Three Questions For Rev. Mark W. Christian Lead Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City
On his 'Ask A Rev' blog, U*U minister Rev. Mark W. Christian who is currently Lead Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, solicits questions about about "spiritualty (sic), ethics, the bible, world religions, church organization or religious leadership."
In his blog description, aka "mission statement", at the top of every page Rev. Mark Christian says,
"Ask me. Ask me anything!"
Perhaps he is unaware of the epigram,
"Be careful what you ask for lest you get it. . ."
He boasts of holding "a Master of Divinity (Magna Cum Laude) from an accredited seminary" and thus having "some qualifications!" to answer people's questions about such things as "spiritualty (sic), ethics, the bible, world religions, church organization or religious leadership."
In his blog post dated Saturday, August 12, 2006 and, perhaps a bit too optimistically. . . titled, 'Questions AND Answers' Rev. Christian says -
At any rate--pose me your three (four being "right out") questions. I'll try to do as well as Arthur. Just respond to the blog or write me a AskARev@aol.com. I'll do the rest--and bring me a shrubbery while you're at it!
So herewith are the three questions regarding U*U "church" ethics, U*U "church" organization, and U*U religious leadership, that I just submitted to Rev. Mark Christian using the comment function on his 'Ask A Rev' blog. I will ensure that he is aware of these three questions by sending them to him via email as well. I look forward to Rev. Mark Christian's answers to these three questions.
Indeed I have already offered him some of the shrubbery he requested in advance -
1: Do you believe that it is "within the appropriate guidelines of ministerial leadership" (presumably as set forth in the UUMA Guidelines) for a U*U minister to contemptuously dismiss a church member's religious beliefs as being nothing but "silliness and fantasy", to similarly contemptuously dismiss a church member's claimed religious experience as "your psychotic experience" and last, but by no means least, falsely and maliciously label an inter-religious event that they successfully organized as "your cult"?
2: Do you believe that U*Us are living up to the letter and the spirit of the "covenants" expressed in the purported "principles and purposes" of U*Uism when they willfully ignore and/or arbitrarily dismiss the complaints of victims of clergy misconduct?
3: Do you believe that U*Us are living up to the letter and the spirit of the "covenants" expressed in the purported "principles and purposes" of U*Uism when they expel victims of U*U clergy misconduct from U*U "churches" for refusing to drop their grievances after they have been willfully ignored and/or arbitrarily dismissed by the "church" and/or the UUA; and even go so far as to have them falsely arrested on trumped up criminal charges in misguided efforts to suppress their peaceful public protest against U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy?
I look forward to your answers to all three of these questions Rev. Christian.
Here is some shrubbery for your efforts.
In his blog description, aka "mission statement", at the top of every page Rev. Mark Christian says,
"Ask me. Ask me anything!"
Perhaps he is unaware of the epigram,
"Be careful what you ask for lest you get it. . ."
He boasts of holding "a Master of Divinity (Magna Cum Laude) from an accredited seminary" and thus having "some qualifications!" to answer people's questions about such things as "spiritualty (sic), ethics, the bible, world religions, church organization or religious leadership."
In his blog post dated Saturday, August 12, 2006 and, perhaps a bit too optimistically. . . titled, 'Questions AND Answers' Rev. Christian says -
At any rate--pose me your three (four being "right out") questions. I'll try to do as well as Arthur. Just respond to the blog or write me a AskARev@aol.com. I'll do the rest--and bring me a shrubbery while you're at it!
So herewith are the three questions regarding U*U "church" ethics, U*U "church" organization, and U*U religious leadership, that I just submitted to Rev. Mark Christian using the comment function on his 'Ask A Rev' blog. I will ensure that he is aware of these three questions by sending them to him via email as well. I look forward to Rev. Mark Christian's answers to these three questions.
Indeed I have already offered him some of the shrubbery he requested in advance -
1: Do you believe that it is "within the appropriate guidelines of ministerial leadership" (presumably as set forth in the UUMA Guidelines) for a U*U minister to contemptuously dismiss a church member's religious beliefs as being nothing but "silliness and fantasy", to similarly contemptuously dismiss a church member's claimed religious experience as "your psychotic experience" and last, but by no means least, falsely and maliciously label an inter-religious event that they successfully organized as "your cult"?
2: Do you believe that U*Us are living up to the letter and the spirit of the "covenants" expressed in the purported "principles and purposes" of U*Uism when they willfully ignore and/or arbitrarily dismiss the complaints of victims of clergy misconduct?
3: Do you believe that U*Us are living up to the letter and the spirit of the "covenants" expressed in the purported "principles and purposes" of U*Uism when they expel victims of U*U clergy misconduct from U*U "churches" for refusing to drop their grievances after they have been willfully ignored and/or arbitrarily dismissed by the "church" and/or the UUA; and even go so far as to have them falsely arrested on trumped up criminal charges in misguided efforts to suppress their peaceful public protest against U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy?
I look forward to your answers to all three of these questions Rev. Christian.
Here is some shrubbery for your efforts.
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