Local Western NC paper publishes 34 LTTEs on Waynesville Church

[G_j]

From Western NC's Asheville Citizen-Times, 34 LTTEs, enjoy!

Events at East Waynesville Baptist Church brought a multitude of responses. Below are letters from WNC:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050510/OPINION02/50509014/1040

letters from out of our coverage area can be found at:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050510/OPINION02/50509007/1040

just a few examples:

The article, “Members: Church ousts Kerry supporters,” (AC-T, May 7), came hard on the heels of the news and pictures on the Holocaust remembrance ceremonies. The pastor of East Waynesville Baptist Church, bless his heart, rounded up all the Sen. Kerry supporters and put his heel mark on their backsides. The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, bless its heart, said it’s a local issue — it won’t get involved. Presumably they’re busy checking the costs of chartering trains to haul all those sinners out of state. Texas is a big state with lots of nothing; maybe it would set up some nice, secure “ranches” and hold those people until they are ready to go to the altar rail and renounce Kerry. But I’m guessing Texas won’t want them either.

Gee, what would Jesus do?

Paul Llanso,

Asheville


--
It sent chills down my spine when I learned that the East Waynesville Baptist Church expelled all its members who didn’t vote for President George W. Bush in the last election. Pastor Chan Chandler has demonstrated his ignorance regarding both his understanding of Christ’s teachings as well as his knowledge of the Constitution. Like nonprofit organizations, churches are tax-exempt institutions, and therefore are prohibited from political advocacy. Before the last election, the NAACP (a non-profit) criticized Bush’s policies (which in itself does not constitute political advocacy), and soon thereafter was the subject of an IRS investigation that unfairly threatens their tax-exempt status.

By throwing out parishioners based on their voting records, the East Waynesville Baptist Church is guilty of political advocacy. I think this church, along with all the churches that broadcast “Judgment Sunday” (which attacked our government’s judicial branch), should have their tax-exempt status revoked. Dominionism (when extremist Christians work to take over our government) is bad enough. The takeover of a church by political reactionaries is even worse, and should not be tolerated.

David Lynch,

Asheville


--

We are losing our freedoms – especially the Southeast, which is being overtaken by fascist’s wolves in Sheep’s clothing under the mask of religion. The Southern Baptists are the wolf progenitors of this fascism which is not just limited to Waynesville, North Carolina but all over the Southeast. The Baptist Church has been taken over by extremist leaders – very intolerant, judgmental of others, unchristian and power seeking. The Baptist Church has become more about power and money than love of God. The agenda is to establish a theocratic state. In South Carolina, the Baptists are trying to make it Constitutional law that no one can live common law, no same sex couple may marry, make a family, if they do elsewhere it won’t be recognized, all social contracts are void between same sex and opposite sex couples.

William Rowland

Greenville, S.C.

~~~~~~~~~~~

also from the A C-T:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050509/NEWS01/50509008/1001

Church ousters spark national reaction

By Andre A. Rodriguez
STAFF WRITER
published: May 9, 2005 2:15 pm

WAYNESVILLE – The turmoil embroiling East Waynesville Baptist Church and Pastor Chan Chandler is drawing national attention from religious and political groups.
..more..

[Catherine Vincent]

1. Thanks!

[Carolab]

2. I have a solution, red staters!

Vote Democrat!

(Or move to a blue state...)

[Tux]

4. Stop the cousin marriages!

For the love of it all, act like you live in the 21st century and not the 12th century!

I live in the Bible Belt and so sick of seeing those W stickers and that stupid fish.

[Rowdyboy]

3. Thanks for the link....I will read each and every one of these letters

[calimary]

6. Those letters were wonderful! With the one single exception - some

knuckle-dragger who "praised the Lord" for this Neanderthal pastor - everyone was on the same page: NO MIXING OF POLITICS AND RELIGION. It's UnAmerican.

Gee, george, nice job. You sure know how to fuck things up. You're absolutely world-class in stirring up hatred and divisiveness and smokescreening it with religion and the flag. What's your REAL first name, anyway? Antichrist, perhaps?

[G_j]

7. a "uniter"

the English lanquage will never be the same!

[WEagle]

5. wasn't it DU that first started blasting this story

around to news outlets? Amazing

[wicket]

8. great letters!

Thanks for posting.

(nominated)

[G_j]

9. Google news search now brings up 482 related articles

with "East Waynesville Baptist"

http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2004-18,RNWE:en&ncl=http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20050508/NEWS01/50508005/1001&hl=en

[G_j]

10. editorial from the same paper

today,

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050510/OPINION01/50509010/1039

Mixing of politics and religion is in dangerous territory

[Stone_Spirits]

11. letters from all over the country

It's remarkable how quickly this story spread.

[BR_Parkway]

12. The absolute best LTTE yet!! "I am a soldier fighting in Iraq...."

I am a soldier fighting in Iraq, but I was also born and raised in Haywood County and it is my community still. I could rant and rave about the terrible choice Pastor Chandler and the church elders made, but it boils down to this: the actions of Chandler and his supporters are remarkably similar to the actions of the terrorists we are fighting here. The thought process of, “If you do not agree with us then you are unacceptable,” sounds very similar to Osama bin Laden and his ilk. Does Chandler want to create the same prejudice, separation and pain? I do not think Chandler wants to be lumped into the same category, but if he continues with this line of thought and course of action he will be doing bin Laden proud. Freedom to worship, no matter your politics, is as pure a right as breathing. I am here fighting to maintain that right for everyone, while Chandler is doing his best to take it away. I cannot describe how sad this news was to read.

Chandler and the people who voted their fellow church members out made a limiting and fearful choice. But they are better than this. We all are. We have to be.

Clete Fugate,

Asheville

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050510/OPINION02/50509014/1040

[libnnc]

13. OMG!!! I know this guy's family really well

Clete is in Iraq?? Okay this shit is hitting way too close to home. Clete Fugate is the BEST guy in the world. His little brother was a friend of mine in high school. I'm tearing up knowing that Clete is over there. I had no idea. :cry:

libnnc
www.folkmoot.com

[G_j]

14. wow, that really does

bring the war close to home.

It makes me sad also when I hear that people really do believe they are in Iraq to protect American freedoms, when actually they are there to stuff the pockets of the neo-con mafia. Other than that I thought the letter was spot on.

May he return home to family and friends safe and sound!
And may Bush and his buddies be 'invited' to the Hague to answer some serious questions.

[libnnc]

15. bring them home NOW

[G_j]

17. I hope

I didn't say that in away that sounded too harsh.
It really puts things in perspective to have someone remember a person whom they know and love as a fine and decent person. I believe you and I really want to honor that. It makes me very sad.
:-(
thanks for sharing!

[libnnc]

20. no, its cool

you're right on the money. This guy and his brother were superstars in school. Good looking extra-super personalities. Honor students. Football guys, but not jerks. So sweet and friendly. How many wide recievers do you know who wear Birkenstocks and tie-dye?

great guys, good family

libnnc
www.folkmoot.com

[Qanisqineq]

21. I agree

but saying that this war is crap is going to make the neo-con readers move on to a different letter without finishing his. I thought it was a good move. But maybe he does think he is protecting our freedoms... who knows. :shrug:

[G_j]

27. well certainly

he worded it in just the right way to speak to the average person who may be reading the letter, be they D or R, Christian or no.
I'm sure it will cause many people to pause and think. :think:
I am glad the paper put his letter at the top.

[warrens]

16. He wrote a championship letter

His family should be very proud of him for a lot of reasons. Send them our best.

[supernova]

18. Just a suggestion. What about getting in touch with his parents

They could probably tell you how to get in touch with him. I bet he'd be thrilled to hear from you. An that his LTTE made some real noise. :-)

[libnnc]

22. I actually knew his brother better

Clete's a few years older than me, but I would like to tell his family what a great letter that was

[BR_Parkway]

23. Please share with them that many of us passed it along to everyone

on our email lists. What he said was so exactly on the spot.

[libnnc]

24. will do

I'm going to foward his letter to my mother who used to work with their dad--she'll relay the message


thanks everybody

libnnc

www.folkmoot.com

[seabeyond]

25. yes yes yes libnnc, do it

tell them we are now sharing their sons experience. you have shared the special of this man. we have fallen in love. you want to let him know how special his words were for all of us

do call the parents

your gift. you are the one, thru your mom that started all this

and i love love the birkenstocks and tye dye, just love it

[eissa]

19. Excellent letter!

Wow, well done. It should be read on all the networks and printed in all the papers.

[suegeo]

30. It's a so-so letter, and I disagree about "terrorists"

The soldier in Iraq wrote:

"the actions of Chandler and his supporters are remarkably similar to the actions of the terrorists we are fighting here."

Iraqis are fighting for their country. We invaded them because the Republicans needed an issue to run on in the mid-term elections, and a frightened populace is easier to fool and control.

How does that make Iraqis terrorists? If we are to believe the US Government, most of the people who attacked in 2001 (while Bush was president and on vacation) were Saudi. I don't believe any were Iraqi.

So I don't agree that we are fighting terrorists in Iraq.

But you have to hand it to the propagandists in the US media who fooled some of the people into believing Iraqis are terrorists, just for defending their own homes from an invading force.

[kcwayne]

26. And of course, there is one wing nut that approves....

There has been much talk that politics from the pulpit is not appropriate in this day and age. Really? Tell that to Dr. Martin Luther King, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Billy Graham or any of the other great evangelists and civil rights leaders who made their pulpits a forum for social change.

True Baptists do not believe in gay rights, abortion rights, gay marriage or any of the other liberal forums the Democratic Party stood on last November. A vote for Democrats on the presidential ticket last fall was a vote that went directly against true Southern Baptist beliefs.

I applaud the pastor of East Waynesville Baptist for taking a stand for what Baptists truly believe.

That truth is simple; a vote for the modern Democrats last fall would have been a vote for more anti-church movements throughout the land. Hasn’t the church had enough?

Thank you for standing for God and my Lord and Savior, preacher. We need more like you.

I look forward to making the drive and attending East Waynesville Baptists Church services next Sunday. Southern Baptists everywhere ought to; we have a brave Christian there standing for our beliefs.

Steve Banks,

Waynesville



Hey Goober, you dumb fuck, MLK and Jesse Jackson are not evangelists. And in any case, they both have built messages around giving freedom to those that do not have it. Your hate for others is compelling you to want laws constructed to take away freedom from others, and to oppress them in society. You seemingly want your version of religion enforced through civil jurisdiction.

Why do you hate freedom? Is it because you are so weak minded and unconvincing in your own example that you need a sledge hammer to bash others into your small world? What makes you any different than the Taliban, or any of the long line of religious totalitarians that have used force to exert their will? By that measure, what separates you from goose stepping Nazi's eager to hand out yellow stars? I cannot see the distinction from my vantage point.

PS: Billy Graham? WTF has he done besides sell books and wear expensive suits? What social cause has he championed? I missed that part of the last 50 years.

[callous taoboy]

28. Possibly THE most ignorant LTTE I've ever seen. n/t

[G_j]

29. being familiar with their letter policy

I would guess that may the only decipherable letter they got in support of the pastor. They try to strictly represent the balance of letters they receive.