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church cancels memorial for gay soldier

alocispepraluger102
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JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

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High Point Church? No surprises there. That place is a sham. It's all about raking the money in. I'm not at all surprised that they would sell out one of their lowliest own (the soldier's brother was a chuch janitor) like that. But that's ok. If there's a hell below...

I played (subbed actually) one service at that church and felt like the biggest, dirtiest, most unprincipled whore I've ever felt like after it was over. Took the money, yeah (something like $350.00-$400.00 for less than a full morning's work, and that was just "sub" wages), but swore to never again offer my services to one of those outfits. I could probably not have to work a straight job if I got into the mega-church circuit - they pay really well, and the time involved is minimal - but although I can, have, and will whore myself out for a lot of distateful efforts, the wholesale manipulation and corruption of "god" is not going to be one of them.

John Tapscott Mentor

John Tapscott

Posted
Posted (edited)

I don't think the issue is quite as clear-cut as you guys are making it (the church is completely bad, muisguided, etc.) I'll probably get hammered for saying this, but reading the article suggests to me that there could easily have been a compromise. The church made a generous offer in offering to hold the service for someone who was not a member of the church (most churches struggle with requsts for "rites of passage" for non-members). Yes, the man's brother is the janitor of the church, but that in and of itself does not mean that the deceased man has a "right" to have a funeral service there. To do a funeral service for a non-member ties up significant staff time and resources (that's why funeral homes have chapels - to hold funeral services for people who are not members of any church). Churches believe what they believe (and if you don't agree you don't have to become a member of that church). The church could have done the funeral service but had the final say over what went into the video, and if there were particular images or pictures of the man's life which the church chose not to display within it's walls because they conflicted with their beliefs - well, it's their place of worship and their beliefs (whether you agree with their particular point of view).

Edited by John Tapscott
porcy62 Contributor

porcy62

Posted
Posted (edited)

I always found pretty interesting and democratic that in U.S. everyone can appoint himself "shepherd", estabilish a church, even choose the name for it...and suddenly he's eligibile for a tax exemption. I'll talk with my fiscal consultant about it. I already thought a name for my own church.

What about "The Church of Charles Mingus of Latter-day Taxpayers"?

Edited by porcy62
Jazzmoose Newbie

Jazzmoose

Posted
Posted

I always found pretty interesting and democratic that in U.S. everyone can appoint himself "shepherd", estabilish a church, even choose the name for it...and suddenly he's eligibile for a tax exemption. I'll talk with my fiscal consultant about it. I already thought a name for my own church.

What about "The Church of Charles Mingus of Latter-day Taxpayers"?

Good choice; The Jazz Church of John Coltrane is already taken...

alocispepraluger102 Newbie

alocispepraluger102

Posted
  • Author
Posted

High Point Church? No surprises there. That place is a sham. It's all about raking the money in. I'm not at all surprised that they would sell out one of their lowliest own (the soldier's brother was a chuch janitor) like that. But that's ok. If there's a hell below...

I played (subbed actually) one service at that church and felt like the biggest, dirtiest, most unprincipled whore I've ever felt like after it was over. Took the money, yeah (something like $350.00-$400.00 for less than a full morning's work, and that was just "sub" wages), but swore to never again offer my services to one of those outfits. I could probably not have to work a straight job if I got into the mega-church circuit - they pay really well, and the time involved is minimal - but although I can, have, and will whore myself out for a lot of distateful efforts, the wholesale manipulation and corruption of "god" is not going to be one of them.

thanks for the insight. scores of musicians have fewer qualms than you, it would appear.

(as a side comment, one of my friends, the head of jazz studies at youngstown state, refuses to play his virtuoso trumpet wearing lederhosen)

Big Al Collaborator

Big Al

Posted
Posted

I don't think the issue is quite as clear-cut as you guys are making it (the church is completely bad, muisguided, etc.) I'll probably get hammered for saying this, but reading the article suggests to me that there could easily have been a compromise. The church made a generous offer in offering to hold the service for someone who was not a member of the church (most churches struggle with requsts for "rites of passage" for non-members). Yes, the man's brother is the janitor of the church, but that in and of itself does not mean that the deceased man has a "right" to have a funeral service there. To do a funeral service for a non-member ties up significant staff time and resources (that's why funeral homes have chapels - to hold funeral services for people who are not members of any church). Churches believe what they believe (and if you don't agree you don't have to become a member of that church). The church could have done the funeral service but had the final say over what went into the video, and if there were particular images or pictures of the man's life which the church chose not to display within it's walls because they conflicted with their beliefs - well, it's their place of worship and their beliefs (whether you agree with their particular point of view).

You make excellent points, but one key point must be remembered in all of this: the service was all set to go, right up to the night before the service, when it was discovered the guy was gay. THEN the service was cancelled. It's not like the service was cancelled and NOW the issue of his sexuality is being brought up; the High Point folks knew full well what they were doing when they cancelled the service.

Dammit, doesn't ANYTHING happen good in my town?

Big Al Collaborator

Big Al

Posted
Posted

High Point Church? No surprises there. That place is a sham. It's all about raking the money in. I'm not at all surprised that they would sell out one of their lowliest own (the soldier's brother was a chuch janitor) like that.

Y'know what used to be in that building? Johnson & Johnson's headquarters. Make of THAT what you will.

My dad always had a name for megachurches like this: the "Church of the What's Happening Now."

porcy62 Contributor

porcy62

Posted
Posted

"The Church of Charles Mingus of Latter-day Taxpayers"?

You would probably have to make Sue a High Priestess?

and charge admission.

:lol:

You're right, "The Free Admission Church of Porcy of Latter-day Taxpayers that Bring Their Own Booze" would be cheaper.

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