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| Home > Random > Presbyterian Nonsense: The third in a continuing series... |
| Presbyterian Nonsense: The third in a continuing series... | | Date Created: Sep 25, 2004, 03:12 PM |
The last two Presbyterian Nonsense posts have criticized "those people." (Just a refresher, "those people" are in general, people who disagree with me, and specifically, people who do not want full inclusion of queer folk in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Today I'm going to spend some time chiding "us people."
After spending the evening with friends friday night, and having a bit to drink, Brian and I had to wake up early this morning and drag our groggy heads to Detroit for a presbytery event called: Marriage Rites and Rights.
Other than the clever title, I was already wary of this event. I cynically assumed that it would just be the same people who attend every queer event in presbytery. Actually, it was worse. Only 20 people showed up. It was obviously going to be a "preaching to the choir" event: no dialogue between opposing sides, just "us people" talking to "us people". If this had been billed as simply a social time for "us people," that's one thing. But let's not pretend it's a conference when no one is really going to learn anything new. There are certainly lots of organizations that do not reach beyond their membership, and exist solely to give the members something to do in their spare time -- they're called clubs.
One might think that this would be a signal, a sign to the organizers of these events (and this event is merely one of a number) that they're not really doing their job. They aren't bringing anyone else on board. They're not reaching out. They've become simply an "advocacy group," no longer real people advocating for real people. And often the gay advocacy groups in the PC(USA) feel just like clubs. They spend all their time engaged in mutual admiration and support, but don't seem to ever gain any ground. No one new is showing up...take a hint people!
I was also annoyed that the session on same-sex marriage was being led by a straight guy. Sort of like getting marriage counseling from a priest. There are plenty of gay couples in the presbytery they could have asked. Would anyone not walk out if a session on interracial marriage was being led by a white couple?
And, the session Brian and I were actually there for: marriage policies of local churchs was cancelled for lack of interest. No one bothered to tell us.
Waste of time. Brian and I stayed for the opening talk and then left.
Its amazing that the entire Presbytery of Detroit can only muster 20 people for a conference on marriage, especially in this election year...and we have a ballot initiative here in Michigan (click on the banner above for more information.)
I was really hoping there might be "those people" there so Brian and I could do the whole good cop/bad cop routine (I'm the bad cop). Alas, no dice.
After we scrammed from this lame event, we decided to go shopping. Brian bought a nice fall jacket, I got yet another pair of shoes, and we both got a couple shirts.
Speaking of shirts, whatever happened to plackets on shirts? The last several button-up shirts I've bought have not had plackets. I suppose it's some new style, but I really think the front of a shirt lays neater if there is a placket there. And, why is the bottom buttonhole now being sown sideways? Suddenly every shirt I buy has this feature. |
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