Posted by Helen on: 08.11.2007 /
Thanks to those who defended me yesterday in the comments on Christians confess.
On the other hand, please bear in mind it’s more important to me that outsiders, or people expressing a ‘minority view’, are given a fair hearing than that I’m defended. I’ve survived enough criticism in my life to know I’ll get through whatever is thrown my way, fair or unfair. My concern is this: I think every community, including this one, is always in danger of closing ranks too much and becoming a place where people are value-judged by whether they fit in, rather than being valued for bringing the richness and diversity of other viewpoints. In the stories of Jesus I see him fighting against that inevitable tendency of human groups. I want to fight against it too. I hope you all will help me do that here.
Comment by: Steve S.
1It sure is easy to value diversity when you don’t have to have it thrown in your face.
We are planting a church and currently have a small group meeting in our home. We are blessed/cursed by a wonderful diversity. Schitzophrenics and small business owners, ex-ex-Christians, rabid Christians, non-Christians, homosexual, straight, a couple of different ethnic groups, etc.
I love it, but sometimes I want to throttle people (or just myself!)
I applaud your efforts to promote diversity even when it gets icky…
Comment by: Benjamin ady
2ex ex christians
hmmmmm.
It seems like maybe they would either be the easiest or the most difficult to get along with, depending =)
Comment by: Helen
3Thanks Steve. Wow, you do seem to have quite a mix in your home group!
Benjamin, interesting point – I expect I’d be wary of ex ex Christians in case they took the approach with me “Hey, I left but came back – why can’t you?” – failing perhaps to notice that perhaps when they were ex they weren’t actually where I am today. Maybe my wariness would not turn out to be justified.
Comment by: Steve S.
4the ex-ex-Christians are the easiest, the hyper-Christians are the worst, but each particular group adds its own blessing and challenge.
I come from a very white city, we now live in a very diverse city. I never thought ethnic diversity would pose some of the problems that it does…
Comment by: Karen
5I definitely hear what you’re saying, Helen, and I think it’s great that you want to preserve the integrity of the conversation so that lots of different viewpoints can be heard. That’s terrific and I totally agree with you.
It’s when I see personal attacks and nastiness that I object. Not only because it’s just – well – objectionable! but also because if it’s not called out for what it is, it can lend a rather nasty tone to the larger conversation.
I know you’d never let that happen, though.
Comment by: Helen
6Karen, I definitely share your desire to avoid personal attacks and nastiness here. Thank you for caring about that.
Comment by: Helen
7My Mom sent me an interesting newspaper article about diversity – I posted it here:
The downside of diversity
Comment by: Laura M.
8This is well said Helen. I have the same concerns. This is why I love OTM so much. (In the eight months that I’ve been visiting/posting here I’ve only once felt that my ‘diversity of viewpoints’ wasn’t exactly ‘valued’. And that was on a different thread.)
That’s why I don’t jump in to defend folks who’ve been responded to in a less than polite manner.
I definitely don’t want to be involved in any ‘closing of ranks’.
When Dawkins’ site first came out online, I found myself engaging in that type of behavior. It took me a few weeks to realize what I was doing, but once I did I vowed to be more aware of how quickly and easily we can lose perspective.
Comment by: Laura M.
9Do the English say Mom?
I thought it was Mum or something like that.
Comment by: Helen
10Thanks Laura :). I’m glad you understand what I’m talking about.
Regarding ‘Mom’, yeah, sometimes I speak American :) You’re right that the English word is ‘Mum’. I guess I’m supposed to be a grown-up so perhaps I should have written ‘My mother’ anyway (which is the same in both countries).
Comment by: seekingsomething
11The English are a diverse population, Laura. ;) We say Mom occasionally (because of watching too much American TV, mostly!), mum is most frequent, but where I come from, it’s Mam :)
On a more serious note, I take your point about valuing diversity on the Board, Helen – thanks for the reminder :) I regret having posted so defensively. Like Karen, I was mostly just annoyed by the rudeness I perceived…. but on reflection I guess also I was being a bit defensive of my own perspective that I felt was being challenged… and that’s not a good motivation to post.