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More on the church sign

By adamg on Wed, 09/14/2005 - 1:36pm

The New England Baptist Church sign that suggests God sent Katrina to New Orleans, that is.

Mark writes:

... What's most offensive about this, on further reflection and considerable correspondence, is that this is a New England church that is pretending to be asking whether someone else's misery is justified by God's just anger at someone else's supposed sins. ...

Sooz: Crazy talk

Ryan: Lovely. Just lovely:

... If God wanted to smote the wicked, would he really be smoting the poorest of the poor down there? Wouldn't the floodwaters be rife with beads floating atop the muck if he really wanted that? Or is simple proximity to said sin enough to justify the washing away of their worldy possessions/loved one? If simple proximity is itself a sin, I'm in trouble, since I live near your church and am in danger of being smoted by stupidity by association.

And shouldn't you yourselves worry? After all, you are in Massachusetts, land of the sinful practice of allowing homosexuals to, gasp, get married. Bet there's a tsunami with your name on it, people. ...

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Comments

By Marilora on Wed, 09/14/2005 - 4:12pm.

that this might be the subject of a sermon and we don't actually know what the preacher's conclusion is. The sign is certainly unfortunate, but he or she could just as easily be preaching that, though some might like to blame God when tragedy strikes or feel that God is punishing them, that God does not work in this way. One could also preach that the diaster is the result of sin--but not the sin of those who lost their lives, but the sin of greed and selfishness and misplaced priorities committed by the wealthy and powerful in this country against the least of God's people. I guess my point is don't judge a church by it's sign or something like that. Maybe I've been exposed to a little too much Liberation Theology in my past? ;-)

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By Beth on Wed, 09/14/2005 - 4:28pm.

...but most are not.

And, sorry, 99.9% of the time, when a church says something to that effect, you can pretty much predict what their answer will be.

At best--at BEST--it's a cynical use of the disaster to spread a message. I'm not happy with anyone doing that, whether it's a company looking to make a buck or a church looking to make a point.

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By ryan on Wed, 09/14/2005 - 4:29pm.

...for the extra linkage UB provided, showing how there's a history of hate on that board.

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By LiveNearChurch on Fri, 09/16/2005 - 6:38pm.

That would be nice, but...

I live up the street from the church. this is but one of a string of hateful message that has been posted on this sign.

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By Ron Newman on Thu, 09/15/2005 - 8:39am.

From today's Herald: Medford church's sign at odds with the time

`It's not supposed to be a slight against the people of New Orleans,'' Deacon Brian Codi said of the sign at the church, which distributes fire-and-brimstone pamphlets, including one calling homosexuals ``21st century Sodomites.''

``All it is, is a wakeup call. We're all sinners,'' Codi said. ``My house could be next.''

Shortly after a Herald reporter left, a child from the church removed the sign. But word about its message spread quickly, through word of mouth and Hub Internet blogs.

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By Marilora on Thu, 09/15/2005 - 10:52am.

seems I was being more Christian than the Christians. On a bright note, it seems that the Herald actually printed some useful information. Snaps for the Herald.

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By Ron Newman on Fri, 09/16/2005 - 7:21pm.

The following is an 'open letter to Mayor Michael J. McGlynn and the residents of Medford' printed in the Medford Transcript on September 1, 2005:

I am writing to object to Modern Pastry's request for a liquor license to sell alcoholic beverages at their store at 20 Salem St., located next door to the New England Baptist Church, a church, which for 31 years, has preached against the consumption of alcohol for reasons clearly stated in the Bible.

Solomon, perhaps the wisest man that ever lived, said in Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, a strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

Habakkuk 2:15 states, "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him..."

Even if the Bible is not one of your sources of wisdom, could I appeal to your conscience for the sake of the "drinking and driving" victims of which there are approximately 25,000 deaths a year on U.S. highways? Not to mention cirrhosis of the live [sic] and broken marriages, as a result of alcoholic beverages.

The supposed purpose of this liquor license is to "bring more life to Medford Square." Is the example of providing liquor to the public in the daily presence or view of the school children and Sunday School children next door the kind of moral example of "life" that we wish to convey? Is it not, rather a contributor to alcoholism, the only "supposed disease" that can be legally bottled and sold?

Have we remembered our history in Medford Square and what liquor brought to our city when bars sold liquor openly?

Please reconsider your plans and position, Mr. Mayor, Liquor Commission and the owners/operators of Modern Pastry.

Thomas W. Michael
Pastor
New England Baptist
Church & Academy
Salem Street
Medford

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