Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jclark@sdcc6.ucsd.edu (John Clark) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: 1st amendment (was: religious courses in a secular school) Message-ID: Date: 14 May 91 07:35:25 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of California, San Diego Lines: 45 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article hudson@athena.cs.uga.edu (Paul Hudson Jr) writes: +I can't agree with your statement that the PK did not reflect badly on +his father. When Paul was discussing the requirements for church +office he said that officials should be incontrol of their houses. If +a man is not able to handle his own house, how can he handle the +matters of the church? I think this is the basis for what I have observed in 'real' churches in the behavior of the offspring of the Minister. Since it is the attituded that the childern should be like the parent, mis behavior of the childern is either overlooked or delt with more quitely that with others. My strikes were I was the child of a devorcee and not the child of a preacher. You will not know how many times I heard phrases such as " well, you know he's the son of Mrs. Clark and she's devorced". I use my example as here are two individuals behavior which was essentially identical, independent of parental condition. Does this change? Well no. I when out with a woman who as a member of a church. One small fact, her divroce from an abusive husband was not final. The 'ladies' of the church clucked. Via the 'grape' vine I heard the imfamous phrase, "well, she's a divorcee, and he's the son of...". At the time the church had two or three on going adultery situations amoung members 'in good standing'. Did I hear any insinuations about these individuals, No. What this says is that churches are just like any place else on earth. But any where else on earth is not trying to seem 'above' all that. Or if I go to a whorehouse I know I'm not trying to find a life long partner. When I go to a church and find the same 'sins' going on but swept under the carpet for appearance sake, what am I to think? One can argue that churches are for such sinners. But once inducted the 'sinners' seem to forget where they came from. I don't think a preacher's childern should be considered any different that anyone else. Nor should their behavior be considered a reflection of the parent after some point. The preacher's childern know what life the preacher lives. As independent entities they have the choice. -- John Clark jclark@ucsd.edu