[Vision2020] The Trouble With Doug, or Theocratic Park III

[Joan Opyr]

On 19 Feb 2006, at 15:29, Pat Kraut wrote:

> The truth is that you do not know or understand anything about me or 
> how I
> feel about CC or anything else and it is arrogant of you to think you 
> do!! I
> do not know Doug Wilson nor have I ever attended his services I have 
> however
> read one or two history books and this type of attack on ANY church or 
> group
> no matter how much we do not approve of them is a very slippery slope. 
> '

I wrote what I wrote, Pat, in response to your unfounded and 
unsupported assumptions about the critics of Christ Church and Doug 
Wilson.  Anyone can claim religious persecution; it's a very handy 
trump card.  If I'm caught doing 75 in a 35 zone, and the cop who pulls 
me over is a fundamentalist Christian who believes that the Jews are 
collectively guilty of killing Christ, am I the victim of religious 
persecution?  Or am I just speeding?  Doug Wilson is a serial zoning 
offender.  New St. Andrews has been located in three different places 
in Moscow, each time without zoning permission, and each time in a zone 
which forbade educational institutions.  Is calling this to the City's 
attention and asking for redress religious persecution?  If so, how?  
If you're a pastor, are you above the law?

(On a related note, I see that Cardinal Bernard Law has finally been 
removed from his position in the Catholic Church.  Golden parachute; 
dishonorable retirement.  How long was justice in coming there?  The 
man ought to be in jail for his part in covering up and moving around 
pedophile priests.  Do you think the fact that he's not playing the 
spoons in Sing-Sing might have something to do with his being a 
priest?)

Why should churches (bearing in mind that anything can call itself a 
church) be exempt from public scrutiny?  What threatens your religious 
freedom more, Pat -- my questioning of Doug Wilson's tax exemptions or 
Jim Bakker's PTL Club, the cult at Tyler, Texas, and the Bhagwan  Shree 
Rajneesh?  Would you defend any of those three?  Would you argue that 
those investigations marked the beginning of a "slippery slope" to 
religious persecution?  If you can't or you won't, then perhaps you 
might explain how having a look-see at the Wilson empire's finances, 
business practices, and tax exemptions is a slippery slope leading to 
religious persecution.

You are quite correct to say that I know very little about you, Pat, 
but then you know demonstrably little about Doug Wilson.  It would 
behoove you to learn more, especially if you're planning to continue 
offering up half-baked defenses of the pastor's bad (and perhaps 
illegal) behavior.

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com

PS: On a completely unrelated topic, Sunil wants to know why you think 
we're in Iraq.  I do wish you'd give him an answer -- any answer.  Make 
something up if you have to.  Hell!  What am I saying?!  I suggest we 
have a competition.  Let's ALL make up a reason for being in Iraq.  
Here's mine: we had to invade somewhere and Iran was closed for nuclear 
repair.