general (see also my last post about <a HREF="http://pgmccullough.blogspot.com/2007/04/pledge-of-allegiance-and-civil-religion.html" REL="nofollow">pledging allegiance to the flag</a>). Suffice it to say that I believe putting up a permanent flag pole dedicated to flying the American flag is more than "acknowledging your appreciation" to the government, but is a show of allegiance to the state and, I think, borders on an act of idolatry (the pledge itself, IMHO, simply <i>is</i> idolatry). The fact that it is an unpopular opinion amidst the student body is unfortunate, I think, because it shows just how far off from Anabaptism its student body is. Furthermore, unpopularity is no justification for showing allegiance to the state. Jesus was not always popular, after all. But again, I'd rather not get into this topic here. Thanks for keeping my sidenote in check and full of nuance! Thanks for the comment, Steve. That’s a complicated aside to get into here, so perhaps I will take it up in a later post. It is an Anabaptist problem in general (see also my last post about pledging allegiance to the flag). Suffice it to say that I believe putting up a permanent flag pole dedicated to flying the American flag is more than “acknowledging your appreciation” to the government, but is a show of allegiance to the state and, I think, borders on an act of idolatry (the pledge itself, IMHO, simply is idolatry). The fact that it is an unpopular opinion amidst the student body is unfortunate, I think, because it shows just how far off from Anabaptism its student body is. Furthermore, unpopularity is no justification for showing allegiance to the state. Jesus was not always popular, after all. But again, I’d rather not get into this topic here. Thanks for keeping my sidenote in check and full of nuance!

]]> By: Steve http://patmccullough.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/comment-page-1/#comment-242 Steve Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:24:00 +0000 http://pgmccullough.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/open-to-dialogue-homosexuality-and-messiah-college/#comment-242 "For me, I am happy that the school "sticks to its guns," if you will, on counter-cultural issues, such as its commitment to not having a flag pole on campus (HUGE AMEN from me!)"<br/><br/>Actually thats not completely true... The school puts up the flag during NCAA events (NCAA Policy). This shows that the school is less interested in their "moral stances" and much more interested in the money and publicity that collegiate sports bring. I would assume if they were truly passionate about that "moral stance" they would not participate in NCAA sports.<br/><br/>By the way that policy is quite unpopular on campus and it seems to me that its wrong to take money or benefit in the millions of other ways the school does from the government and then turn around and disrespect that same government by refusing to acknowledge your appreciation. i.e. flying the flag “For me, I am happy that the school “sticks to its guns,” if you will, on counter-cultural issues, such as its commitment to not having a flag pole on campus (HUGE AMEN from me!)”

Actually thats not completely true… The school puts up the flag during NCAA events (NCAA Policy). This shows that the school is less interested in their “moral stances” and much more interested in the money and publicity that collegiate sports bring. I would assume if they were truly passionate about that “moral stance” they would not participate in NCAA sports.

By the way that policy is quite unpopular on campus and it seems to me that its wrong to take money or benefit in the millions of other ways the school does from the government and then turn around and disrespect that same government by refusing to acknowledge your appreciation. i.e. flying the flag

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