As someone who was raised in a mainline Protestant family and church, Mr. Blunt and Cranky has to say that Tony Perkins and his posse have absolutely no business claiming to represent him, his family, his faith, or indeed American families as a whole. The American Family Association can (and should) re-name themselves something else, like:
- The Johnny-Come-Lately Denomination Association,
- The Latter-Day-Pharisees,or
- The Pompous, Rich, Hypocritical And Bigoted White Men’s Association
The AFA recently responded to the Aurora, CO killings by blaming, well, pretty much everyone but themselves (and the killer himself, one must note): singling out other churches that are different from theirs for special abuse. In the case of the average schmoe, Mr. B & C lets that sort of thing go. But not the professionals, who know better due to their seminary education, but spew their self-righteous hatred anyway.
Short history lesson: when the R.C. Church got too corrupt and full of itself, some of its members asked for reform, and protested when they were kicked out of the church. That is where all Protestant churches came from. The early denominations (Presbyterians, Lutherans and such) got killed, tortured, robbed, and generally had a tough time surviving. But they persevered, and won for the denominations that arose later the right to worship as they saw fit.
And what gratitude comes from these newer denominations? As when dealing with any spoiled children who have never known want or struggle, what the older churches get in return for their sacrifice is abuse from their offspring. Now, we are being blamed for the acts of a senseless loon with a pile of weaponry.
Memo: the person to blame is the killer. Not the ACLU, or Episcopalians, or gays, or any of the others the AFA routinely demonizes: no, the killer should be blamed for this. And no one else.
Mr. B & C
bluntandcranky 