Posted on 08/01/2007 9:47:08 AM PDT by pabianice
Flags in front of the Plymouth Church parsonage at 87 Edgell Road in Framingham
FRAMINGHAM, MA - What started as a quiet response to controversy about the display of a peace flag on the Plymouth Church parsonage has turned into a bit of an American revolution.
A couple of weeks ago, longtime Plymouth Church parishioner David Player put three American flags on town-owned property on the grassy island across from the church. There are now about two dozen American flags on the patch of lawn.
Player was outraged when he saw the peace flag - a red, white and blue flag that replaces the stars of a typical American flag with a peace sign - flying on the home of senior minister Peter Cook and his family.
"I think it's a disgrace," said Player, 56, of Warren Place. "Everyone in the neighborhood is very upset. It's an insult to veterans and to military families."
Cook, who has been traveling for most of the summer, said he hasn't seen the American flag display, but is troubled by the belief some people have that he or his family are anti-American.
He said the peace flag was merely a way for the family to express its belief that the war in Iraq should be ended as soon as possible.
"(The peace flag) is in no way an attempt to make people be quiet," he said. "Our patriotism isn't in question. For us, putting up the peace flag was our way of getting people to think about what it means to be an American and a Christian."
Cook said this week he's "not really sure what the message might be" as far as the American flag display, but speculated each flag could represent 100 Americans killed since the war in Iraq began.
Player, who was born on an Army base as the son of a master sergeant, is a third-generation parishioner at Plymouth Church. He and his wife, Bonnie, were married there 31 years ago.
Their daughter, Ashley, recently completed basic training and is now studying Arabic at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif.
Player said the peace flag is the latest example of Cook using his position to advance his political beliefs. There have even been rumors among longtime parishioners that they would show their displeasure by not giving money to the weekly collection, but Cook said he hadn't noticed a drop in recent weeks.
Even so, Player said he doesn't like the "statement" the Cooks are making by waving the peace flag on the parsonage.
"The church is deeply divided," he said. "It's been a problem for a few years now."
Cook has "heard a wide range of opinions" about the peace flag but sees no reason to take it down. He also doesn't plan to touch the American flags across from the parsonage.
"It's not my place to move them," he said.
Town Building Services Director Jim Egan planned to look at the American flag display yesterday, but said he's unsure whether it will be removed.
"If it's causing a problem, the Board of Selectmen will definitely tell us to pick them up," he said. Efforts to reach selectmen Chairman Dennis Giombetti yesterday were unsuccessful.
(Craig MacCormack can be reached at 508-626-4429 or cmaccorm@cnc.com.)
My regular travels often take me along a stretch of Rt 95 in Massachusetts.
For the past few months there has been a homemade sign hanging from an overpass that reads “911 was an inside job.”
par for the course.
Makes one appreciate their true Christian Church whose only agenda is the worship and gloification of God and his son Jesus Christ. At least it does me.
What kind of church is this? Congregationalist? Methodist?
Ok. So what does it mean to be an American and a Christian?
Whats a “peace sign”? A dove? A rainbow?
IMO the only real peace sign is the flag of any country that respects law, equity and property.
It is now.
I dunno. Sounds like an Episcopagen to me.
LOL!!!!!
Well, it’s stories like this that make me very glad that I left MA years ago.
Many folks there believe that deep, deep contemplation accented by a pinch of guilt and stupidity must mean you that are doing the right thing.
No wonder people are racing to leave the commonwealth.
John Adams would be ashamed.
Or each flag could represent 100,000 dead terrorists who won't be coming to America to kill us.
It’s UCC - very liberal.
United Church of Christ
Just as I thought. A Barry Lynn special.
The church of Barak Hussien Obama and of homosexual ‘preachers’.
That was an uncalled-for slur, sir.
Do you belong to a church of any sort?
Is that the sort of thing they teach you there?
What speaking the truth? I will call out apostasy where ever I see it. We are called to defend the faith and the book of Jude is very insistent on this.
No, it isn't. Either you are a theological liberal who supports 'Bishop' Vicky G. Robinson, or you haven't been keeping up with the latest activities of TEC/ECUSA.
"CONCORD, N.H. -- The Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, says he and his partner of 18 years will be among the couples taking advantage of New Hampshire's soon-to-be-signed civil unions law."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/04/27/bishop_will_marry_under_nh_civil_unions_law/
Or are you more theologically aligned with Sprong?
You should at least learn how to spell pagan if you’re going to insult another denomination.
All I need to do is spell Jesus right. You obviously got the point so job done.
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