Kirby: Like it or not, churches must take shots they earn

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | October 16, 2009 | Robert Kirby

[greyfoxx39]

 From the back of a cannon in Fort Sumter, the church steeples of Charleston are clearly visible across the harbor.

Charleston is proud of its historic steeples, most notably St. Michael's Episcopal, St. Philip's Episcopal and St. Matthew's Lutheran. There are so many churches its nickname is "the Holy City."

Charleston is also proud (still) of having fired the first shot of the American Civil War. In April 1861, city residents clambered onto church roofs and into steeples to watch Fort Sumter get blasted.

-SNIP-

Shortly after midnight on Aug. 22, the Swamp Angel began lobbing incendiary shells into the South's Holy City. Because of the distance, knowing whether they were on target consisted of listening to the warning bong of church bells.

Charleston residents were understandably upset. It's one thing to enjoy seeing someone else get shot at and quite another when the bomb lands on the other foot. Shooting at noncombatants, and especially churches, was denounced as an act of "inexcusable barbarity."

Northern response to this charge amounted to, "Hey, you started it."

-SNIP-

Charleston's churches once resounded with enthusiastic support for fratricide and the "inexcusable barbarity" of slavery. Some even donated their bells to be recast as cannon for the Confederacy. In cases like this, I mean, really, why not shoot at a church?

Today, I prefer a more metaphorical form of shooting. When a church swerves outside its role of promoting peace and brotherly love, it deserves the fire it draws.

[greyfoxx39]

More backlash to Dallin H. Oaks speech on Tuesday likening the post-Proposition 8 backlash against Mormons to the persecution blacks endured during the civil-rights struggle.

[greyfoxx39]

Ping

[Bryanw92]

I wonder how this guy feels about attacking mosques in Iraq and Afghanistan that hide enemy combatants?

[greyfoxx39]

Charleston's churches once resounded with enthusiastic support for fratricide and the "inexcusable barbarity" of slavery. Some even donated their bells to be recast as cannon for the Confederacy. In cases like this, I mean, really, why not shoot at a church?

I think Kirby's point is that when you lob spit-wads from churches, you might expect to see some lobbed back in return fire.

[greyfoxx39]

Related thread here:

LDS apostle under fire for civil-rights analogy

"LDS apostle Dallin H. Oaks on Tuesday likened the post-Proposition 8 backlash against Mormons to the persecution blacks endured during the civil-rights struggle."

[Bryanw92]

I agree completely. But he really isn’t talking about churches in 1861 Charleston, is he? He’s talking about churches that oppose gay marriage today

I’d just like to hear him say the same thing about a mosque that really is lobbing “spit-wads” at US soldiers and hear the response that he gets.

[greyfoxx39]

Go to the website and email him and ask your question.

[Elsie]

There are so many churches its nickname is "the Holy City."

Oh?

Try Page, Arizona; where there are LOTS of churches facing the school system - which is in the center of town.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rlz=1T4HPIC_enUS349US349&resnum=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Page,+Arizona+Churches&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Churches&hnear=Page,+Arizona&view=text&ei=_2_aSuypG8zi8Ab8pfy2BQ&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CCIQtwMwAA

[xzins]

When a church swerves outside its role of promoting peace and brotherly love, it deserves the fire it draws.

What a pinhead?

The Church's role is not "promoting peace & love."

The mission of the Church was spoken by Jesus Himself: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel...baptizing...teaching." In short, the Church's role is to make both new disciples and functioning disciples.