Too often the people who come to control such things are the small-minded petty ones who care more about small print and bigotry
Just as in relationship practices the network node with the least comfort tends to dictate overall practices, so in organized religion the members with the most narrow, fearful view of ethics and practices (and interpretations) tend to predominate.
There's an underlying tension here... younger members and families tend to be more open-minded and socially liberal, but pledge less (many are financially struggling). While a smaller number of older, more conservative, set-in-their-ways parishioners have more disposable income and donate the most. To stay alive, the parish must be flexible and open and accepting -- but not *too* accepting, else it will go broke as the conservatives take their money and run elsewhere.
I'm tied to this parish only by friendships and a decade of helping to build it up... it would be sad to leave. Rumor is that the two clergy involved are looking for new jobs and could leave within a year or two, so we might wait and see who replaces them.
Divorces? Not an obstacle to standing for lay offices like the vestry. Past illicit affairs? As far as I know, those aren't an obstacle either if they aren't still going on and the person has promised to behave.
A letter to the bishop... hmm, that might be a good preemptive strategy, rather than waiting for the local priest to act. Thanks for the idea :).
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Date: 2004-01-24 08:52 pm (UTC)Just as in relationship practices the network node with the least comfort tends to dictate overall practices, so in organized religion the members with the most narrow, fearful view of ethics and practices (and interpretations) tend to predominate.
There's an underlying tension here... younger members and families tend to be more open-minded and socially liberal, but pledge less (many are financially struggling). While a smaller number of older, more conservative, set-in-their-ways parishioners have more disposable income and donate the most. To stay alive, the parish must be flexible and open and accepting -- but not *too* accepting, else it will go broke as the conservatives take their money and run elsewhere.
I'm tied to this parish only by friendships and a decade of helping to build it up... it would be sad to leave. Rumor is that the two clergy involved are looking for new jobs and could leave within a year or two, so we might wait and see who replaces them.
Divorces? Not an obstacle to standing for lay offices like the vestry. Past illicit affairs? As far as I know, those aren't an obstacle either if they aren't still going on and the person has promised to behave.
A letter to the bishop... hmm, that might be a good preemptive strategy, rather than waiting for the local priest to act. Thanks for the idea :).