Double Irony Time:
The Southern Baptist Convention just adopted a resolution condemning the view that the Bible supports slavery, which was the main premise on which the SBC was founded back in 1845. To back up this new view, it cites Bible verses used by 18th Century abolitionists to condemn slavery, which the early SBC long & steadfastly denounced as heretical, subversive, etc. That’s Irony #1.
Continue reading Slavery, The Bible, Southern Baptists & Irony
Philip Gourevitch is a writer for the New Yorker, and a student of foreign affairs, including wars. In the Oct.11 issue of the magazine, he published a stunning piece, “Alms Dealers,” which demands the attention of every one who ever wanted to give money or time to help someone in distress far away, or even nearby. It is especially salient and urgent for Quakers concerned with the transfer of cash from US Quaker groups to churches and projects in Kenya.
(Dear reader, this post will not likely make much sense if you’re unfamiliar with a series of posts from last week.Part I of the series is here; then Part II is here; and Part III is here. Part IV is here, and a last-minute postscript is here .
Anyway, the BYM Interim Meeting convened at Richmond (VA) Friends meeting Saturday afternoon. There were a few preliminaries, including a fulsomely orchestrated report from the Intervisitation Program (which was a creation of the 2004 Witness regarding FUM, which also included withholding and redirecting funds for regular membership payments. Then we plunged into the labor of deciding what to do about the proposed minute to resume membership payments.
Late this morning, BYM sent out a revised version of the Proposed Minute on money to FUM. The text has been tweaked and reshuffled, and a bit of the offensive text has been edited out. But not enough. Here’s how the key paragraphs look now (as of 1:15 Pm Friday October 15), with some quick comments inter-leaved:
Our witness on the use of money
In the course of our deliberations we have come to see that money is not really the issue. >>
Continue reading BYM-FUM Minute Revision: A Little Better, Not Much
(Dear reader, this last post will not likely make much sense if you’re unfamiliar with those that came before. Part i is here; then Part II is here; and Part III is here. )
So, once more into the breach. On the Proposed Minute that’s coming before Baltimore YM this weekend on BYM sending money to FUM:
Bottom line: why should BYM send FUM the money?
(Dear reader, if you missed the first two posts in this series, they are on the blog, part One here; and Part Two here. )
Now, back to the Proposed Minute that will come to BYM Interim Meeting this weekend: Under the heading of
<< Our witness on the use of money >>
The draft BYM minute on sending money to FUM opens by declaring that,
<< In the course of our deliberations we have come to see that money is not really the issue. >>
Are they kidding?
Continue reading More: Big Change for Small Change: Baltimore Yearly Meeting & FUM — Part 3
(Dear reader, this last post will not likely make much sense if you’re unfamiliar with those that came before. Part i is here; then Part II is here; and Part III is here. )
So, once more into the breach. On the Proposed Minute that’s coming before Baltimore YM this weekend on BYM sending money to FUM:
Bottom line: why should BYM send FUM the money?
If I had to make the case for doing so, especially if I was determined to be fair to the concerns which produced the witness since 2004, rather than denying, denigrating and discounting them, here’s what it would be.
Continue reading More: Big Change for Small Change: Baltimore Yearly Meeting & FUM — Part 2
NOTE: This post is somewhat “inside baseball,” mainly dealing with Baltimore Yearly Meeting and its relationship with Friends United Meeting. But it may be of interest to some others who are concerned with questions of church governance, challenging religious homophobia, and managing conflicts in church groups. Much of the background is assumed in this initial post, but will be filled in as we go along.
While I missed the 2010 annual sessions of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM — my home Quaker community), I’ve read through the 2010 minutes (and attachments), and heard informal reports from a number of attenders. And even while far away that week in Eighth Month, BYM, its community and deliberations were much in my thoughts and prayers — and yes, my opinions.
Continue reading Big Change for Small Change: Baltimore Yearly Meeting & FUM — Part 1