There is hardly ever a time when there is nothing to say through this blog, but often moments when it is hard to choose the subject. I can end up feeling paralyzed by the emerging realities of our world and the faith component of those circumstances. The Haj to Mecca came and went over the weekend with 3.5 million pilgrims making this extraordinary spiritual commitment. The aftermath of Sandy is a huge story.
So what do I choose for today? A praying police chief. There is a new police chief in Winnipeg, a city with lots of inner city crime, including gangs. The chief, Devon Clunis is a 25 year veteran of the force but he immediately put his foot in it, or maybe is was his knees. In an interview with Christian Week magazine he encouraged Winnipeggers of all faiths can pray for the reduction of crime and safety of the city. "What would happen if we all just truly -- I'm talking about all religious stripes here -- started praying for the peace of this city and then actually started putting some action behind that?"
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/winnipeg-police-chief-says-comments-on-prayer-and-crime-misconstrued-1.1008890#ixzz2AsXJWOlX
There was an immediate reaction to this terrible thought-- imagine invoking the Creator's intervention in crime! An ethicist at the University of Manitoba weighed in, claiming that "no one chose him to be police of our souls." Pulleeze. A low-key, non-sectarian encouragement to pray for the wellbeing of the city creates a stir. Clunis could probably have advocated locking up all the Bad Guys and throwing away the key with less reaction.
Well, you know my feelings. What do you think? Should Clunis have kept his mouth shut on this one, or is okay to acknowledge one's personal convictions? Why have we become so militant about keeping any expression of faith and religion out of the public square?
http://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-view-from-lazy-point.html
On CBC radio the other morning, Pia Chatipati (spelling) ROASTED this poor chap in her effort to sensationalize this story. I was so annoyed that I turned off the radio.
ReplyDeleteI think what he said was perfectly fine. For crying out loud, the political correctness has just gone crazy!
ReplyDeleteI am going to wish people a Merry Christmas, as I normally do(only at Christmas time, of course), and not worry whether or not it offends them. Sheesh.
Sheesh and yes....he did make this quote to an interviewer of a Christian magazine and he did qualify it to people of all religious stripes, presumably leaving those of no religious stripe to carry on as they were, not praying for safer streets.
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