Letters
received during the week of 21 September 2003
Such a lovely
website. Is that lavender font your own handwriting?
JUST
A QUICK NOTE ON your commentary of the week. As a publishing
professional who
has donated her services to redesign print material for more than one
parish, I can comment: no amateur wants to be told that he or she isn't
just a marvelous designer--and can do a better job than you, the professional,
can. It's frustrating and depressing in the extreme.
Belle Minge
Bishop
Church of the Holy Communion
Charleston, SC (USA)
22 September 2003
Anglicans
Online is so very much slower than Google, but we're always glad to help
I
AM DOING SOME FAMILY HISTORY and looking for a
Bishop John Charles Broadhurst.
Can anyone help? Thank you
Isabel Irvine
St. Matthias
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
25 September 2003
Editor's note:
we have directed Ms Irvine to the Bishop
of Fulham in the Diocese of
London.
All of our
executions have been quite excellent
WELL,
IF THERE IS ONE THING EPISCOPALIANS ARE KNOWN FOR beyond placing a premium
on
excellence of execution (with apologies to Henry VIII), it's carping
on those who don't maintain standards. Come on, lighten up! Re: your
editorial on slipping publication standards, while a good excoriation
is always in order, do remember that you work in a glass office. Speaking
as "an uncle" who was dragooned into creating Albuquerque's St. John's
Cathedral website (www.stjohnsabq.org)
because no one else had time--least of all the design professionals in
our community--it's not all that bad.
I can think of several sites in our Diocese of the Rio Grande, which
is easily the most penurious in the country, that, though perhaps somewhat
short of your exacting standards, are nonetheless perfectly charming
in their straightforward communication. Having visited a number of those
parishes throughout New Mexico and the Big Bend of Texas, I can honestly
say those sites do a really good job of communicating the tone and flavor
of their congregations. That kind of honesty is refreshing. But your
main point is well taken: what's needed isn't money or even necessarily
skill: it's care. God bless those who do!
Mark Cleveland
Cathedral Church of St. John
Albuquerque, NM USA
25 September 2003
Editor's note:
we think your website is pretty nice, and we're impressed by your mastery
of Dreamweaver and Photoshop. We're glad you care, and your parish and
diocese should be glad you have such skill.
Not everybody
in the south feels the same way
I
KNOW THAT YOU DON'T PRINT RESPONSES to emails
sent to you,
but I feel compelled to respond to Alison from Alabama.
Dear Alison,
You seem quite
confident that you speak for all southern Episcopalians
in you denounciation of the election of Canon
Gene Robinson to the episcopate. I would like to inform
you that you are quite wrong. Regardless, of the perceived
lack of support for Bishop Robinson from the South
on your part, I can assure that it exists. So please get
off of your "high horse" and stop speaking for all southern Episcopalians.
Thank you.
Wayne Shaw
Church of the Incarnation
Dallas, Texas
texsandman1@msn.com
27 September 2003
Editor's
note: sometimes we do. Just don't count on it.
And you
don't split infinitives, either: well done
AM
I THE ONLY ANGLICAN BRAVE ENOUGH openly to call
on Canon Gene Robinson at this
point
to choose not to be ordained a Christian bishop? It is preposterous that
the succession of the apostles and the traditional teachings of the canonical
Christian scriptures should be polluted by this man, whose life history
already is a disgrace to the Christian priesthood and an offense to Christian
laity who continue to work hard to keep their marriages and families
strong.
How does getting
married anyway even though Robinson thought he was truly homosexual,
then managing to beget children with his wife, and then giving up on
the marriage in order to live his openly gay life - how does all this
not immediately disqualify him for being a regional leader and supervisor
for the church of Jesus Christ? Also, the way the other Episcopal bishops
hurried to make fools out of whoever said Robinson had sexuality problems
makes it pretty clear that Robinson's bishop friends knew there are things
about him that need to be covered up. Robinson wearing a bishop's mitre
and robes will just look like deliberately offensive dress-ups. Is that
how God's child on the cross deserves to be represented? From what I
hear across the state line, there are plenty of New Hampshire Episcopalians
who are scared to protest that they were "done to" by Robinson's election
in the first place.
Anthony Graziano
St. Paul's Cathedral
Boston, Mass.
28 September 2003
Editor's note:
anyone interested in the actual facts can find them here.
God is the
final judge
I
WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON Rev. Gene Robinson. I am not
a gay person, I
am not
a man,
I am a child of God like all of you. I neither like or dislike anyone
who has a different view than mine. I want to tell you that for anyone
to judge Rev. Robinson (who from all reports I have read), is a very
good minister and son of God. He is a listener, a confidant, father,
and leader of his church. He chooses to be who he is in truth, and not
hide it. Why judge this man, does God really judge his children and banish
them for their differences? He loves us for speaking our truth, holding
our convictions, knowing that God loves us all no matter color, size,
or sex. He doesn't choose any of us over another...he has unconditional
love no matter who we are...listen to that unconditional love, if God
loves us that much, why can't this church also love a man who is one
of your pastors, for who he is? Why make such a big deal of it? I wish
there were more people who believed in truth and had the guts to stand
their truth to the end like Rev Robinson.
To call a
special meeting over this trival reason, and it is trival, is a waste
of time, money, energy. The vote has already been cast. Stand true to
your convictions and allow Rev. Robinson to do God's work. People will
learn more about God than ever before, if they just let go and let God.
If Rev. Robinson is to be judged, let God do the judging...not man!
Nancy E Detrick
St Pauls Lutheran
Sarasota, Florida
28 September 2003
Earlier
letters
We launched our
'Letters to AO' section on 11 May 2003. All of our letters are
in our archives.
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