I'm fairly far removed from Liberia, but here's some last week's news from
a country were open debate is often restricted in both the Church AND the State:
(Am I stirring up the pot here? ... Probably.)
http://www.africahome.com/annews/categories/politics/EpFZlFZuukVgvfRQNs.shtml
The Liberian Catholic church on Tuesday called off a strike sparked by verbal attacks against Archbishop Michael Francis, diplomatic sources in the capital, Monrovia, said.
The strike paralysed schools and health centres nationwide, the sources said. It started on Friday and was called off after a meeting between church leaders and President Charles Taylor, the BBC reported.
The BBC quoted Reverend Pelessant Harris, secretary-general of the Liberian Council of Churches, as saying that Taylor had promised to resolve the dispute between the church and state officials that sparked the protest.
The dispute followed an investigation launched by the archbishop last week into the deaths of five North American nuns 10 years ago. At the time, the archbishop and the United States had accused fighters loyal to Taylor of carrying out the killings.
Following the launch of the investigation, an official accused the archbishop, a well-known critic of the government's human rights record, of immorality. The official, a member of the governing National Patriotic Party, said the Bishop had been involved in the killing of the nuns, the sources said.
The government said the allegations were personal. However, the Council of Churches disagreed. "The malicious attack on the renowned bishop is tantamount to attacking the body of Christ which is the Church," a statement from the council had said.
On Monday, the government issued a statement urging the church leaders to "call off the protest in the interest of education and the health of the Liberian people". The Education Minister, Evelyn Kandakai, was quoted by news organisations as saying the strike was "unfortunate".
BT
NNNN
Tracy Johnson
MSI Schaevitz Sensors
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Simpkins, Terry
> Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 6:12 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] Fwd: A Computing Pioneer of the 1970's Joins
> Hewle tt-P...
>
>
> Amen to what Duane said. Sounds like the church I attend.
> It is really unfortunate that all churches don't have that level
> of open mindedness. While there are things that require acceptance
> (they are are faith based after all), these are relatively few, and
> form the basis of the belief system.
>
> Of course if one elects to put all "acceptance" in the same category,
> then the "discussion" is "rigged" to arrive at a foregone conclusion.
>
> *****************************
> Terry W. Simpkins
> Applications Director
> Measurement Specialties
> 757-766-4278
> [log in to unmask]
> *****************************
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Duane Percox [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 5:51 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Fwd: A Computing Pioneer of the 1970's Joins
> Hewle tt-P...
>
>
> Fred White wrote:
>
> >>The ability to explore and test multiple points of view is
> >>one of the great strengths of our culture, but you'd never
> >>know it by looking at a classroom.
>
> >Or a church. Accept, memorize and believe. Don't question, analyze or
> >criticize.
>
> IMHO you are describing a 'cult'. The 'church' which I associate
> has plenty of questioning, analyzing and critical thinking. And
> definitely has the ability to constructively criticize itself.
>
> Or maybe you have personal experience with a 'church' that practiced
> 'accept, memorize and believe' which helped form this opinion. Sharing
> such an experience would be most helpful to understand and comprehend
> how you have come to equate the two.
>
> duane percox
>
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