May 4, 2007 10:17 AM
Doug Phillips - Take 5
I received an email from Jennie Chancey about the fact that I had published her first email. I would like to print that email here as it is very sweet in tone and is the best representation of how she feels, but I feel constrained as it was marked personal.
I can, however, publish my reply:
Dear Jennie -I am not upset with you in any way. I would have no problem if you shared my correspondence with you on your website, nor if you responded to the questions of your readers with the truth of why you removed my link. I have done nothing to be ashamed of.
I published your letter because I sincerely believed you would not be ashamed of your position - and because it illustrated without my saying a word one of the glaring problems at the center of this debacle (see my entry today).
With 1700 or so entries at my site, the two old ones on Doug Phillips - filled with disclamers about the fact that I was not judging the main events, but the aftermath - really should not have been cause for a rational person to remove my link. I'm sure there are probably things at your site that are at odds with things I hold best for my readers. But that's my point: people who follow leaders to the point of making this type of decision have become irrational. As Spunky commented a couple days ago at my site, we disagree on some things, but she and I hold each other in high regard and are eager for our readers to read the other woman's views.
I think it shows a basic lack of respect for the intelligence of other people to think that they mustn't be exposed to anything contrary to our own point of view. People can make up their own minds as to the truth. But they should not be hindered from hearing all points of view.
I'm a pretty multidimensional person and always have more to write about than I have time. Ironically, your informing me that you'd removed my link has now caused this issue - which was buried behind hundreds of entries on my blog - to surface here and in my thoughts and prayers again. So perhaps God felt the final word wasn't written.
I have not removed your link from my site, btw - nor do I have any intention of doing so. I don't regard you as an enemy and this isn't a war.
love,
barbara
Posted in Church Issues | Permalink
Comments
Barbara,
You said it well when you stated you are concerned about the aftermath and not about the" he said/she said". That is exactly what has concerned me all along. How is leadership handling this and how have they handled this and why don't I see any effort at restoring this couple since that is THE goal of church discipline.
I also agree with not shielding our readers from gathering information from all sides. We are stunting a person's growth and we are not teaching them critical thinking skills when we decide what other people should know.
Posted by: Corrie | May 4, 2007 4:28 PM
"I think it shows a basic lack of respect for the intelligence of other people to think that they mustn't be exposed to anything contrary to our own point of view. People can make up their own minds as to the truth. But they should not be hindered from hearing all points of view."
AMEN! Thank you Barbara for all you have written on this subject. I too was involved in a cult-like group and learned so many lessons which now affect my parenting. I want my kids to be THINKERS- not to the point of questioning everything- but definitely to know WHY they believe something, and not just accept everything a person says as truth- no matter how good or godly that person is!
Posted by: purebillow | May 7, 2007 3:12 PM
